Te Puke events to benefit from community events fund

Te Puke's Sikh Parade over the weekend was one of the events to benefit from the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund.

Several Te Puke events have benefited from the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund (TWBCEF).

The latest round of the local collaborative fund has resulted in 30 applications receiving a combined total of $354,300.

The fund opens more opportunities for event organisers, as they can now access funding from organisations they were previously unable to if they did not have a not-for-profit status.

Over half of the $900,000 annual funding pool for 2023/2024 has now been allocated, and the fund will have up to another four rounds for the remaining 2023 / 2024 year.

The 30 applications granted funding for round two are spread over the summer and stretch into autumn 2024.

They include Te Puke’s Sikh Parade, Diwali celebrations, Christmas celebrations and Te Puke-based Fijian Language Week and Independence Day events.

The events are all community-driven events, aiming to enrich the Tauranga and Western Bay communities through active participation and inclusion.

“Summer in Tauranga and Western Bay will have endless event options for people to attend over the coming months,” says Western Bay of Plenty District Council strategy and community general manager Rachael Davie.

“We’re excited to see the funding go to a wide variety of events throughout Tauranga and the Western Bay, offering options for those interested in arts and culture, sports, Christmas celebrations and events tailored to more specific community groups.”

Applications for round three of the TWBCEF are now open through www.communityeventfund.nz.

Fund organisers, the Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, TECT and Western Bay of Plenty District Council are inviting new community event applications to be submitted before October 20.

Decisions for round three of the fund will be released by November 20.

The maximum funding cap per event is $50,000 for events in Tauranga and $15,000 for Western Bay of Plenty events.