Eastern & Central Community Trust (ECCT) makes funding donations to community organisations in Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Tararua, Wairarapa, Manawatu & Horowhenua.
Wairarapa
A $20,000 donation to support the work of the Life Education Trust in the Wairarapa and Southern Hawke's Bay region is being made by the Eastern and Central Community Trust. The Community Trust has been a long-term support of the Life Education programmes, which take health-based information to schools, using a mobile classroom, targeting primary school children. More than 2,000 children access the programmes each year.
The Community Trust is also giving $8,000 to Wairarapa Paddlers for the purchase of seven canoe polo kayaks. The donation will replace older boats so that more players can be involved in the sport. More than 200 players are involved in a school canoe polo league and the club also runs a junior development programme.
The Wairarapa Rescue Trust will use its $4,000 Community Trust donation to buy an auxillary generator to provide alternative electricity for search and rescue operational base at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton. Community Trust Donations Manager Bev Watkins says that there is an increased awareness in communities about the importance of back-up power resources following the Christchurch earthquakes. “Reliable alternative power is essential to ensure equipment and operational responsibilities can continue without interruption,” she says. A continuous power supply is also important to provide ‘clean' power to prevent damage to computers and other electrical equipment.