September 2016 Recipients
Sam Davy

Seven-year-old Sam Davy is one of only two children in New Zealand born with a rare condition known as MMIHS. MMIHS is a disease which affects the development of the intestines, meaning Sam has to be fed through a tube, which has led to severe side effects such as kidney and bladder problems. Due to Sam’s ongoing health problems he spends a lot of time in Starship Hospital and struggles to keep up with his classmates. Sam’s family received $1,149 to purchase an iPad to help him continue to learn even when he’s not in the classroom. The iPad will enable Sam to FaceTime the classroom, participate in lessons and socialise while he is in hospital.

September 2016 Recipients
Sarah Holten

West Harbour resident Sarah Holten, suffers from Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder which affects her ability to speak, walk and use her hands meaning she is confined to a wheel chair and requires 24-hour care. Sarah received $1,216 to purchase art suppliers and eye tracker software to help her pursue her dream of becoming a professional artist. The eye tracker software works by using the eyes as a ‘pointer’ on the screen and allows for hands free control of devices, giving Sarah full creative control and the freedom to select different textures and painting styles.

September 2016 Recipients
Aotea Sea Scout Group

The Aotea Sea Scouts provide out of school education and fun learning activities for children aged 6-18. The organisation teaches their scouts about water safety, boating, kayaking, sailing and land skills. They received $4,850 to go towards buying tents for their end of year Jamboree training and development camp. The scout’s 10-day camp attracts 4000 attendees from all over New Zealand and is a chance for scouts to step out of their comfort zones, meet new people and complete fun educational challenges.

September 2016 Recipients
Cool Bananas Youthwork Trust

Cool Bananas works to positively impact youth in the community through their in-school programs that run in 16 primary schools in the Tauranga/Bay of Plenty region, school holiday programs and annual adventure camp. To finish off each year the Cool Bananas team tours the Tauranga area for three weeks visiting schools with a fun filled Christmas show. It is a great show full of music, drama, dance and humour. They received $1,998 to purchase two wireless headset microphones to ensure their audience can hear them at the annual show.

September 2016 Recipients
Buller’s BHS Robotics Club

The Robotics Club at Buller High School is a group of 20 students who attend four competitions around New Zealand each year, which empowers students and allows them to experience the world of robotics and computer sciences and where it can lead them in the future. They received $5,225 for the purchase of 10 laptops and one VEX EDR classroom robotics kit. This addition to the club will allow them to grow in numbers and increase the amount of competitions they can enter. The addition of 10 laptops will allow the group to move out of the school computer lab and into a designated space where they will have more room to permanently work on their competition entering robots.

September 2016 Recipients
Hospice Waikato

Hospice Waikato received $3,670 to contribute to the purchase of four power lift chairs to help provide comfort and quality of life to patients at a time of great need. Following a change to the Waikato region’s palliative care service, the Inpatient Unit (IPU) at the hospice is the region’s main provider of care for patients who are in their last days of life. With increased demand on the IPU, the specialist chairs will help it better meet the needs of its patients and improve the comfort and support it offers to patients and their families through illness, death and bereavement.

September 2016 Recipients
Fielding Playcentre

A $975 grant from the Mazda Foundation means the Fielding Playcentre is able to purchase taps and other plumbing fittings for an outdoor science area it has created. It has been a valuable addition to the playcentre, helping it meet its curriculum learning objectives as well as teaching tamariki to value and protect the natural environment around them. The area includes a chicken coop, a bird feeder, a worm farm and bug hotel, and planter boxes for fruit and vegetables.

September 2016 Recipients
Regal Rover Scout Crew

Regal Rover Scout Crew received $3,599 to purchase four tents for use on camping trips and outdoor projects. The new tents will help with team training, and enable the crew members to step out of their comfort zones and take part in fun educational challenges. The first assignment for the new tents will be the annual Scout Jamboree which brings together scouts from around New Zealand.

September 2016 Recipients
Arts Access Aotearoa

Arts Access Aotearoa was gifted $2,856 to purchase a new computer as part of an upgrade of its IT equipment. The not-for-profit organisation works to increase access to the arts for people with physical, sensory, or intellectual impairments.

September 2016 Recipients
Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust

Porirua’s Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust received $1,246 to purchase two sets of bongos, a crash cymbal and a key xylophone to provide percussion lessons for children. Established in 2013, the trust provides free instruments and tuition to students from low-decile schools, in the aim of teaching children in the community the art of making music.

