Cash crisis costs charity its home base

Christian Love Link volunteers Margaret Foster, Ian Jones and Hew Bennett, right, load up donated goods from premises the charity has been forced to abandon after its funding dried up. Photo / Paul Taylor

For 23 years, Christian Love Link has helped poor Hawke's Bay families get back on their feet.

A typical case involves the charity passing on donated second-hand furniture to a solo parent forced into an unfurnished home after a relationship split.

But this week it has been the agency itself looking for a new home after a funding crisis forced it to abandon its rented Onekawa base.

Chairwoman Margaret Foster said Christian Love Link had been forced to dip into its reserves to pay rent over recent months after several funding applications had been unsuccessful, including a request to the Lottery Grants Board which has previously been a supporter.

The difficulty securing grant funding reflected the increased pressure on funders to support charities, she said.

More than 40 Hawke's Bay churches, along with individual donors, supported Christian Love Link, which in turn worked with 45 agencies and government departments to pass on donated household goods.

Last year it says it helped 3275 people, including 2001 children, by distributing thousands of items.

"We're well known by the agencies - we're obviously doing something that is really useful," Ms Foster said.

"One said to us last week they didn't know what would happen if we weren't around."

The churches and individual donors provided enough money to fund the operation, but not to pay the rent, which in the past has come from the grant funding.

The recent cash crisis threatened to send Christian Love Link into "limbo", with the charity's volunteers called on this week to help move its remaining stock of goods into temporary storage offered up by three churches.

But there was positive news yesterday with Ms Foster saying the organisation was close to signing a six-month lease on a new, cheaper depot site in Onekawa "but we still need ongoing support to pay rent and keep running the operation".

The group would continue applying to grant providers and was keen to hear from new donors to ensure its survival, she said.

Grant keeps club's head above water

Without a $45,500 community trust grant for a new pool heat pump Taradale's Greendale Swim Club says it would have had to close.

The club was "on its last legs" until the Eastern and Central Community Trust came up with the funding for a new heat pump to keep the pool water warm.

"The old pump was outdated and not working properly. It was uneconomical and our power bills were astronomical. If we couldn't replace the pump ahead of winter, it would have crippled us," said funding co-ordinator Tracy Stephenson.

The club's power bills had rocketed to $3000 during summer, with fears the power costs would have become prohibitive during winter.

"It has meant the difference between staying opening or closing," she said.

The club provides 12 learn-to-swim instructors and coaches for competitive swimmers and the pool was "used to capacity", from early-morning swimmers, learn-to-swim programmes operating during the school day, competitive swim training in the evening and masters' swimmers and canoe polo players also using its facilities.

Eastern and Central Community Trust general manager Jonathan Bell said it was a well-used facility that was an asset to the community.

"We certainly like to see organisations that benefit a large number of people," Mr Bell said.