Central Lakes Trust (CLT) has closed its twentieth financial year after granting almost $10M to the Central Otago and Southern Lakes community.

The $9.45M granted in the year ending March 2021 is the largest amount granted in any one financial year the trust has operated, CLT chair Linda Robertson said.  

“Prudent investment has allowed CLT to maintain a healthy and growing grants budget,” she said.

“It is however the community members that drive the projects and causes we see across the board table and it is these groups that enable the trust to meaningfully contribute to charitable causes at the heart of the community’s needs.” 

Last year’s grants benefited a wide range of Wanaka groups, businesses and individuals.

Wanaka SAR received $30,000 towards training and gear from CLT in March. PHOTO: Wanaka App

They included 13 scholarships (valued at $2,500 each) for Mount Aspiring College students going into tertiary education, a $160,000+ contribution towards construction of a new 32-bunk hut at the Snow Farm for the use of schools and community groups, and $82,000 towards the recent Festival of Colour, among many others.

The Upper Clutha community also benefited from the trust’s emergency management fund which was triggered in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund included a $50,000 one-off payment to Queenstown Lakes District Council and other needs-based grants. 

CLT’s funding round for March, which capped off the last financial year and was made public earlier this week, also assisted a Wanaka organisation.

The Festival of Colour was another of CLT’s recipients last year. PHOTO: Ants Hansen

Wanaka Search and Rescue received a $30,000 grant, which will go towards training and equipment for the volunteer-driven local search and rescue organisation. 

This grant is among eight in March, which included grants for the Southern Wellbeing Trust, Disability Information Service, Presbyterian Support Otago, and more.

The Central Lakes Trust is the largest philanthropic trust per capita in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has distributed over $118 million into the community since it was formed.