September 2016 Recipients
Leeston Playcentre

Leeston Playcentre, in the small rural town of Leeston, has been awarded $1,263 for the purchase of wooden toys for its under twos play area. The whanau focussed, non-profit early childhood centre is run by parents on a volunteer basis and takes pride in providing free play and self-choice education. The wooden toys will benefit younger children, and babies, who require a slower, more gentle learning pace to explore the senses of sight, sound and touch.

September 2016 Recipients
Casa Dei Bambini Foundation School

Casa Dei Bambini Foundation School received $616 to replace essential pieces of educational equipment – a set of Geometric Solids and a Pink Tower. The Montessori school, which started 26 years ago, is located in a red zone area of Christchurch city and as a result of its ongoing support of the local community, it has not had the spare resources to be able replace broken equipment. The daily use by the children has worn-out the equipment and thanks to the Mazda Foundation they have been able to replace of these fundamental resources, which will reinvigorate their Montessori learning programme that teaches children maths from a young age.

September 2016 Recipients
Gianni van Niekerk

Gianni van Niekerk from Botany Downs was born with Hemiplegia Cerebral Palsy, which results in her having limited use of the right side of her body and problems with balance. Gianna’s family received $3,100 to purchase a Hase Trike, enabling her to go bike riding with her friends and lead a more active life. The specially modified trike will help Gianna’s development, improving her strength, awareness and coordination, whilst allowing her to socialise and spend more time outdoors with her family.

September 2016 Recipients
Waitakere Japanese Supplementary School

Waitakere Japanese Supplementary School (WJSS) is a not-for-profit, after-school programme for children who have migrated from Japan, or have Japanese heritage, who want to maintain and improve their native language. The School received $968 to go towards venue and audio equipment hire and sports materials for their annual sporting event Undo Kai. Undo Kai is an opportunity for children of WJSS to experience the same traditional sporting events as those held at schools in Japan.

September 2016 Recipients
Motutapu Restoration Trust

The Motutapu Restoration Trust have been working for over 21 years to restore the natural and cultural landscape of Motutapu Island. They received $7,000 to purchase two portable shade houses and two seed germination tables (cold frames) for the Motutapu Nursery. The cold frames will enable the trust to increase the variety and quantity of their plant production and propagate more species that germinate in cool climates, rather than the warmer climate of the glass house.

September 2016 Recipients
The Operating Theatre Trust

The Operating Theatre Trust aims to create and make top-quality New Zealand theatre accessible to all children and young people, inspiring in them a love of performing arts. They received $1,132 to cover the cost of sending 25 children from the Kelston Deaf Education Centre to the annual Tim Bray Santa Clause show with an interpreter. The trust has a responsibility to ensure all children have access to theatre and this means fulfilling a specific need for children who may not be able to attend regular theatre productions.

September 2016 Recipients
Surf Life Saving Northern Region

Northern lifeguards carried out 659 rescues, 153 searches, 769 first aid treatments and 37,673 preventative actions over the 2014/15 season, involving a total of 127,734 members of the public. They received $4,335 to fund four first aid kits and two resuscitation kits, assisting them in keeping the public in our community safe on the water throughout the 2016/17 season. All of the staff are qualified in first aid and bystander resuscitation and take advantage of nine vehicles whilst delivering lifesaving services. The grant will ensure that all these vehicles are stocked with the equipment they need ensuring they are fully prepared in the event of an emergency.

September 2016 Recipients
Melville High School

Hamilton’s Melville High School received $3,043 to purchase a defibrillator for use in an emergency. The school has two students with heart conditions and several older staff members, so a defibrillator is an essential piece of life saving equipment for the school to have on hand. Being a decile 4 school, with a growing roll of around 600, it struggles financially to deal with any extra expenses which means the Mazda Foundation grant will help to ensure a safe environment for its students and staff.

September 2016 Recipients
Highland Home Christian Camp

Highland Home Christian Camp in Ashhurst received $4,339 to buy 10 new BMX bikes and helmets for children who attend the camp to ride during their stay. The camp has 15 older BMX bikes but they are in constant need of maintenance and not suitable for younger riders. The addition of the new bikes will mean a wider age group will be able to ride them and at the same time ensure a safe yet exciting BMXing experience for the children.

