Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe: Let’s dig deep to support those hit hardest by Gabrielle

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe says the Mayoral Relief Fund has received $50,000 so far. Photo / Bevan Conley

COMMENT:

We all know Whanganui is a community with a big heart, and that’s been reaffirmed by the outpouring of local support for those hit hardest by Cyclone Gabrielle. But because of the scale of this disaster, we need to keep digging deep to help our fellow Kiwis in need.

In the immediate aftermath of Gabrielle, many in our community have felt compelled to give what they could – generously offering items like clothing, food and bedding. However, the message we’re hearing strongly from Civil Defence experts on the ground is that those items may not be able to be distributed to people right now. Instead, by far and away the most effective way people can help is with cash.

With that in mind, last week I launched a Whanganui Mayoral Relief Fund to raise money locally to support regions most impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. One hundred per cent of the money raised will go directly to relief efforts.

Since launching, we’ve had more than $50,000 donated into our Relief Fund bank account from individuals, businesses and local organisations like schools and churches. Yesterday, Pak’nSave Whanganui donated $10,000 alone.

This is an amazing start, and to those who have already made a donation, big or small – I can’t thank you enough.

But it’s clear these regions are going to require massive, ongoing financial support to get back on their feet. The road to recovery will be a marathon – not a sprint. So we’ll be continuing to ramp up our fundraising efforts in the coming days and weeks – and providing additional, more convenient ways for people to donate.

From today, you can make Eftpos donations to the Mayoral Relief Fund at the checkout at Mitre10 Mega Wanganui. We’re hoping to confirm more local businesses offering this option in the coming days.

The council will also be taking mobile Eftpos machines out and about to spots like Majestic Square, Trafalgar Square and the Riverside Market to make it as easy as possible for people to donate. First-up, we’ll have a machine on hand at my Community Kōrero session at Majestic Square today at 12.15pm (we’ll also have a good old donation bucket for gold coins and notes).

We’ve also just set up a payment portal on our website where you can donate via debit/credit card – just visit: cg23.whanganui.govt.nz.

What’s more, we’re in the process of organising a street appeal along with a community event at Majestic Square to bring people together while raising much-needed funds (we’ll be confirming the details soon via Whanganui District Council’s Facebook page).

In terms of exactly how the funding will be distributed, we’ll be working with Civil Defence and local authorities to determine how the money raised can be used most effectively.

But we do know a proportion of the funds we raise will be used to provide targeted support to Hastings – the city we’ve been paired with through the Adopt-a-Community initiative. As well as helping a city desperately in need of support, with many of the most affected areas within its territory, this is an opportunity for Whanganui to build stronger ties with our friends in Hastings.

To donate today, visit cg23.whanganui.govt.nz or make a bank transfer to 01-0790-0157888-00 (reference: CG23).