$30,000 grant provides help for troubled kids

A $30,000 BayTrust grant will allow Rotorua's Te Puna Whaiora Children's Village to update its Family Residential Unit.
Te Puna Whaiora provides care for children aged between 5 and 12 from throughout the central North Island and in the past two years has helped more than 500 children.
Te Puna Whaiora Manager Toni Hocquard said residential care, counselling and life-skills were all provided.
"In most instances children are referred to us because of behavioural problems," she said. "Often they are facing significant life issues resulting from problems like family violence or the loss of a parent or other close relative."
The BayTrust funding will play a key role in refurbishing the Family Residential Unit so that up to four family groups can be accommodated on site, allowing families to also benefit from the learning opportunities.
"It's a chance to spend time together in a positive environment and learn different ways of operating," Ms Hocquard said.
Up to 28 children can be accommodated at one time on five-week camps at the Village which is funded for service delivery only and relies on community support for facility or service upgrading.
"Knowing that BayTrust is aware of and values the work we are doing means a tremendous amount to us and we're very grateful for its support," Ms Hocquard said.
Among other grants announced for Rotorua organisations last week, $8000 went to Hannah's Bay Community Restoration Trust. Spokesperson Denise La Grouw says the trust began 10 years ago by developing community gardens as a means of addressing community and sustainability issues.
The group's organic gardening self-action message has proved effective with classes being extended to schools in the area and help provided to several other communities to facilitate sustainability programmes.
"BayTrust's support is just great because it will allow us to put better management systems in place and work in a more sustainable way," Ms La Grouw said. "It will allow us to further develop the co-ordination of the Community Gardens Network."
BayTrust was established in 1988 with a key purpose of making grants to help Bay of Plenty communities. It welcomes applications for funding for charitable, cultural, educational, philanthropic, recreational or other initiatives which support this purpose.
Other Rotorua organisations to receive grants were:
- Arts Rotorua Charitable Trust: $8000 towards the sixth Rotorua Festival of the Arts.
- Rotorua Christmas Parade: $1000 towards general expenses.
- Rotorua Lakeside Concert Charitable Trust: $10,000 towards Lakeside Marquee hire.