In a discussion lasting 90 minutes on Tuesday, February 25 the Taupō District Council has decided which groups win and which miss out in its new strategic partnership and accelerator fund applications – distributing $460,000 per annum for the next three years.
Big winners from the $300,000 available in the partnership fund after the meeting were Bike Taupō receiving $70,000, Waiora Community Trust $70,000, Greening Taupō $60,000, while $50,000 each went to Sport Waikato and Creative Taupō.
Seventeen groups had sought money in these five partnership fund categories and while acknowledging on behalf of the council that he was impressed with most of the applications, Taupō’s Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor said regrettably some did not hit the mark and would be disappointed.
The eight available accelerator fund amounts of $20,000 attracted 24 applications, with those successful being: Mangakino Central Charitable Trust, Tūrangi Rangatahi Hub, Taupō School of Music, Lake Taupō Sports Advisory Council, Taupō Sculpture Trust, Volunteer Great Lake Taupō, Kids Greening Taupō and Safer Turangi.
The council also shuffled the funding pots in the district’s three one-off community funds in which a further $240,000 is available to groups. It was decided to configure these as $150,000 available in the Taupō and Taupō East Rural Ward, $40,000 in Mangakino-Pouakani Ward and $50,000 in Tūrangi-Tongariro Ward.