September 2016 Recipients
Manawatu Multiple Sclerosis Society

Receiving $500 from the Mazda Foundation will mean the Manawatu Multiple Sclerosis Society can purchase a data projector to help it educate people about the disease. The organisation’s field workers do many presentations in the community and up until now it has borrowed a projector to help cut costs. Having its own projector will mean it can reach more people in the Manawatu by enabling them to undertake more presentations for interested organisations and groups.

September 2016 Recipients
Wellington City MenzShed

Wellington City MenzShed received $2000 to replace stolen tools, enabling them to continue to create and repair toys and furniture for child care centres and community groups. MenzShed provides a place where older, often lonely, men go to meet friends and work together on community projects that teach them new skills and restore their confidence. Earlier in 2016, tools and several projects the members were working on, were stolen. The Mazda Foundation funding means the group is able to replace its equipment and continue its work repairing toys and furniture for child care centres and community groups in the region.

September 2016 Recipients
1st Wainuiomata Scout Group

With the national Scout Jamboree coming up over the New Year, 1st Wainuiomata Scout Group received $2,771 funding to go towards food and health and safety items for the annual camp. The funding will help the scout group cover the costs of sending its 26 members and nine leaders to Renwick in Marlborough for the week-long camp which brings together scouts from around New Zealand.

September 2016 Recipients
The Portobello Broad Bay Playcentre

The Portobello Broad Bay Playcentre, located halfway along the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, received $1,973 to purchase new musical instruments for the children to develop non-verbal skills. The playgroup is a parent-led centre that places extra emphasis on growing through meaningful play based learning and encourages children to explore and experiment. The refreshed instruments will provide an exciting stimulating area for the children to try things out, explore and spark their curiosity, whilst bringing parents and children together through music.

September 2016 Recipients
Rosebank Kindergarten

Rosebank Kindergarten in South Otago received $1,000 to fit out its technology room with children’s furniture. The Kindergarten believes learning through play is essential for a child’s development and endeavours to make learning fun for the children. The new furniture will provide the finishing touch to the technology room where ICT is used as a tool for supporting and extending learning rather than being an entertainment space.

June 2016 Recipients
Napier Women’s Refuge Inc.

Napier Women’s Refugee Inc received $2,658 to purchase a new computer for the Refuge House to replace the current one which is old and cannot keep up with the speed, new software programs and internet required to get crucial tasks done. The organisation helps around 200 women and their children each year escape from domestic violence situations, and in the last month alone they have assisted 34 families who were in need of immediate assistance. The new computer is a valuable resource that will keep the Women’s Refuge running smoothly despite increased demand for the service, giving the organisation the ability to complete Ministry of Justice required statistics gathering programs and day to day office management.

June 2016 Recipients
St Joseph’s Primary School

St Joseph’s Primary School in Opunake received $810 to purchase a set of 20 ukuleles to be used by year three and four students in class music lessons. The students have the opportunity to learn music outside of school, however realising that many families were struggling financially to pay for external lessons, the school decided to provide free music classes for its students. The new ukuleles will not only help the children develop valuable motoring skills but also creative thinking. All students learning the instruments will be monitored and their enjoyment and progress will be tracked on a termly basis through anecdotal notes and iPad recording.

June 2016 Recipients
Christchurch School of Music

The Christchurch School of Music received $5,792 to purchase violin and cello cases needed to protect their instruments when moving them to different environments for practise, solo recitals, indoor concerts and outdoor events. The school believes in providing musical education for all young people regardless of their financial situation and prides itself in supplying quality instruments for hire at a low cost. The new cases will not only provide the students with a greater sense of pride in looking after their instruments but will enable the school to provide the protection needed to ensure the instruments are well looked after, without having to increase their fees.

June 2016 Recipients
Lisa Thompson

Lisa Thompson of Paraparaumu lives with tinnitus, a condition which has left her with permanent ringing ears, as well as hyperacusis and misophenia which together make her over sensitive to noise. The 18-year-old received $3,815 to help her purchase an advanced microphone system that will allow her to concentrate better in class activities at the University of Auckland where she is studying New Zealand sign language. Lisa is looking forward to completing her degree and becoming an interpreter for deaf children but her condition is currently affecting her ability to concentrate in class. The new microphone will help this, enabling her to actively participate in lectures and tutorials.

