Community groups celebrate funding success

More than $23,000 will be distributed to five organisations across the Far North in the latest funding decisions by the district’s three community boards.

The biggest winners were community group Ahipara Aroha and the Donna Doolittle Animal Rescue group, which were granted $8117 and $6639, respectively, by the Te Hiku Community Board.

The rescue group will use the funding for its vaccination, flea, and worming treatment programme around Te Hiku. The group aims to help those who may financially struggle to get their pets treated, focusing on vaccinating against parvovirus and feline influenza. It will also use the opportunity to educate pet owners on desexing programmes.

Funding for Ahipara Aroha will support the group’s Matariki celebrations with several events planned around Ahipara from 27 to 29 June to mark the occasion.

Raising a glass are the organisers of Brew of Islands 2024, who were granted $3500 by the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board towards providing local entertainment at their beer festival in Kerikeri.

The event, which will be held from 26 to 27 June at the Turner Centre, brings together local breweries, novice beer makers, and general ale fans for a weekend of hoppy delights, music, and food.

The board also granted $3000 to the Living Theatre Charitable Trust for its production of Badjelly the Witch Glow Show in Kerikeri. The production is touring New Zealand and will be staging the event at the Turner Centre on 8 July. The giant-scale glow-in-the-dark puppetry is based on the book written by Spike Milligan.

Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board granted $2000 to Ngā Mahi Toi o Hōreke, which will go towards arts projects in the run-up to Matariki. These projects, all focusing on Matariki, culminate in an exhibition of the artwork at a Matariki ball on 29 June. The exhibition will continue to be displayed at the Hōreke Hall until 5 July.