Central Lakes Trust (CLT) approved $1 million in grants to charitable organisations to support community patrols, driver initiatives and cultural events in Central during a June meeting. 

Among the 19 grantees is Eduk8 Charitable Trust who received $57,780 to deliver driver educational initiatives in the region. 

Eduk8 has been operating throughout New Zealand since 2007 and established its Otago regional trust in 2020. It is currently setting up a Central Otago trust to serve the region.

Working with NZ Courts, NZ Police, Fire Emergency New Zealand, St John ambulance, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, and community volunteers, Eduk8 delivers Te Ara Tutki Pai – The Right Track (TRT), a driver education programme for young at-risk drivers and offenders. 

One of the attendees of the May TRT programme said it was very eye opening.

“The amount of things I learned and realised. Really put me in my place. It has changed my entire perspective. It's not just on drink driving, but also distracted driving and anything along the lines of impaired driving.”

While the TRT’s main focus is driver rehabilitation, the course aims to educate, motivate, challenge, inspire, and inform to support attendees make better decisions on and off the road.

CLT chief executive Barbara Bridger said supporting community organisations which address social problems or improve health outcomes for the people in our region is core to what the CLT does. 

“We are very pleased to see TRT offered in the Queenstown Lakes region and to support the work they do.”

Other Central organisations who received project grants were; Clyde Playcentre boosted by $5420 for a flooring project, Cromwell and District Community Trust’s Chinese village project, which was granted $8882, Mīharo (Central Lakes Polyfest 2024) received $40,000 and WoolOn 2024 benefited from a $15,000 grant. 

Operational grants to Central included Alexandra Rural Community Patrol, which received $8343 and Cromwell Community Patrol, which was given $5000. 

St John ambulance received $267,435 to support the purchase of a new ambulance, based out of Queenstown, to provide backup for much of the Central Lakes region.

CLT Funding clinics are coming up next month. Interested applicants can get advice at Alexandra Community House from 11am - 1pm on August 14 and on the same day in the CLT boardroom, Cromwell from 2.30 - 4.30pm. 

For more information about funding contact [email protected]