Lottery money supports senior New Zealanders

16/4/2004

More than half a million dollars of lottery money will be spent on community initiatives that support older New Zealanders.

The Lottery Seniors Committee recently distributed $523,388 to 98 community organisations around the country, more than half of whose members are over 60.

Lottery Grants Board acting secretary Morag Osborne says more than 100 applications for funding were considered, a 33 per cent increase on this time last year.

“The jump in applications confirms that the Lottery Seniors Committee is increasingly recognised as the primary source of contestable funding for initiatives promoting the wellbeing of older people in our communities,” she says.

“In this funding round, several applications stood out as excellent examples of social, recreational and educational initiatives that stand to enhance the participation of seniors.”

These include:

• $15,600 to the Alexandra Senior Citizens Club for a coordinator’s salary

“The club offers a well-run programme with a good variety of services. It runs five days a week, and goes that extra mile by offering help with transport to doctors appointments,” Morag Osborne says.

• $5,000 to Lower-Hutt-based Polish Children for a national reunion
  
  “In making this grant, the committee noted the extreme hardship that many seniors of Polish descent faced when they were children, and agreed that a national reunion was an excellent way of strengthening their community support networks,” Morag Osborne says.

• $2,500 to SeniorNet New Brighton for computer equipment

“The committee has a precedent of granting $5,000 for computers to new SeniorNet groups and will consider applications for up to $2,500 for new equipment once the group has been established for some time, which is the case here,” Morag Osborne says.

In 2002 Lottery Seniors distributed nearly $3 million for social services for at-risk or disadvantaged older people, disability support services and social and educational activities.

After direct Government contributions, Lottery funds are the most significant source of community development in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Lotteries Commission funds the Lottery Grants Board, which also allocates money to Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand and the Film Commission.

For more information on Lottery Grants visit http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Lottery-Grants-Index or call 0800 824 824.


Contacts:

Claire Hall, communications advisor, Community Development Group
(04) 495-7299 or 027 284 4228

Alexandra Senior Citizens’ Centre
Jill Alexander, (03) 448-7007

Polish Children
Stan Manterys, (04) 972-4194

SeniorNet New Brighton
John Scott, (03) 382-6408