Giving back at heart of foundation's new slogan

Giving back: Hawke's Bay Foundation trustee Jessica O'Sullivan with Prima Volta recipients, LJ Crichton and Taylor Wallbank in front of the new 'Live here, Give Here' campaign.Photo/Warren Buckland.

The unveiling of Hawke's Bay Foundation's new tagline accompanied the announcement of its 2016 grant recipients last night.

"Live here, Give Here" now fronts the foundation which has helped support 114 local charities and projects for the past three and a half years.

Chairperson Jules Nowell-Usticke said the new tagline immediately showcased what they were all about.

"We want to show people the importance of giving back to the community. Live Here, Give Here cuts straight to the chase and will hopefully encourage more people to get involved," Mrs Nowell-Usticke said.

Foundation trustee Sam Howard hoped their new positioning line would draw people in to tackle the issues and take responsibility as a community.

"There is growing inequity with the haves and have nots so we have provided a platform for people who want to help achieve that. We look at the needs and have a means to do something about them," Mr Howard said.

Thirty-four more not-for-profit charities were added to the list of 114 last night.

Mrs Nowell-Usticke said they gave grants to a wide range and looked at the greatest needs and fitted the money appropriately.

"The underlying rationale for Hawke's Bay Foundation is hard to argue against. For many, Hawke's Bay is a desirable place to live, work, play and retire but our region is also home to some of the worst social statistics in the country."

The Dingle Foundation Hawke's Bay was one of the recipient charities and chairman Jude Minor said it would go a long way with helping youth.

"We run programmes that work to help primary and secondary school kids in the region, so the money we have been given tonight goes to delivering these programmes that will help them succeed. It will have a direct affect," Mr Minor said.

The Prima Volta Charitable Trust was another charity that received a grant and Anna Pierard said it enabled the charity to make available unique operatic experiences.

"Normal teens don't have the opportunity to deliver performances so it gives them the confidence and ambition to succeed."

Mr Howard said the boys of Prima Volta showcased a sense of the untapped potential the region has to offer.

"We started the foundation at about the same time these boys kicked off and I am excited to see our growth coincide with Prima Volta hitting the opera stages of Europe."

Mrs Nowell-Usticke said they may be a fairly young organisation but they were already making a big impact.

"We believe the future of this region lies in the hands of this community, and that if we all work together, we can make a real difference to the lives of Hawke's Bay people, forever."

Strategic marketing consultant Lucy Dobbs, who worked on the new campaign, believed it would strike a chord with more of the locals.

"People who want to give back to their community but at the same time support a cause or organisation they care about can have the best of both worlds," Ms Dobbs said.