Swannell project gains momentum

Kevin and Kiri Swannell are thrilled with the public's response to their proposal.

Money from Waipawa School's pyjama mufti day is one building block towards a bigger goal.

Children donned funky flannelette, dressing gowns and slippers on Friday, with student council members deciding on the Swannell family as worthy recipients of the $140
donation.

"They were open to suggestions and other options, but the soup truck has been quite topical lately and they decided it would be a good cause," principal Bev Robinson said.

Kiri Swannell was "thrilled" to hear of the fundraiser, saying "every little bit counts".
It was nice to see young people backing the cause as they worked to gather enough funds to relocate a two-storey house donated by Property Brokers for use as an Emergency Shelter.

Limitless Hope will offer that - hope and a safe place for families and individuals who find themselves in desperate situations. Hawke's Bay Today is supporting the campaign.

The ball is already rolling, with Ms Swannell responding to calls from various agencies that she hoped to work with even more closely in future.

"It's about bringing them together so we are all over the place, so everything can happen quickly," Ms Swannell said.

She and husband Kevin met relocators this week to discuss possible land options - while nothing could be confirmed, they remained hopeful this week would be a time of positive change.

A bank account has been set up through Kiwibank allowing people to make direct donations to the cause, while a Givealittle fund is still active with a target of $100,000 by July 31. So far, they have about $34,000, including phone pledges.

"I think this is going to be a big decision week; things are definitely coming to a head,"

Ms Swannell said. Givealittle emailed her after she spoke on radio.

"They are assigning a woman to help us with crowd funding to try to hit that goal - if we get a cheaper quote for relocation we may be able to bump the total down."

Another development was launching a website [limitlesshope.co.nz] set up by J4 Design, aka Jonathan and Jodi Henny - who worked throughout the weekend to ensure the site was activated yesterday.

EIT's Construction trades department had also come forward offering services of plumbers, electricians and builders, while Strata Group Consulting Engineers have come on board with structural, fire engineering and geotechnical work.

?For offers of help, please phone Ms Swannell on 027 3019 491.
?Make a pledge at givealittle.co.nz/project/limitless
hope, or donate directly to HB Limited Hope Trustee Ltd: 38 9017 0031 584 00.