June 2016 Recipients
Bruce McLaren Intermediate School

Bruce McLaren School received $4,071 to purchase scroll saws, drills, batteries and a class set of earmuffs for students to use during Hard Materials Technology classes. The classes provide students with a unique learning experience and help them develop essential skills, learn how to safely use real power tools and accomplish difficult and challenging tasks. The school’s equipment was dated and in desperate need of replacing and the new equipment will enable the students to continue to develop and hone their power tools skills in in a safe and secure way.

June 2016 Recipients
Mobility Assistance Dogs

Mobility Assistance Dogs in Henderson received $1,609 to purchase 10 dog crates for transporting mobility dogs to members of the community with physical disabilities. The not-for-profit organisation aims to enhance the lives of people living with long-term physical disabilities by providing mobility dogs to increase their independence, confidence and participation in the community. This year they have seen a 50 percent increase in enquires and anticipate homing another five mobility dogs by the end of the year. The crates will be used to transport the dogs, providing them with a secure place to sleep, feed and recuperate after a bout of ill health or surgery.

June 2016 Recipients
Bellevue School

Bellevue School in Wellington received $1,925 to provide buses to transport the whole school to water safety education at Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving Club. Water safety education is designed to educate children on how to stay safe and enjoy themselves around water, and in turn works to reduce New Zealand’s drowning statistics. The school’s beach education will be held in term 4, 2016 and is a full school day where children get to learn about their local beach environment, surf and sun safety and participate in beach games and water activities.

June 2016 Recipients
Damian Duffy

Wellington resident, Damian Duffy lives with Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative muscle condition which impacts his mobility, energy levels and lifespan. Damian received $3,000 towards obtaining an assistance dog to help him gain more independence, increase confidence and become more active in the community. Among a number of tasks, the mobility dog will support Damian with every day activities, assist him to stand up and pick up items from the ground and help him socialise by using the dog to break down barriers.

June 2017 Recipients
Deaf Aotearoa Holdings Ltd

Deaf Aotearoa received $5,272.08 to purchase 12 video cameras, tripods and memory cards to produce videos that translate everything from current events and civil defence information into sign language. Deaf Aotearoa provides services such as employment assistance and training for deaf people across New Zealand.

June 2016 Recipients
Warkworth Playcentre

Warkworth Playcentre, received $1,124 to purchase equipment to construct a Discovery Zone. The Zone will foster investigative and creative learning with new materials and will include a storage unit, exploratory table, light box, and investigative tools. The early childcare facility, will use the new area as part of Te Whariki, the core curriculum framework for early childhood teaching in New Zealand, which emphasises exploratory play as a way to stimulate creativity and imagination. It will provide the children with an accessible area where they can begin to make investigations about the world around them, improve their language and communication skills, and foster an increased confidence and a strong sense of identity.

June 2016 Recipients
Zaina Almesfer

20-year-old Zaina Almesfer from Whitford, Auckland lives with Angelman Syndrome, a non-progressive neurogenic disorder that affects her intellectual ability, speech, movement and balance. Zaina’s family received $7,213 to purchase a two-person trike, enabling her to explore the local community safely with her parents. The new two-person trike will be extremely beneficial to Zaina’s development, not only keeping her engaged and helping to improve her ability to maintain sitting but also allowing her to socialise and engage with her local community and her family.

June 2016 Recipients
Edgecumbe Playcentre

Edgecumbe Playcentre received $1,188 to update their imaginative play and dress up area with costumes, face paint and brushes. The parent-led early childcare centre encourages children and whanau to learn and grow together in child led learning through play. The new costumes will be used in role play, a key area of learning to help the children develop language, communication and social skills, whilst encouraging them to be more confident and develop a stronger sense of identity.

June 2016 Recipients
Headway Brain Injury Association

Headway Brain Injury Association in Mount Maunganui received $1,299 to replace their broken desktop computer. This essential tool enables the liaison officer to communicate effectively with people and those in the community affected by brain injury. The association assists individuals with brain injury, their families and carers to achieve a better quality of life and maximise potential, choice and independence. The liaison officer heavily relies on computer technology to provide brain injury awareness by way of support, advice, education and information services and to measure and communicate results through newsletters, annual surveys and feedback forms. The new computer will enable her to complete these tasks, benefitting the wider brain injury society.

