Waipa Community Charitable Trust Announced

The community in the Waipa District is about to benefit from the establishment of a Waipa Community Charitable Trust announced (yesterday) by Waipa Mayor Alan Livingston. The trust has been set up as an independent body to raise funds for community projects. These may include recreational facilities, contributions to museums or art galleries and other cultural activities and to encourage and support exhibits and performances that enhance the character and cultural well being of the area. The trust will also administer funds for charity and welfare work.

The Trust is an important conduit for community funding says Mayor Livingston.

"The Trust will be able to raise money for worthy projects, it will be able to enlist support from Government Departments, Local Authorities, individuals and other organisations on behalf of the community. The trust is apolitical and independent of the Council and is there for the benefit of the community at large. We will be able to undertake projects that might not ordinarily be able to be funded or supported by existing funding mechanisms"

The Trust has appointed an inaugural Board of Trustees comprising the Mayor as Chairman who in turn can appoint one other trustee, in this case Deputy Mayor Peter Lee. The four other trustees include Cambridge solicitor and coroner Jocelyn Cooney, former Waipa County Councillor and five term MP Katherine O'Regan, Cambridge farmer and Real estate principal Richard Seabrook, and Ted Tauroa - President of the JP's Association and Maungatautari Ecological Island Trustee.

The trust have established key objectives which include:

1. Providing for, or contributing to, any facilities in the Waipa District for recreational or other leisure time occupations which are to be available to the public
2. To encourage and support recreational and leisure time activities in the Waipa District
3. To provide for, or contribute to, museums, art galleries and other cultural facilities in the Waipa District
4. To encourage, support and contribute towards the exhibits in any museum, art gallery or other cultural facility in the Waipa District
5. To encourage and support the participation of the public in cultural activities
6. To encourage and support facilities and activities in Waipa District which are for the benefit and advancement of the general welfare of the community or any particular groups in the community, and other charitable purpose as the Board may decide
7. To receive and seek funding support for any of the objectives of the Trust.

The trust presented its credentials and briefed Waipa District councillors before signing its establishment documents during an adjournment in the Councils monthly meeting.