Ashburton Courier: November 10, 2022

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
NEWS
Ashburton Courier, November 10, 2022
21
Community Trust makes
first impact investment
For the first timeinits history, the
Community Trust of Mid &South
Canterbury has confirmeditis
proceeding with an impact
investment,partnering with the
Geraldine DistrictFoundationto
buildanew healthhub facility on
the former GeraldineTown and
Country Club site, in Geraldine.
Thetrust isinvestingequity into
anenterprisefor the firsttime, as
opposed to makingagrant of
fundingtoassistanentity with a
project.Thismeans ratherthan
sourcingfunds fromits annual
grants budget (whichtotals around
$2m per annum), it is redirecting a
portionofits investmentportfolio
into this project as an equity
investment.
Trust chairman Nathan Millssaid
the trusthas beenopentolooking at
alternativewaysoffunding quality
projects.
“By assisting this projectinthis
manner, itmeans we’re ableto
contributeasignificantly larger
amountinto the project,roughlyby
afactorof10. This doesn’tmean
other grant applicants to the trust
willbedisadvantagedasthere is a
commercial aspectaswellasa
community aspecttothis
investment.”
Part of thebuilding willhave
commercial tenants which will
ultimately providethe trust with a
commercial return forits
investment. It will also havea
community andsocial aspect with
rooms available for community use
as well as for visiting health
professionals.
Mr Mills saidasidefromthe
financial merits of the investment,
Geraldine Foundation Trustees, back row from left, Wayne O’Donnell, Jimmy
Wallace and Rosie Morten and, front, Trustees for the Community Trust of
Mid and South Canterbury Gail Thompson and Alistair Wing.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
the other significant benefit is the
Geraldine township and
surroundingrural communitieswill
have medical and health
practitioners providing their
servicesinamodernpurpose­built
facility,underpinning healthcare in
the district for decades to come.
It would haveareal impact on the
community as wellasmeeting the
Trust’s goals of achieving healthy,
vibrantand caring communities, he
said.
GeraldineDistrict Foundation
chairJimmy Wallacesaid having
thecommunitytrust on board as an
investmentpartneradded
significant impetus to theproject,
enabling it to be completedfasteras
‘‘wedon’t have to raisesomuch
money fromother charitable and
community funders.’’
Mr Wallacenoted the needfor a
modern health facility in the
districtand that it wouldalso
accommodate the Civil Defence HQ
andEmergency Centre.
The Geraldine Foundation has
been working hard on planningand
financing this project foranumber of
years and are now in the process of
finalising its shareofthe capitalfor
the project.
Once it and otherdetailed drawings
are completed, construction will
begininthe second half of 2023 in line
with the constructioncompany’s
projectschedule.
Imagination play wonderland
Princesses, fairies and dragons have
all walkedthrough the door of the
AshburtonToy Library ­aplace
where imagination play knows no
boundaries.
Ashburton Toy Librarypresident
Anthea Moore saysdress up
costumes, doll houses, musical
instruments, construction toys,
puzzlesthrough to rideontoys,
farmyard scenes, sensory toys and
board games ­the library has them
all, and more.
Signingupwas easy, and there had
been no increase in membership
costs, which had remainedatthe
same level for many years.
“Even though everythingelseis
going up in life, we made a
conscientious decision to not put
(membership fees)up.”
Anthea said the variety ­and
growingnumber ­oftoys at the
library made membership
worthwhile with more than 900 toys,
suited for babies andtheir
developmentthrough to young
primary­agedchildren.
“There are family board games as
well,” she said, which saved people
storing gamesathome.
Shesaid beingamemberwas an
easy process, and gavepeople access
to agreat selection of toysin
fortnightly hires.
“It’s the perfect length of time for
kids interest and when youdon’t
want toyscluttering up your house.”
Most times children’s
developmental levels or interests
change, but if they don’t people can
rehire,she said.
The toylibrary, at 106 Victoria
Street, is open Thursdays and
Saturdaymorningsfrom 9.30am to
12.30am,and alternative Tuesday
Eighteen month old Angus White shows Ashburton Toy Library president
Anthea Moore just how to reverse acar safely off atransporter truck.
PHOTO TONI WILLIAMS
afternoons from3.30pm to 5pm.
They alsohave aFacebook page.
Memberships range from$30
(plus duty twice ayear)to$60 (non
duty), plus toy hirefee.
While mostlibrary toys were
boughtnew through funding grants
fromthe likes of LionFoundation
(who also helped withoperating
costs),Lotteries, Advance
Ashburton,there were also local
businesseswho had donated toys.
They included apopular three
storey dollhousefrom realtor
Kirsty ClayofProperty Brokers,
handmade MenzShed toys, a
Fonterracowshed andRock­it
boardsdonated fromCoronation
Holiday Park and Canterbury
Chiropractors.
“Theyaredurable,goodquality
toys thatdon’t fall apart,” Anthea
said.
Plusall toys were checked over
when they werereturned and
cleaned for piece of mind.
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Operational Costs
(programme or event)
Up to $15,000
Friday, 8th April 2022
Friday, 9thSeptember2022
Capital Projects
Up to $20,000
Friday, 15th July 2022
Friday, 3rdFebruary2023
Major Grants Round
Over $20,000
(Phone to discuss priorto applying)
Friday, 27th May2022
Friday, 7th October2022
Seeour websitefor further information and to
makeanonlineapplication.
www.comtrust.org.nz
To discuss anyapplications
Phone: 03 687 7360 or 0800 672 287
Email: crm@comtrust.org.nz
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