A large pool of money has been given to five South Wairarapa groups this month to enable them to create a safer, happier and healthier community with $160,000 from South Wairarapa District Council’s new Community Wellbeing Fund.

The groups are Cobblestones Museum Trust ($45,000), Greytown Little Theatre Trust ($36,000), Kohunui Marae ($49,000), Ngahuia Wild Bird Rescue ($20,000) and Courage Dear Heart Events ($10,000).

“What an immense privilege to support the outstanding mahi in our community. We’ve heard from amazing and inspiring people who are dedicated to improving the wellbeing of our wider community by looking after our whenua, our whanau, our past and our future,” says Councillor Rebecca Gray.

“The Community Wellbeing Fund supports their mahi by getting funds into the hands of folks who will use it well for the benefit of South Wairarapa. I’m excited to see the next round of applications and strongly encourage anyone who could benefit from this fund to get in touch with Lina, our very helpful fund coordinator.”

The successful recipients of the new Community Wellbeing Fund were able to demonstrate wellbeing outcomes that tick social, cultural, economic and environmental boxes. All four are key tenets of the Community Wellbeing Fund criteria.

The Community Wellbeing Fund is a one off pool of $500,000, which comes entirely from Central Government. This fund comes directly from Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal Affairs, from the Better Off support packages that were provided to Local Authorities under the Three Waters Reform.  

Funds given to the Kohunui Marae Enhancement Project will enable the marae to better manaaki the community through hosting community events, wānanga, noho, and offering shelter to the wider community in the event of an emergency. To do so effectively, the marae sought funding to upgrade mattresses, bedding, cooking, food storage equipment and equipment storage.

Another successful recipient in this round of funds is Ngahuia Wild Bird Rescue, which is committed to the welfare of wild birds. These funds will enable Ngahuia to enhance environmental wellbeing by building the first avian rehabilitation and rescue structure in the Wairarapa, which helps to build resilience and optimism in the community as people watch birds recovering and thriving.

“My ultimate long term goal is for our paddocks to be planted out in natives around large aviaries as a bird sanctuary that could be visited by small groups as an education place in the Wairarapa,” Danielle Hill of Ngahuia Wild Bird Rescue.

Two more rounds of applications are scheduled for the remaining $340,000 in the Community Wellbeing Fund.

Applications are open now and will be assessed on 4 September and 27 November 2024 by a Community Wellbeing Fund Subcommittee, made up of councillors, the Council Chief Executive, representatives from Community Boards and the Māori Standing Committee.

The final deadline for applications to be received is 31 October 2024. Application criteria are on the council website.

Find out more and apply here:  Community Wellbeing Fund Application – SWDC SWDC