Grant Recipient Stories

Lives Will Potentially Be Saved - on Lake Wakatipu when the Queenstown Coastguard installs thermal imaging equipment to its rescue boat. The coastguard's quest to fit a thermal imaging camera on the exterior of its vessel, Queenstown Airport Rescue 1, is closer to fruition following a $7,500 grant from the CTOS. Queenstown Coastguard board member Lyn Hamilton notes "the equipment will enable us to find people in the lake very quickly, even in pitch blackness - it's invaluable as there are no city lights here, no illumination so this will provide safety for the crew, the boat and lake users."

Shrieks Of Delight - echo through the hills around Garston as pupils at Garston School excitedly clamber over their school's first play structure - designed to improve the students' fitness and agility. The $33,000 multi-purpose fitness and play structure was purchased with the help of the dedicated fundraising efforts of the Garston community and a $5,373 grant from CTOS. Previously the only dedicated play apparatus the students had was a couple of swings. Principal Kathryn O'Loughlin notes that "A feature of small schools such as ours is that there aren't enough students of the same age for them to be able to play traditional team sports during break times as they can do in larger schools, for this reason we think it is important to motivate our students to 'get physical' by providing them with an alternative option for physical activity".

The Band - an artwork by Owen Warhurst featured in a recent C S Art Exhibition. Operating since 2004 C S Art is an art studio for people who have limited access to the arts, including people with disabilities and people with mild mental illness. The studio encourages people to tap into their creativity, through facilitated sessions offered five times a week, the results being unique pieces of art - with each piece telling its own story. CTOS provides a $22,000 annual operational grant to the C S Art Charitable Trust.  

Youth Drop-In Centre for Otautau - Operating since January 2009 the Centre aims to provide a safe place where youth from Otautau and surounding areas can come and relax and where a Youth Worker is available to offer assistance and advice if needed. Open Friday and Saturday evenings the Centre povides a fun place for youth to meet during the weekends to have a game of pool, use the computers, electronic gaming or DVDs. CTOS provided a grant for alterations to the building and an operational grant to assist with the running of the drop-in centre.

New Van for Disability Resource Centre - Since 2002 Disability Resource Centre Southland (DRC) has been operating a Hospital Outpatient Courtesy Van Service manned by 6 volunteer drivers. In constant use, 8am till 5pm five days a week, the service provides transport for those people who cannot attend hospital appointments by any other means, DRC General Manager Carol Wood notes the following as typical uses of the van "it may be they are going to the eye clinic and have had to insert eye drops before they leave home, or are suffering from a fracture, or have not had the all clear to drive from their doctor". Over 2,300 people use the service each year and CTOS has assisted DRC with a grant towards the purchase of a new van.

Cavalcade Rolls into Waikaka - a major event in the Otago/Soutland region for over 11 years, the Cavalcade which has nine separate trails commencing at different locations (three walking, four horse riding, and two heavy wagon) retraces the trails of the gold miners and culminates at a host town. Waikaka featured as the finale host town for the 2009 Goldfields Heritage Trust Cavalcade and Gillian Cooper of the Host Town Committee noted that the event "pulled the wider community together because so many services were required for us to achieve the event".

The Day Santa Came to Town - the streets of Invercargill were lined with thousands of smiling faces, young and old,  as the 10th Santa Parade supported by Community Trust of Southland  made its way through the Invercargill city centre. A fantastic array of floats, bands and entertainers made for a very colourful and memorable parade, with a number of new floats and community groups joinging the event for the first time. Our special thanks go to the Southland Christmas Parade Charitable Trust and the many volunteers and supporters who make this annual event a very special occasion.

A Special Treat for Southland Pre-schoolers - free buses provided by the Community Trust of Southland will enable hundreds of Southland preschool children to share in the joy of Christmas at the annual CCS Disability Christmas Tree Fesitval, being held at Stadium Southland until 24th December.  The fesitval includes a wide range of trees decorated by various community groups and businesses and is a must see in the lead up to Christmas.

A Local Affair - the Mataura community called on local lads to officially open the new $1.1m community centre which was supported by a grant of $400,000 from CTOS. Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks, local identity Inky Tulloch and other local dignitaries Brian Dermody of the Matura Licensing Trust and Wayne Harpur Community Trust of Southland celebrated, along with the Mataura communtiy, the offical opening of the Centre on 21 November 2008. A long time in reaching fruition the Centre, a focal point for the community, held its first key event the Mataura community forum on the 29th November which involved one of America's leading  social innovators Bliss Browne. 

Safeguarding Southland's Stories - making a valuable contribution to the process of telling the story of Southland is the Southland Rural Hertiage Trust's Oral History Project. The Trust's September 2007 newsletter noted "Southland's stories define who we are as a province and as a people. In many cases they are stored as living memories and die with their owners. This project seeks to safeguard stories of Southland's rural traditions and way of life from the 1920s to the 1950s". The Trust  received a grant from CTOS to support the appointment of a part time project co-ordinator. 

Swede Safari - having well trained vets aware of dairy farming practices and vetting in Southland, combined with vet recruitment has been the impetus for the Society of Dairy Cattle Veterinarians of NZ 'Swede Safari'. Initiated in 2007 the event brings final year Massey vet students to Southland for five days where they are exposed to practicing dairy farms and seminars. With the recent expansion of the diary industry in Southland recruiting and maintaining a veterinarian workforce is vital.

Second Squash Court for Waikaka - some resourceful fundraising including: a scrap metal drive, drive in movie, mystery auction and stock grazing combined with a grant of $45,000 from CTOS has helped the Waikaka Squash Club build a second squash court. The new court has seen regular coaching and tournaments for young players, 45 interclub players benefiting weekly and an increase in social memberships. Committee Member Sharon Irwin notes  "the project has been a huge success, the facility is now physically there to be shared by an entire community". 

Multi Year Funding Makes a Big Difference - CTOS multi year operational funding has come to the aid of the South Coast Environment Society, based in Riverton, which was facing potential closure in 2008. The much needed operational funding will enable the Society to continue their valuable environmental work including; promoting environmental and natural ecosystem education, promoting sustainable lifestyles and eco friendly choices, and managing an Environment Centre which provides a venue for 10 local environmental groups to use for a variety of purposes.

Volunteers And Supporters No Longer Out In The Cold - enduring long periods of time in the cold while watching a family member practice or organising an Ice Sports Southland (ISS) event is now a thing of the past. Thanks to a $15,000 grant from CTOS volunteers and supporters will now enjoy the comforts of a new warm room. The grant also assisted with a new sound system and sound room, replacing the interim music system installed as a temporary measure in 2001 when the rink first opened. ISS recently hosted the 2008 NZ Figure Skating Nationals a great coup for the only club owned ice skating rink in NZ.

Equipment Supports Imaginative Play - a grant of $440 for new strollers and a play oven will help children at the Wakatipu Kindergarten to pursue the valuable lessons gained from imaginative play.  Kirsty Jamieson-Gough of the Wakatipu Kindergarten Committee noted in a letter to the Trust that "without the support of community organisations, our kindergarten would be limited in the quality and amount of equipment we could offer our 80 enrolled children".