Endeavour campaign on the home straight

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

ENDEAVOUR replica ships will return to the Gisborne skyline, says a confident Malcolm MacLean.

The Gisborne district councillor — a key organiser of a givealittle online fundraising campaign to build two Endeavour ships to replace replicas that used to be displayed in the city centre — said the current total raised was $11,410 from 41 donors.

But he told the council’s community development and services committee he was disappointed to find givealittle took 10 percent of all funds raised.

As a result he was collecting funds directly from some donors and — after issuing a receipt — depositing the money into the district council Endeavour model account. That made the grand total so far more than $13,000.

Once the target of $20,000 was reached, an organisation which preferred not to be named, would contribute another $10,000.

The givealittle campaign closes on Thursday, February 28.

The council has provided funding of $19,000, enough for one model.

The additional $20,000 would pay for a second model and resource consents to erect the Endeavours in the city, like their predecessor models.

“We are nearly there,’’ said Mr MacLean.“

Come on Gisborne. Let’s get that last little bit.”