Almost $300,000 has been distributed to community groups across the region in Otago Community Trust’s (OCT) latest funding round.

Wānaka-based environmental advocacy group Wao Aotearoa was one of several grant recipients for initiatives to educate Otago communities and future generations on environmental sustainability.

The organisation received a $25,000 grant for the delivery of its 2023/2024 programmes.

OCT grants manager Sue Stewart said the grant would help Wao Aotearoa deliver the 2023 Wao Summit.

The summit (which will take place from October 24-29 this year) will feature workshops, kōrero, films, tours, and community events about creating long term social and environmental change.

Sue said the funding would also help Wao Aotearoa “continue to build capability within the community through practical workshops and create resilient systems through their Climate Action and Get SMART initiatives, Food Resilience Project, and Better Building Working Group”.

Grants from this funding round will also support a second local event, the Winter Games, which is returning after a four-year hiatus. 

It will include 14 events across alpine, freeride and freestyle (park and pipe) disciplines between August 25 and September 8. 

Winter Games NZ Charitable Trust received a $20,000 grant from OCT to support the event.

Other grants for Wānaka recipients in this funding round included Wānaka Musicians Incorporated, which received $5,000, and Te Kura O Take Karara, which received $15,000.

Across Otago, 32 organisations received funding totalling $278,999 in the OCT’s July funding round.

The OCT is a philanthropic organisation which applies its trust funds for organisations and initiatives that benefit the Otago community.

Learn more here.

PHOTO: Wao Aotearoa