Seeing where the money goes

Lotto shop retailers from the Bay of Plenty had a chance to see where Lottery funding is making a big difference in the Tauranga community.

A visit to the School for Young Parents was a highlight. The school provides ‘second chance’ education for young mothers from 14 - 23 years who have had their schooling interrupted by pregnancy and parenthood.

The school received a Lottery grant of $8,400 towards the salary of social support worker Raewyn Lucas. Raewyn’s support is about more than just education. As one young mother said, “she’s like a second mum.” From helping them find housing, to supporting them at CYF interviews, Raewyn’s role extends to every aspect of the young mothers’ lives.

One young mother spoke about Raewyn going out of her way to help the girls, in any way she could. “When I was in hospital having my appendix out, she came to visit with a big bunch of flowers, wanting to do my hair and makeup! I was all drugged up on morphine and didn’t really feel like having any visitors, but she really brightened up my day.”

The school provides a holistic approach. As well as supporting the educational needs of the young mothers, who are all at different stages of secondary school or tertiary study, there’s a focus on personal development, career advice, health, childcare, parenting, and emotional support. Last year five students went on to university to study teaching and nursing.

Robyn said many of these young women have issues with family violence, and some are unable to live at home. “In these situations, education is so difficult if you’re worried about things like food and shelter.”

A local Lotto retailer asked the young mothers what the best thing about the school is. One young mother answered, “the best thing is walking into this building every morning and not being judged. It’s given me a second chance.”

The Lotto retailers said how much they appreciated being given the opportunity to go out and experience first hand the great things that are being done within their own community. This visit gave them a chance to see how profits from Lotto games flow on to directly benefit the community through the Lottery Grants Board. Last year, NZ Lotteries transferred a record $138.5 million to the Lottery Grants Board to distribute nationwide to community groups like the School for Young Parents.

The Lotto retailers also visited the Maungatapu Marae, one of the oldest marae in the Bay of Plenty, which received $63,000 from the Lottery Marae Heritage and Facilities Committee last year. The grant went towards replacing the roof of the wharenui, which is over 125 years old, and upgrading the kitchen area. For many of the retailers, it was their first marae experience.