Community grants: Who got what, and why one Whanganui councillor says a ‘tough’ conversation needs to be had

Editor - Whanganui Chronicle ·Whanganui Chronicle·

18 Sep, 2023 03:44 AM3 mins to read

Whanganui district councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan. Photo / Bevan Conley

A “tough” conversation needs to be had about the level of community grants funded by Whanganui District Council after it received $400,000 in applications for a $150,000 fund, one councillor says.

Through its community contracts, the council gives grants to organisations to partner with it to provide services around community health, safety and wellbeing.

It has an annual budget of $150,000, but this year received applications worth $439,342.

A third of the budget is for long-term projects of significance, with the Kai Hub (year three of three) and Woven Rivers Charitable Trust (year two of three) getting $25,000 each.

The remaining $100,000 for the general community fund was shared among 26 organisations, with the council’s community grants subcommittee approving the recommendations made by an assessment panel.

“It would be very tough making these decisions,” committee chairwoman Philippa Baker-Hogan said.

“We know we are in a real cost of living crisis - so the need seems as great or greater than ever.

“Whanganui certainly relies on volunteers. We have some amazing organisations and they do it on the smell of an oily rag, literally.”

Councillor Kate Joblin said the fund was 0.2 per cent of the council’s overall budget.

“I’m not going to comment on whether that is enough or not, [other] than to say community organisations are the glue that keep this community together, and it’s entirely appropriate that we contribute to that - or that the collective of Whanganui contributes to that,” she said.

Baker-Hogan said the level of funding needed to be considered.

“I’ve got no doubt that the conversation about increasing this will be a tough one, along with a whole lot of other needs, but I think it’s an important conversation, and I look forward to having that at the right time.”

The council’s community wellbeing manager Lauren Tamehana said grant recipients were required to report back and demonstrate success.

“We used results-based accountability for our reporting criteria which asks how much have you done, how well have you done it, and [whether anyone is] better off.”

Tamehana said being “better off” meant being left with increased skills and knowledge, increased awareness, changed behaviour or changed circumstances.

“Changing circumstances is one of the big ones that creates really good change in our community. It’s also one of the harder ones to do for some things.”

Who got what from the community fund