June 2016 Recipients
The House of Science in Tauranga

The House of Science in Tauranga aim to get all children involved and interested in science by offering innovative and hands on learning resources to children from all socio-economic groups in the wider Tauranga area. They received $6,025 to purchase a set of programmable Floor Robots (Blue Bots) to include in a new educational kit to be used to introduce children and young people to innovative technology. The new ‘bots will not only raise the children’s understanding of programming and get them actively thinking and problem solving but will provide many children with access to robots and programming who otherwise would not have had such an opportunity.

June 2016 Recipients
Maihiihi Playcentre

Maihiihi Playcentre were given $1,295 towards a special landing mat for babies, which will encourage them to play, communicate and develop their senses while being together in one safe place. The parent-led playcentre provides children with the opportunity to explore their surroundings in a safe environment, communicate with one another and relate to other children their age and older. The landing mat will not only provide the older children with a boundary ensuring the babies have a safe and secure environment to play in, but will be a great tool to encourage the children to look out for those younger than them and socialise with children of different age groups.

June 2016 Recipients
Country Kidz

Tirohanga based playcentre, Country Kidz received $638 to purchase wet weather gear for the staff, enabling them to explore the outdoors and encourage the children to experiment with different weather elements. The rural setting of the playcentre enhances the children’s holistic development, with Papatuanuku (the land) being regarded as an important teacher. The playcentre regularly use the forest, bush, farmland and the marae in their wider community to teach the children to embrace a love of nature. The new wet weather gear will ensure that the weather is never a barrier for the children to explore freely and learn in nature and will help them develop a sense of eco-literacy that they will take with them into the future.

June 2016 Recipients
Tairua Environment Society Inc.

Tairua Environment Society Inc., received $530 to purchase a high-torque battery powered drill to help landowners in TeKaro Bay clear damaging wilding pine trees from their catchment. The not-for-profit organisation is working with landowners in TeKaro Bay to eliminate the pines which are a serious threat to the environmental wellbeing of the entire district. They not only displace indigenous species and degrade the landscape but are a seed source for further infestation. The new drill will make the poisoning of the pines a lot less strenuous on landowners who are currently using a hand brace to drill as many as 40 holes per tree and will help to protect the region from the damaging effects of the trees.

June 2016 Recipients
Alzheimers Waikato

Alzheimers Waikato received $2,539 to purchase two laptops for use in education sessions aimed at building awareness around the debilitating neurological disorder. The sessions help primary caregivers and whanau gain an understanding of the illness and learn strategies to cope with their loved one’s changing behaviour, train health professionals and educate the wider community. The new laptops are an essential education tool that will enable the organisation to spread the word further, foster an understanding of dementia and alert people to the conditions so they can recognise the early signs and symptoms of the illness.

June 2016 Recipients
The Hearing Association Hamilton & Districts Branch

The Hearing Association Hamilton & Districts Branch received $2,000 to purchase two digital Maxi Listening Devices to increase sound levels for the hearing impaired in difficult listening situations. Hearing loss is the largest disability sector in New Zealand, affecting 16 percent of the adult population. The organisation provides education, advocacy and support for all community members living with hearing impairments, ensuring they have access to hearing aids and other devices no matter their financial circumstance. The Maxi Listening Devices will amplify sounds in tough listening situations, such as meetings, events and home visits helping people live life as normal hearing members of society.

June 2016 Recipients
Youthline

Due to demand for localised support for youth in the North Auckland area, Youthline recently opened a community centre in Albany. The centre received $1,970 from the Mazda Foundation to purchase a portable defibrillator to ensure they have lifesaving medical assistance when needed. Youthline’s vision is to create communities that relate to the needs of young people, respond to their concerns and support them to achieve their full potential. The new centre promotes positive outcomes for youth in the wider Albany community, with free and low cost services including a crisis helpline, family and individual mentoring and counselling services, youth leadership initiatives and youth worker training.

June 2016 Recipients
Māpura Studios

Māpura Studios, governed by the Panacea Arts Charitable Trust is a creative space offering visual arts and art therapy programmes and a positive supportive community for people living with diversity and disability. They received $1,979 to purchase quality art materials for their weekly art classes, and frames for their exhibition So Much There Is, which will not only showcase the rich diversity of Māpura Studios but their unity through creativity and human experience. The art classes promote and encourage the self-development and well-being of the artists through the vehicle of creative expression, whilst the exhibitions give the artists a chance to showcase their work and engage the wider community in public discussions about disability and inclusion.

