Otago Community Trust announces May 2013 donations

20 Jun 2013

Otago’s walking and cycling tracks have taken a major step forward this month, with two major donations from the Otago Community Trust.

The Trust donated $100,000 to the Roxburgh Gorge Trail Charitable Trust  towards developing a walking/cycling trail from Alexandra to Roxburgh, and a further $100,000

to the Friends of Alps 2 Ocean Incorporated to assist with the cost of constructing a section of its cycle trail. The 300 km Alps 2 Ocean trail will stretch from Mt Cook through the Mackenzie Basin and Waitaki Valley to Oamaru.

The 34km Roxburgh Gorge Trail project follows the Clutha River from Alexandra through the Roxburgh Gorge to the Roxburgh Dam, to link with the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Clutha Gold Trail. It will be one of a series of 18 Great Rides under Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail. 

The latest funding from the Community Trust is being used to gravel stage one of the Roxburgh Gorge trail, from Alexandra to Doctors point. The donation is significant to the organisation; development of the trail would not be possible without such support, and it will have an ongoing benefit for the community.

Trust Chief Executive Keith Ellwood said the Trust has long been a supporter of the network of trails that have been developed around Otago, stating with the Otago Rail Trail many years ago, and is very pleased to be able to continue that support to new trail initiatives.

The Otago Community Trust donated a total of $531,800 to 32 Otago organisations in May, including a donation to the Mosgiel Memorial RSA  towards the upgrade of the RSA facilities in Mosgiel.

It also donated $100,000 to the Dunedin Indoor Sports Venues Trust to help with the cost of replacing the artificial surface at the Edgar Centre.  The Trust has had a long involvement with the Edgar Centre, with significant donations when it set up in 1994, and with the Lion Arena development.

Edgar Centre spokesman Blair Crawford said the Centre is a much used facility in Dunedin, and it’s great that the Trust continues to recognise its value to the community.  “It’s in use seven days a week, morning till night, by 20 sports codes for games and training including netball, tennis and futsal. And it’s well supported by community organisations, for events ranging from home shows to kindergarten fun days.”

The Trust funding is an invaluable start to raising the $500,000 needed to replace the original flooring with artificial turf and a much-needed underlay across all 14 courts.  “It needs to be replaced now, before it becomes a detrimental surface for playing.”

It’s hoped work will be able to be done in January 2014, to minimise disruption to users.

Otago Community Trust donations, May 2013

Alexandra

Special Olympics Central Otago

$1,500

Central Otago District Arts Trust

$5,000

Uruuruwhenua Health Inc

$10,000

Roxburgh Gorge Trail Charitable Trust

$100,000

Balclutha

Balclutha Contract Bridge Club Inc

$750

Cromwell

Cromwell Youth Worker Trust

$2,500

Dunedin

Dunedin Harmony Chorus Inc

$500

Amputee Society of Otago & Southland Inc

$500

Wakari Kindergarten

$1,000

Spring Chamber Music

$1,000

Saturday Morning Music Classes Dunedin Soc Inc

$1,000

Carisbrook School

$2,000

Keep Dunedin Beautiful Committee

$2,000

Dunedin Tap Dancing Society

$2,000

Portobello School

$5,000

Bathgate Park School

$15,000

Otago Theatre Trust

$20,000

Dunedin (NZ) Masters Games Trust

$40,000

Dunedin Indoor Sports Venues Trust

$100,000

Mosgiel

Dog Rescue Dunedin Charitable Trust

$500

Taieri Musical Society Inc

$5,000

Mosgiel Memorial RSA (Inc)

$50,000

Oamaru

Oamaru Poultry Pigeon & Canary Society

$300

Memorial Oaks Committee

$1,000

Orwell Street Gospel Chapel Oamaru

$1,000

Citizens Advice Bureau - North Otago

$3,500

Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust

$15,000

Friends of Alps 2 Ocean Incorporated

$100,000

Otago

Stroke Foundation Southern Region Inc

$10,000

Skeggs Foundation

$25,000

New Zealand Book Council

$750

Wanaka

Makarora Valley Community Inc

$10,000

For further information please contact:

Chairperson – Stuart Walker – (03) 477-3973

Chief Executive – Keith Ellwood – ph (03) 479-0994

Roxburgh Gorge Trail Charitable Trust          $100,000

Stephen Jeffery          (03) 446-8189 stevejef@xtra.co.nz

Friends of Alps 2 Ocean Incorporated           $100,000

Adair Craik      (03) 437-2031 adair@adairca.co.nz

Dunedin Indoor Sports Venues Trust $100,000

Blair Crawford (03) 4561200   blair@edgarcentre.co.nz