Apply for funding this summer for your community project

Noel Smith from Noel Smith Councillor - Newcastle Ward

Applications are opening in December and in January for a range of Council-administered funds to support community projects and events in the Waikato district for next year.

There are funds for supporting creative and performing arts, heritage, conservation and a range of other community projects and events – so get your thinking caps on and tell us what you need!

Three funds have closing dates in February for their first round of applications for the year:

• Waikato District Council Discretionary Grants Fund (opens 1 December, closes 2 February)

• Creative Communities Fund (opens 1 December, closes 23 February)

• Heritage Project Fund (opens 19 January, closes 23 February)

The Waikato District Community Wellbeing Trust Fund has a single funding round for the year which opens on 26 January and closes on 30 March.

In the past financial year the Council committed grants totalling more than $750,000 for distribution to 160 community groups and charities throughout the district enabling communities to come together to meet local needs.

These included more than $610,000 of targeted and discretionary Council funds, another $48,441 distributed on behalf of the Creative Communities Scheme Fund, and $88,250 distributed on behalf of the Waikato District Community Wellbeing Trust, an independent trust the Council administers.

The Heritage Project Fund was a new Council initiative last year. Among the first projects it funded were heritage signs for Raglan and Te Kowhai, and restoration work on the exterior of the Tuakau Museum.

Go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz... to find out more.