Community development adviser Rebecca Williams said while there was $5000 in the board’s community grants budget and $2000 in its promotions pot, the board had grants reserves of $22,000 for community grants and $18,000 for promotions.
The amounts had accumulated over time as the grants budgets were allocated but not used, she said.
Community grants were requested from Puna Rangatahi for operational expenses to run programmes in the Teviot Valley and from the Roxburgh Pioneer Energy Band and the Teviot Valley District Museum to offset costs of rates, power and insurance.
Promotions grants were sought from the Central Otago District Arts Trust to help cover the cost of bringing the Cover to Cover event to the Teviot Valley, and from the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre to fund lightboxes for the theatre’s exterior.
Ms Williams said the amounts asked for exceeded the current funds but the board could, through a recommendation to the Central Otago District Council, access the funding reserves.
Puna Rangatahi had requested $1600, the museum $4000 and the band $2000.
Ms Williams had recommended the museum and band each receive $2000 and Puna Rangatahi $1000 to match the available funds.
Councillor Sally Feinerman said she thought the reserves should be used to give Puna Rangatahi the full amount requested.
"They are doing an outstanding job in our community; it’s really beneficial."
Puna Rangatahi manager Tash Kane said they ran a youth centre, The Den, in the old Scout hall in Roxburgh with drop-in sessions once a week. During school holidays they arranged transport for Teviot Valley children to activities in Alexandra, and were running an adventure-based programme for children at risk of disengaging with school, one school day a week for 20 weeks.
The programme was having a positive effect on those involved, Ms Kane said.
They also offered one-to-one mentoring and were working with two teenagers in Roxburgh. They were assigned a youth worker who would stay engaged with them for as long as they needed, which could be months or years, Ms Kane said.
Board member Gill Booth asked if there was anything else the community could do for the young people.
Ms Kane said it was "a really tricky one".
There was a lot of boredom and teenagers just liked to be bored, she said.
"They don’t always take options offered to them."
Ms Booth suggested getting them involved in outdoor activities, such as horse riding, training a dog or being involved in the community vegetable garden.
Mrs Feinerman also said she thought the promotions grant reserves should be used to fully fund the $2967 for the light boxes at the Roxburgh Cinema.
"It’s pretty hard to fund half a light box. We have the reserves."
Ms Booth agreed, saying the light boxes were a fabulous idea.
The board agreed to send a recommendation to the council to fully fund the Puna Rangatahi and Roxburgh Entertainment Centre requests using reserves.
Central Otago District Arts Trust was granted its request for $1000.
