Te Puke Community Board approves $4700 in grants, rejects other applications

Te Ara Kahikatea Inc has been granted $2500 to go towards the creation of a new walkway connection.

When grant applications totalling more than $21,000 are received, but only $11,000 is available, something has to give.

That was the situation Te Puke Community Board faced when considering grant applications at its meeting last week.

Grant applications had been submitted by the Te Puke branch of Community Patrols New Zealand ($2500), 247 Health and Fitness ($5000), Parent to Parent Coastal Bay of Plenty ($10,000), Rangiuru Sports Club ($1200) and Te Ara Kahikatea Inc ($2500).

An application for a grant of $8000 from Made in Te Puke Trust was withdrawn prior to the meeting.

Councillor Andy Wichers suggested the merits of each application be considered against the board’s criteria before any discussion about whether each grant would be approved in full or in part was made.

One of the criteria is that applications be accompanied by a financial statement which ruled out the applications from 247 Health and Fitness.

The two other criteria are, does the application align with the board’s strategic direction or be of public benefit.

Wichers said the Community Patrols application might not meet the strategic alignment criteria, but was of public benefit.

Board member Neena Chauhan outlined the service provided by Parent to Parent.

Board member Karen Summerhays said she believed the services provided covered a wider area than just Te Puke and that the amount applied for was “huge” compared to “what they are providing in our space”.

“It is a social service and there are other agencies that would fund this.”

“With something so substantial, it would have been good if they had come to speak to it,” said chairwoman Kassie Ellis.

The grant application from Rangiuru Sports Club would supersede and be of a lesser amount than a grant previously approved and would be used to paint three murals at the club.

The grant application from Te Ara Kahikatea Inc was to contribute to a new walkway connection and was considered to meet the board’s strategic direction and be of public benefit.

The board decided to grant $1000 to the Te Puke branch of Community Patrols New Zealand to help with the costs of fuel, maintenance and insurance of patrol vehicles, $1200 to Rangiuru Sports Club and $2500 to Te Ara Kahikatea Inc.