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Otago Daily Times

Trust awards preschool $250,000

Wānaka. PHOTO: ARCHIVE Over $200,000 was awarded to a local preschool during a recent Central Lakes Trust meeting when more than $1million was given to programmes across the region. Wānaka Preschool Early Childhood Centre received $250,000 last week, which has gone towards refreshing their current spaces and expanding to add a second sleep room. Sixty-two children attend the preschool. Centre manager Lo Stevenson said they received inquiries about available spaces on a daily basis, and had decided to cap their wait list at 100 children. The renovations would allow them to expand their roll, enabling them to continue to meet the growing needs of the community. The centre was one of many programmes and projects to receive funding as the trust had awarded over $1m across the region. This funding is set to support a wide range of initiatives across the region, including film-making, cancer rehabilitation, facilities upgrades and community safety. The Upper Clutha Presbyterian Church received $15,000 for its youth workers in the Mt Aspiring College programme and the Wānaka Community Patrol was awarded a $2500 operational grant. Some of the larger figures awarded in the broader region include $220,000 awarded to Queenstown Electrification Accelerator Programme, led by Rewiring Aotearoa. This pilot programme will establish a locally based team to develop momentum and accelerate movement to alternate energy sources. "Switching our energy reliance from fossil fuels to locally generated electricity will lower the cost of living, improve community health, and reduce emissions," Rewiring Aotearoa chief executive Mike Casey said. Trust chairwoman Linda Robertson said the trust was thrilled to be supporting an initiative that would help create a more resilient future for the community. Youth mental health organisation ADL also received over $100,000 and the Otago Community Hospice Trust was awarded just over $200,000. — APL