June 2016 Recipients
Headland Sculpture on the Gulf

Headland Sculpture on the Gulf is New Zealand’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition, presenting significant new contemporary sculptural works to the public every second year at Matiatia Bay. The Waiheke based organisation received $5,175 to develop a free, downloadable education kit. The programme will be used to engage the local, visitor and student community in conversations and workshops to excite their interest and enhance their appreciation and understanding of contemporary art. Both a public and student programme will be developed. The public programme will consist of pre-event talks, artist talks, curatorial tours and art guides, whilst the student programme will connect young people with New Zealand arts and culture, educating them about the history of sculpture in New Zealand.

June 2016 Recipients
Whangarei District Brass

The Whangarei District Brass band received $3,640 to purchase 40 hats to be worn at marching and outdoor performances in the community. The band is a vital part of the culture of Whangarei and has played an integral role in the ANZAC commemorations in Northland for over 50 years, including the ANZAC dawn service in Whangarei and civic ceremonies at Waipu, Kawakawa, and Russell. Brass bands are steeped in military tradition, uniformity being an important part of that, however over the years the Whangarei District Brass band’s hats deteriorated, leaving only 50 percent of members with hats. The new hats will be worn with pride at marching and outdoor performances, and will complement their uniform, which has been a signature of the band since it began over 60 years ago.

June 2017 Recipients
Project Jonah

Environmental group Project Jonah, received $549 to purchase a camera to document the emergency aid they provide to stranded and injured whales throughout NZ. The new camera will allow them to capture photos of the dorsal fins of stranded whales. This unique identification method plays a significant role in the studies researchers are doing right around New Zealand to understand why mass whale stranding occurs. The volunteers work alongside Department of Conservation to provide around the clock emergency aid to the hundreds of whales that get stranded every year.

March 2016 Recipients
Losalini Hardford

Stroke victim Losi, sought financial assistance towards a special needs bicycle to help her train towards her goal of participating in road race nationals. At the age of 38 international women’s cricket player Losalini Harford had a dense stroke, becoming paralysed on the left side. With little upper limb function and weakness in her lower limbs, Losalini has managed through hard work and discipline to become a competitive cycler. Losalini was granted $6,989 to purchase a special needs bicycle after her one was stolen. The new bike will not only allow her to resume training for her goal of qualifying for the Rio Paralympics, but it will also allow her to be more independent, access local community amenities, cycle with her nine year-old son Elijah and meet up with family and friends. Losalini’s positive attitude is also what led her to volunteer at the Stroke Foundation, where she promotes the importance of healthy living amongst the Pacific groups in South Auckland and educates them on the risk factors of strokes and ways to try and prevent the happening.

March 2016 Recipients
Marina Tvrdeich

Marina Tvrdeich received $6,050 to pay for tuition, a laptop and an iPad for her son, Danijel Tvrdeich-Kasum, who has Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Danijel’s APD means he doesn’t always correctly process information, especially at school where there are lots of distracting sounds. He is a year behind his peers, and particularly struggles with writing and spelling. The laptop and iPad have special apps to help aid his learning requirements and will greatly help him at school and provide him with the confidence boost he needs.

March 2016 Recipients
Alzheimers Society (Manawatu)

The Alzheimers Society in Palmerston North is a charitable community organisation which supports people affected by dementia. They received $4,962.25 to purchase ten pendants and a radio tracking unit for the Wandatrak Tracking System. The pendants are worn by people who tend to wander, including those with dementia, meaning if they go missing they can easily be tracked by Land Search and Rescue or NZ Police. The new resources will not only give the individuals confidence in exploring their local community, but they will also reduce stress for families, knowing that if a loved one goes wandering it is easy to track them down.

March 2016 Recipients
The Scout Association of New Zealand

Orakei Sea Scouts received $1,000 to put towards purchasing a cutter sailing vessel, to help young people develop their sea skills and realise their full potential. The training boats, otherwise known as cutters, provide the scouts with the opportunity to work together to form a crew and successfully sail a boat. Along with developing sea skills the children will build self-confidence, trust and friendship. The Scouts are based on the edge of Orakei Basin and have been operating for nearly 75 years, teaching generations of boys and girls a love of the sea and sailing.

