Giblin Group's involvement in gallery project

A story in the Chronicle on April 4 concerning fundraising for the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment contained inaccuracies with regard to the role of Giblin Group.

We apologise for the inaccuracies and publish this clarification.

In 2011, Giblin Group was actively involved in Sarjeant Gallery project control meetings for the purposes of pulling together an application to the Ministry for Arts and Heritage: Regional Museums Fund.

However, since the successful Regional Museums Fund application, which resulted in a conditional grant of $10 million, Giblin Group has been engaged for specific tasks only and has been at arm's length from the fundraising campaign.

Wanganui District Council staff were responsible for corporate, philanthropic and trust fundraising but, in 2013, the Sarjeant Gallery Trust took on this role.

Since 2011, Giblin Group has been engaged by council to do a number of central government funding applications. These are:

-Ministry of Culture and Heritage: Regional Museums Fund - This was approved for $10 million on condition that the council can secure matched funding.

-Lottery Grants Board, World War I Commemorations, Environment and Heritage Fund - This was declined based on the construction period being too far out but council was invited to re-apply and advised that the project did fit the criteria of the fund.

-Lottery Grants Board, Significant Projects Fund - yet to be announced.

Giblin Group has also completed other projects for council, including developing a fundraising plan, sponsorship brochure, communications strategy, strategic advice and presenting a series of public engagement meetings.

Giblin Group was also engaged to complete a small amount of corporate research to support council's corporate approaches. Giblin Group was not involved in the approaches themselves.

Giblin Group continues to be involved with the Sarjeant Gallery project on a task-by-task basis but this has not included seeking "private sponsorship", making corporate approaches or overseeing corporate fundraising.

Giblin Group holds itself to the highest standards of both ethics and the quality of its work, and has an excellent reputation for securing capital funding for council construction projects across New Zealand, having raised more than $62 million since it was founded in 2008.

All work completed by Giblin Group for either Wanganui District Council or the Sarjeant Gallery Trust has been done on time, within budget and has provided a successful outcome for the project.