Endowment fund set up for Gisborne’s Comet Swimming Club

Sunrise Foundation has established an Endowment Fund to secure the long-term financial future of Comet Swim Club. Club coaches Roxy Adams and Glenn Hamblyn work poolside with the club’s Development Squad. Photo / Supplied

A new endowment fund has been established with Sunrise Foundation to help secure the long-term future of Comet Swimming Club.

It will ensure generations of local people can continue to build water confidence, essential skills and a lifelong love of swimming, the foundation said in a statement.

“The Comet Swimming Club Endowment Fund has been generously seeded by an anonymous local group who believe strongly in the value of swimming and the vital role Comet plays,” Foundation chief executive Glenda Stokes said.

“For more than 60 years Comet has been a cornerstone of the local community, welcoming everyone from tiny tots learning to float through to competitive swimmers training for regional and national events.

“The club’s reach extends beyond Gisborne. Their instructors regularly travel up the coast to deliver swimming and water safety programmes in remote schools.

“Children from Motu to Muriwai, Hicks Bay to Matawai have access to these life-saving skills.”

Stokes said the establishment of the fund reflected forward-thinking local generosity and a commitment to long-term community wellbeing.

“Comet has played a hugely important role in our region for generations.

“By coming together to meet the $50,000 threshold to establish a fund, these donors have ensured the club will have a stable, reliable source of income that supports its programmes and people not just today, but forever.”

The Sunrise Foundation said the fund also celebrated Comet’s strong legacy.

“Founded by Beth Meade, the club has become a multigenerational part of local life, shaped by the dedication of volunteers, coaches and supporters over many decades.”

Donations to the Comet Swimming Club Endowment Fund are invested and protected in perpetuity, with annual investment income returned to the club to support its ongoing work in Tairāwhiti.