Midway hub among 90 local Lotto grant recipients

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

Lotto NZ handed out almost 90 grants to recipients in Tairāwhiti in the 2022/23 financial year as part of lottery funding that helped around 4000 groups made up of community, hapū and iwi across the country.

Te Puna Tahua Lottery Grants Board, which is charged with distributing the funds raised, has local people on the ground in communities, fielding and assessing applications for the sought-after funding.

Gisborne’s Midway Surf Rescue Community Trust recently received funding to build the new community hub at  Midway Beach.

Trust project manager Anna Roberts said the new purpose-built community hub was an extensive upgrade from their old facility that was no longer safe to use.

“Funding support means we have been able to build a state-of-the-art, spacious and accessible building where we can keep the community safe, and welcome community groups to join our water activities and events.

“Our trust is thrilled and very grateful with the lottery funding support received to help make this project a reality,” she said.

Lotto NZ has a new campaign starting this week showcasing the mahi of everyday Kiwis achieving extraordinary things in their communities, with help from lottery funding.

The new “local grants” campaign will roll out across the country starring Lotto live draw veteran Grant Kereama.

“The campaign builds on Lotto’s previous Kiwis helping Kiwis campaign and will spotlight the good work being done locally in communities across New Zealand,” said Lotto NZ chief executive Jason Delamore.

Lotto NZ players have helped raise more than $376 million in lottery funding for local communities throughout Aotearoa in the 2023 financial year.

“This means there is a huge opportunity to share the stories of these organisations doing vital work in their communities.

“Our campaign is a way of celebrating and acknowledging the impact of community funding.

“Since the first live Lotto draw back in 1987, our players have helped raise more than $5.9 billion for distribution to thousands of local projects and organisations across New Zealand,” Mr Delamore said.

“The ‘local grants’ campaign is our way of saying thank you to our players for making this possible and showcasing some of the amazing outcomes that New Zealanders have achieved together.”