Kindergarten kids fundraise for community vehicle helping others

HELPING OUT: Children from Whangamata's Best Start Kindergarten with the cheque showing how much they raised to help their community. PHOTO/Supplied.

Helping others in the community is the lesson being taught by a group of Whangamata kindergarten children.

The

children at BestStart recently took part in a "Scoot for Loot" fundraiser, which raised $745 towards buying a community vehicle.

Whangamata Community Services Trust manager Monique Gardiner was presented with the cheque from the BestStart children today.

The money is to buy and help pay the running costs of a community vehicle to help people

unable to drive themselves for medical reasons, lack of confidence or mobility issues.

Whangamata Community Services Trust will provide a free, accessible, and dignified service that's easily accessible to those within Whangamata and surrounding rural areas.

"A free, local transport service would reduce social isolation and increase social connectedness within the community," says Monique.

"By providing a non-discriminative means of transport, we envisage an increase in physical and mental wellbeing, ensuring that the quality of the lives of local residents are not diminished by lack of transport options."

Two years ago, community volunteer Barbara Collett, who spends many hours helping the aged, raised the need for a service to help transport people who are socially isolated. The story appeared in the Coastal News and since then has become almost a reality.

To donate, deposits may be made directly to the Whangamata Community Services Trust: BNZ 02-1254-0027056-00 Reference: Vehicle.