March 2016 Recipients
NZ Blue Light Ventures

NZ Blue Light received $3,450 to purchase 2,000 fishing hand lines to use at their family fishing days. The community policing youth program runs activities for young people free from drugs, alcohol and violence, building better relations between the police, young people, their families and the community. One such activity, fishing days, is held annually at several locations across the country. They bring young people together to spend quality time with a parent, grandparent or special caregiver. Fishing has a unique gift in that it allows participants to have quality time together to communicate openly while waiting for fish to be caught. The days are supported by the local police, breaking down negative stereotypes often associated with them by young people and their families. As they’re free, all members of the local community, regardless of their socioeconomic background can attend the fishing days whether they have their own fishing gear or not.

March 2016 Recipients
Waikato Community Hospice Trust

Hospice Waikato received $2,098 to purchase two bike racks for staff, patient visitors and family members cycling to the centre. The organisation provides a variety of specialised care services for terminally ill people, supporting them, their families and carers. They encourage staff and the community to live a healthy lifestyle and cycle to the centre, however with a dramatic increase in staff numbers and in turn an increase in bikes, they had limited bike storage. The grant will allow the Hospice to continue to provide better cycling facilities, and ensure all staff and those visiting the centre have secure spaces to park their bikes.

March 2016 Recipients
Boyle Village Conservation Group

Boyle Village Conservation Group, received $2,242.67 to replace lure and CO2 canisters for predator traps, used to protect the native bird life surrounding the village. The non-for profit organisation relies on the self-resetting possum and stoat traps as they require minimal man-power to maintain, which is key to the remote location of Boyle Village. The impact that stoats, rats, possums and other predators have made on the birdlife in the Boyle Village area is quite drastic. Thanks to the Mazda Foundation grant the group can maintain large numbers of traps, minimising the damage caused by the predators and helping to replenish the native bird population.

March 2016 Recipients
Konini School

Konini School received $2,305.92 to purchase 386 native plants to restore a large bush block at the back of the school. The area will provide students with more environmental opportunities, better ecosystems and a recreational area for the community. Over the past five years concerned locals and parents in the Whakarina Stream Sustainable Neighbourhood group have met once a term with the wider school community to weed the space, which is full of native trees, plants and a waterfall. One of the group’s members, along with a Konini school teacher have joined a group of keen students called the ‘Whakarina Fun Group’ to teach native plant propagation and restoration to other pupils. The group is excited about the learning opportunities the new trees will bring. Currently, some of school’s classrooms use the area to monitor the stream and learn about its inhabitants, however, the new trees will open up the space as an educational resource for the whole school, where students can learn about native flora and fauna.

March 2016 Recipients
Otaki Montessori Pre School

Otaki Montessori Preschool received $514.28 to purchase Te Reo and Maori cultural resources to use in the classroom. Currently the preschool’s Maori cultural resources are sparse and there is little variety for the children to choose from. The Preschool offers the Otaki community the opportunity to choose the Montessori method of education for their younger children. These resources will enable the preschool to continue providing high quality early childhood education which embraces the learning of English and Te Reo, as well as engaging the children with the local Maori culture heritage.

March 2016 Recipients
Hamilton North Special School

Hamilton North Special School, received $4,433.25 to purchase two gravity chairs. 11 children with sensory processing disorders will have access to the chairs providing them with sensory breaks when needed. One of the biggest challenges for staff educating the children is their sensory systems being out of sync, affecting their ability to focus. Students with disorders such as Rett Syndrome, ASD or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may bang their heads, rock or hide under tables, which is not only distressing for the child but can cause disruption in the classroom. The gravity chairs are an important asset to the classroom. With contoured layers of foam they give the agitated child a squeeze like a body hug, helping them calm down in just five minutes.

March 2016 Recipients
Tauranga Youth Search & Rescue

Tauranga Youth Search and Rescue (YSAR) received $1,499 to replace their current projector. The organisation recruits and prepares young people for search and rescue operations and develops their understanding of the New Zealand wilderness. YSAR also helps students grow valuable life skills and prepares them to assist local volunteer groups with the search and rescue of lost and injured persons in the community. The projector is an important piece of training equipment for YSAR as they use it for Wednesday night leader-to-student training sessions and to display data to monitor student’s locations during outdoor training, but it will also be available to Tauranga Search and Rescue in real life rescue situations, benefitting the whole community.

