12 Thursday <strong>April</strong> 6 <strong>2017</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong>
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi Thursday <strong>April</strong> 6 <strong>2017</strong> 13 News Parade’s future worsens • By Gabrielle Stuart A DECISION on whether to cancel this year’s Santa Parade could be made in a matter of weeks. <strong>The</strong> Christchurch Santa Parade Trust is set to run out of money to pay its bills next month. It has been in jeopardy since the city council cut Anne Jamieson funding for the event to $60,000 last year, down from $85,000 in 2015, forcing the trust to use money set aside for the coming year to cover the shortfall. Meetings between parade organisers and city council staff last month have so far not found a solution, as no grants will be available until July at the earliest. Trust chairwoman Anne Jamieson said it had enough to pay the bills until the end of May, but may need to call off this year’s parade if no help arrived. However, she would put that off as long as possible, she said. “We haven’t set a date yet. We are applying for other community grants and hoping something will come through,” she said. <strong>The</strong> trust has also appealed to the public for donations, organising fundraisers and a Givealittle campaign in an effort to save the parade. It costs about $200,000 to run each parade, with the monthly expenses, such as insurance and rent of their float storage warehouse, adding up to about $15,000. Mayor Lianne Dalziel told <strong>The</strong> •<strong>The</strong> Givealittle page for the parade can be found at www.givealittle.co.nz/org/santaparadechristchurch000 <strong>Star</strong> in December she was looking at including funding in the Annual Plan. “We are not abandoning the Santa Parade and we will certainly make sure this popular Christchurch event doesn’t fall over,” she said at the time. But this week she said: “I remain committed to ensuring Christchurch has a Santa Parade, but I’m just one vote around the council table when it comes to adopting the Annual Plan.” Bottle shop licence declined • By Georgia O’Connor-Harding RESIDENTS AND businesses have won the battle to stop the opening of a controversial bottle shop next to a Work and Income building. A decision was made by the Christchurch District Licensing committee last week to decline the off-licence bottle shop application by P M Liquors Ltd for 76 Riccarton Rd. <strong>The</strong>re were 11 objections and 15 signatories against the application. P M Liquors Ltd owner Lovepreet Minhas said he was disappointed by the outcome. He did not want to comment on whether he would appeal the decision until he had spoken to his lawyer. <strong>The</strong> application was declined after the committee found Mr Minhas was “not suitable” for holding an off-licence. <strong>The</strong> licensing committee heard Mr Minhas could be at risk of losing his manager’s certificate. <strong>The</strong> decision highlighted previous issues where the company had served a minor and sold alcohol to an intoxicated person. Welfare trust helps the elderly Since the mid-1970s and stemming from the recognition that insufficient facilities were available, Manchester Unity has helped the elderly in Canterbury. <strong>The</strong> story began in May 1966 when the North Canterbury District of the Manchester Unity Friendly Society formed a Trust with the Aged People’s Welfare Council (now Age Concern), for the development of a rest home and hospital complex. <strong>The</strong> well needed and efficiently run George Manning House opened in 1972. Named after a popular Christchurch Mayor who had supported it, it initially comprised forty beds with later extensions adding more beds, and the thirtyfour unit Paulger Courts retirement village. <strong>The</strong> Trust assisted with upgrades and extensions then in 20<strong>06</strong>, George Manning House was sold. Manchester Unity invested their profit in a new Trust, shifting from a governance role of a retirement complex to one of managing an investment portfolio and selecting grant recipients to further benefit the elderly. Since then, the Manchester Unity Welfare Trust Board has helped the elderly in Christchurch and Canterbury through annual grants to not-for-profit organisations. Its support has assisted the purchase of specialised equipment like special beds and vans for transporting clients, and provision of services such as meals in homes. Fifty-one grants have been allocated to twenty-one organisations since 20<strong>06</strong> with almost one million dollars donated in the past six years. With a philosophy of supporting and caring for others, the Manchester Unity Welfare Trust Board has ensured better care for Canterbury’s elderly. $ the epic EMOJI CHALLENGE Be in to WIN a $2,000 gift card! * • Applications MUST be from Registered Charities • <strong>The</strong> project must be exclusively for the benefit of the elderly, defined as aged 65 and over. Simply guess how many emojis make up the giant emoji face in our centre court to enter the draw. APPLICATIONS CLOSE 1ST MAY <strong>2017</strong> northlands.co.nz *See northlands.co.nz for conditions.
Change language