Welcome to our August eNewsletter. The first few months of our financial year are typically busy for the Trust, and this certainly has been the case for 2023. We were delighted to announce in early June that Jemma Adams has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Otago Community Trust.

Jemma will start her role in early September. Trustees are excited to welcome Jemma to the Trust, and we know she is looking forward to meeting many of our community groups and stakeholders in the coming months. Jemma brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, stakeholder relationship building, and astute management of community assets and investments.

Granting

Over the past couple of months we have been pleased to support a diverse array of community projects, events, and programs. One of the key strengths of the Otago Community Trust is the diversity of projects, initiatives and community groups we provide funding to.

Our June grants round is always significant as we consider our annual grants to regional sporting organisations. In June, the trustees approved over $980,000 to 30 regional sporting bodies. This funding supports regional sporting bodies to introduce and/or maintain programs that encourage participation and development of their sport in Otago.

Several iconic Otago events received funding support in July, including the 2023 Dunedin Marathon, the 2023 Winter Games, and, after a four-year hiatus, it is great to see that the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival will return to Port Chalmers. The Trust was pleased to approve funding for a number of initiatives to educate Otago communities and future generations on environmental sustainability and regenerative futures. This included the University of Otago's Marine Studies Centre's Aquavan outreach program which delivers a unique mobile marine education program to Otago communities and rural schools.

We were also very pleased to announce the first recipients of our Rangatahi-Led Fund. The Ōtepoti Dunedin Rangatahi-Led Fund is the first of four rangatahi-led funds launched by Otago Community Trust as part of its commitment in 2022 to fund rangatahi (young people) under our tamariki and rangatahi strategy. A total of $25,000 was approved to 8 youth-led initiatives, you can learn more about each of these in the article in this newsletter.  

Annual Public Meeting

As noted in the Newsletter, the Annual Public Meeting for Otago Community Trust will be held next month in North Otago, and all members of the public are most welcome to attend.

This is scheduled to be held on Monday, 25th September 2023, at 4:00 pm at the Oamaru Opera House. 

The meeting is an opportunity to meet our trustees, staff, and other community groups. You will also find out how the Otago Community Trust has served the Otago community over the past 12 months.

Looking Forward

Please note that we have a number of funding clinics scheduled for the coming months across Otago. Our Grants Manager, Sue Stewart, will be delighted to see you all at these and learn more about how we can help with your community projects.

Finally, I hope you enjoy reading this edition of our bi-monthly newsletter. As always, if you have any questions regarding funding, please feel free to contact a member of the Trust team; they are always happy to help.

Ngā mihi,

Andy Kilsby, Chair