The Central Lakes Trust has given away $2.5 million more in the past nine months than in the corresponding period last year.
It has just approved 32 grants for the October-December period totalling $1,242,873, taking the total amount granted since April 1 to $4.3 million.
Central Lakes Trust (CLT) chief executive Paul Allison said the $2.5 million rise was largely due to a $1 million grant to the Wakatipu Trails Trust in September.
"We normally only consider grants over $500,000 once a year, but the donation to the trails trust was part of project supported by the Government which we saw potential with ...
Even without that, we're still up by $1.5 million on last year."
In this quarter, the largest grant of $425,000 was approved to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to help secure the Snow Farm at Cardrona as a recreation reserve.
The group looking after the Drybread Cemetery near Omakau received $58,000 for an upgrade and St John Alexandra received $180,000 to upgrade its building.
CLT increased the pool of funding for Tertiary Education Scholarships to $75,000.
These scholarships are awarded to Year 13 students at Central Lakes Trust region high schools.
Volunteering Otago received $70,500 to establish a new volunteer matching service initiative in the CLT region.
The trust was established in November 2000, when the Otago Central Electric Power Board bestowed CLT with assets valued at $155 million from the consumer trust Otago Central Electric Power Trust.
In September, the CLT passed the $50 million milestone in total approved grants since 2000.
The latest grants are:
Alexandra: St John Alexandra, $180,000 (building upgrade); Dunstan High School, $20,000 (coaching launch); Council of Social Services, $1300 (conference expenses); Alexandra Religious Instruction Charitable Trust, $2550 (resources).
Arrowtown: Autumn Festival $15,571 (2011 expenses); Community Preschool, $17,500 (fit-out and equipment).
Central Otago: Central Lakes Trust Tertiary Scholarship Programme, $75,000 (tertiary scholarships volunteering); Central Otago District Council, $22,000 (Swim Skills project); Central Otago Principals Association, $70,000 (referral programme 2011); Central Otago Rural Education Programme, $20,000 (2011 courses).
Omakau: Drybread Cemetery Trust, $58,000 (cemetery upgrade).
Hawea: Hawea Playgroup, $14,000 (rebuild/addition).
Millers Flat: Millers Flat Primary School, $3500 (fitness fort).
Otago: Volunteering Otago, $70,500 (volunteering initiative); Otago Regional Council, $70,000 (clean heat/clean air initiative).
Pisa Range: Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust, $425,000 (purchase of recreational area.
Poolburn-Moa Creek: Poolburn-Moa Creek Hall, $4000 (hall kitchen upgrade).
Queenstown: Queenstown Lakes District Council, $11,000 (Christmas concert); QLDC Summerdaze Festival, $7500 (New Year's Eve, Queenstown); Wakatipu District Youth Trust, $26,666 (operational funding).
Roxburgh: Roxburgh Pioneer Generation Brass, $5990 (musical instruments); St John Roxburgh, $15,000 (defibrillator).
Wanaka: Community Springs Trust, $13,480 (community water feature); Wanaka Search and Rescue, $4650 (marine radar and GPS upgrade); Challenge Wanaka Sports Trust, $9536 (safety resources and training).
General: Southern Rural Education Activities Programme, $2000 (budget cooking classes); Alpine Community Development Trust, $40,000 (operational funding); Barnardos Central Otago, $10,000 (building extension); Catholic Social Services Central Otago, $22,330 (operational funding); Epilepsy Association Southland, $1800 (operational funding); Last of the Summer Wine, $1000 (rest-home entertainment); Southland Multiple Sclerosis Society, $3000 (operational funding).
Total: $1,242,873.
