Medibank Community Fund Grant Will Help Students

Medibank Community Fund Grant Will Help Students at Auckland Low Decile Schools

Students at 34 low decile schools in the Auckland region will get help to build resilience to cope with difficult life experiences, thanks to a Medibank Community Fund grant.

The Skylight Trust has received $13,500 to deliver its ‘Getting Stronger’ board game for young people aged 8 to 14, which encourages them to open up about sensitive topics such as parental breakup, bullying, death, addiction and domestic violence.

Skylight Foundation Fundraising Coordinator Kirsty Prentice says the grant means the game, along with training and professional support, can now be provided to Auckland schools which would otherwise be unable to afford it. “We just wouldn't be able to do this without the Medibank Community Fund grant.”

The Skylight Trust is one of five New Zealand projects to receive grants totalling nearly $100,000 from the Medibank Community Fund in 2015. For the first time, Kiwis were able to vote for the initiative they believed would be of most benefit to their community from five finalists shortlisted by Medibank Health Solutions.

“We are grateful to Medibank for picking Skylight as a finalist, and to all our supporters who took the time to vote for us," says Ms Prentice. “We look forward to working with the low decile schools in Auckland and helping them to get the most from this innovative board game.”

Medibank New Zealand General Manager Andrea Pettett says the MCF grants programme is an important investment in community health, supporting local initiatives that encourage healthy eating, physical activity or community connectedness.

“We received a record number of grant applications and it’s clear that organisations all over New Zealand are keen to improve both the mental and physical wellbeing of their communities.”

She says all the projects are making important contributions to the health and wellbeing of local communities and responding to the particular needs of specific groups.

ENDS

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