March 2016 Recipients
Ashley Playcentre

Ashley Playcentre was granted $2,720 to purchase and install a heat pump. This will ensure the centre is kept at the Ministry of Education recommended temperature of 18 degrees. The playcentre is committed to providing a safe and stimulating environment for parents and children and encourages learning through the empowerment of family, holistic development and nurturing lasting relationships. The new heat pump will ensure the indoor learning space is kept nice, warm and healthy and will provide a fantastic atmosphere for children to develop and grow.

March 2016 Recipients
Hurupaki Primary School

Hurupaki Primary School, received $1,000 to purchase two purpose-built ‘sand and water fun tables,’ to be used in new entrant classrooms. The school believes engaging students in learning from the very beginning is key to developing social skills, team work and language and communication skills. The tables will not only enhance the children’s learning environment but will provide opportunities for exploratory play, develop student’s minds and confidence and above all instil a love of learning at a young age.

March 2016 Recipients
Te Puke Playcentre

Te Puke Playcentre received $786.26 to purchase a mix of firefighter, police officer, doctor and nurse costumes, to create an inviting, fun and creative play area for the children. The playcentre believe costumes are an important aspect of children’s development, providing various opportunities for fantasy and social play and encouraging children to use their imaginations. The costumes purchased will also encourage role modelling, increasing the children’s knowledge of their community and the wider world.

March 2016 Recipients
Bailey Road School

Bailey Road School received $4,750 to purchase Kapa Haka uniforms which include piupius, bodices, skirts and headbands. Several years ago the School developed initiatives encouraging the students to ‘succeed as Maori’, one such activity is Kapa Haka tuition, open to all students. The weekly classes are a great success with numbers rising steadily, creating the need for uniforms. Since the introduction of Kapa Haka and Te Reo lessons the school has noticed cultural practices used more in everyday life, like the use of Maori greetings and karakia before eating kai. The Kapa Haka group has started performing regularly in the community, including the local retirement villages, to celebrate their performing arts talents and give back to the community. The Mazda Foundation grant means the group will not only look great in their new uniforms but will have a newfound sense of pride when representing the school.

March 2016 Recipients
Redwood School

Redwood School received $1,750 to purchase a set of Piupiu (traditional Maori costume) for their Kapa Haka group. Being a part of the Kapa Haka group teaches students important Maori social values such as whanaungatanga (kinship), manaakitanga (hospitality) and aroha (love), along with life skills such as commitment and discipline. The children will benefit from wearing the new Piupiu, helping them develop their social skills and confidence performing in front of large audiences.

March 2016 Recipients
Waipu Museum

Waipu Heritage Museum preserves and presents the unique Scottish heritage of Waipu, whilst communicating with descendants all over New Zealand and the world. They received $2,633.50 to purchase two laptop computers. Scottish highlanders arrived in Waipu over 150 years ago and their story of migration and settlement has been preserved in the area ever since. The computers will be used to develop the museum’s descendant and genealogy databases of those settlers, continuing to help the local community and visitors discover and celebrate their heritage and history.

March 2016 Recipients
Tauranga Society of Artists

Not for profit organisation, the Tauranga Society of Arts, which provides sessions and workshops for their 200 members, received $6,656.36 to purchase overhead exhibition lighting for their two annual art exhibitions. Their members are volunteers who work tirelessly all year to prepare for the exhibitions, which attract over 60 of their artists who showcase over 300 original works of art. The art rooms provide members with lots of activities including acrylic and oil painting, life drawing and Chinese brush work. The exhibitions allow artists to show off these skills and provides them with a goal to work towards. The exhibitions are really popular in the community and the Mazda Foundation grant will help the Society continue to present the most professional and impressive original art in the Bay of Plenty region.

March 2016 Recipients
New Zealand Opera Limited

New Zealand Opera Ltd received $3,560 to purchase a new digital camera, lens, and editing software to help develop their education and outreach programme and support their marketing objectives. New Zealand Opera contributes to the community by creating cultural opportunities for people to experience the power of opera, while establishing a vibrant and sustainable presence for opera in New Zealand. Opera is a visual art form, so video and images are hugely important tools for bringing it to life on digital platforms. The grant from the Mazda Foundation means they can continue to create great content to share with their audiences.