New fund available for youth-led projects

Darleen, Wiremu and Ruby.

Eastern and Central Community Trust (ECCT) is thrilled to launch its new Youth-Led Fund, which aims to assist and empower rangatahi (young people) to deliver projects in their school or community.

Managed by rangatahi for rangatahi, the Youth-Led Fund will provide grants between $100 and $5000 for projects that focus on making a positive impact in the regions ECCT serves, which include Tararua.

The new fund has stemmed from ECCT's Rangatahi Project, which has seen ECCT collaborate with its very own rangatahi rōpū, as well as community organisations, to guide funding to young people for the next five years.

Eastern and Central Community Trust chairwoman Shelly Mitchell-Jenkins says ECCT recognises that children and young people are key priorities in the regions it serves.

"We value our youth – their needs, aspirations and dreams for the future – which is why they are a focus area in our funding strategy. Our goal is to support young people in our region to reach their potential."

Applications for the Youth-Led Fund are invited from individuals and groups of young people, aged between 12-24 years.

Projects could include sports events, making and promoting a film, holding a wānanga at a local marae, running an environmental project, creating a youth market, promoting Te Reo in your community, starting a youth website, hosting a youth art exhibition or painting a mural.

ECCT's rangatahi rōpū, which consists of 15 members aged between 16 and 25 years, will assess all applications against their criteria and make funding allocations as they see fit.

ECCT Rangatahi rōpū member Geordie Parrant, of Levin, says the group is "pretty open to what we could fund".

"The main thing is that it is youth-led. That means that young people have the idea and run it. Adults can help but young people need to organise the project. Applications for the funding need to come from young people, not adults."

There is no closing date for the Youth-Led Fund and applications will be considered monthly, with the first applications being considered from the end of February.

To apply, or for more information, visit the website ecct.org.nz or email rangatahi@ecct.org.nz