Children living in hardship will reap the benefits of a partnership between the Variety - the Children's Charity and NZ Retail Property Group which inlucdes Fraser Cove shopping centre. Photo/file
Children living in hardship will reap the benefits of a partnership between the Variety - the Children's Charity and NZ Retail Property Group which inlucdes Fraser Cove shopping centre. Photo/file
The future looks brighter for Kiwi kids living in hardship in Tauranga and Auckland thanks to the announcement of a new partnership between Variety - the Children's Charity and NZ Retail Property Group.
The partnership will see a total of $75,000 invested with Variety over the coming year to helpstruggling children in communities surrounding the group's shopping centres and businesses - including central Tauranga.
Variety chief executive Lorraine Taylor said: "Variety is absolutely thrilled to be working with NZRPG to make a real and tangible difference to the lives of local New Zealand children going without. With support from caring, community minded organisations like NZRPG we can help bring our nation's children out of poverty, one community at a time."
As a priority, the group has committed to sponsoring 75 children living in deprivation through the Variety Kiwi Kid Sponsorship programme. These children live in communities immediately surrounding Fraser Cove shopping centre, and are going without what most would consider absolutely basic requirements for children growing up in New Zealand. Things like winter clothing, closed-in shoes, school uniforms and stationery, medicine and their own bed (with warm bedding) through to the ability to participate fully at school.
Additional financial support will be given to other key Variety programmes such as Laptops for Learning which ensures low decile schools in the local community have access to digital devices to aid student learning across the curriculum.
Other initiatives to be boosted by the partnership include Variety's Bikes for Kids programme which provides deserving and disadvantaged children with new bikes to ride, and Variety Gold Heart Scholarships which are awarded to talented young people so they can overcome personal challenges to excel in the arts, sports or education.
A further $7000 has been earmarked for Variety's Winter Crisis Fund, which will help children who need urgent support over the cold winter months.
Property retail group general manager of marketing and communications Sara Johnson said the organisation took its responsibility within the community seriously.
"We firmly believe that what we do now impacts the way a community will function and thrive in the future. Our local children are the basis of that future. A partnership with Variety gives NZRPG a direct way to reach those kids most in need."
