A programme aimed at reducing the risk of children drowning is one of the activities supported in the latest round of Central Lakes Trust grants.
The Swim Skills programme, funded by the trust and the Central Otago District Council, was introduced to Central Otago schools in 2010.
The trust has given $20,000 towards the programme this year.
The grant was one of 34 distributed in the past three months, $2.3 million in total.
Trust chief executive Paul Allison said with the national drowning toll last year up by 40% on the previous year, a scheme such as Swim Skills took on even more importance.
"The trust is very keen to encourage water safety and this programme is more [about] water confidence; it's not limited to swimming skills but also teaches river safety."
Children at most schools in the district would join when they were 6 and the aim was to continue it throughout their primary schooling.
"We want to ensure the majority of Central Otago children are able to swim 200m confidently and acquire river survival skills before leaving primary school. The aim is to reduce the risk of drowning."
Last year, 1308 children were involved in the programme, and this year 1500 are expected to take part. The programme was delivered from Cromwell and Alexandra swim centres, but instructors could also travel to rural schools that had their own swimming pools, Mr Allison said.
Schools and public halls were among the recipients of other grants this round.
One million dollars went towards the upgrade of the Queenstown Memorial Hall, while $17,919 went towards the upgrade of the kitchen area at the Lowburn Hall, and $15,808 for the kitchen upgrade, painting of the exterior and tidying the grounds of the Galloway Hall.
Cromwell Kindergarten was given $170,000 for an extension to its building, and $16,146 was donated to Dunstan Hospital for a cardiac stress machine with treadmill.
The equipment would screen for coronary artery disease and determine lung capacity, and having it at Dunstan would save patients' having to be referred to Dunedin, Mr Allison said.
Donations were: Alexandra NZ Society of Genealogists $5000, Alexandra Primary School $30,000, Alpine Community Development Trust $30,552, Arrowtown Autumn Festival $17,143, Bike Wanaka $11,500, Catholic Social Services Central Otago $23,000, Central Otago Health Inc $16,146, Central Otago Principals Association $80,000, Central Otago Reap $50,000, Central Otago Victim Support $22,500, Challenge Wanaka Sports Trust $13,384, CLT Gold150 Celebrations $240,493, Central Otago District Council Swim Skills Project $20,000, Cromwell Community Welfare Trust $4000, Cromwell Kindergarten $170,000, Deerstalkers Upper Clutha $13,000, Galloway Hall Society $15,808, Glenorchy Heritage Museum Group $10,632, Hawea Community Association $5105, Heartland Life Education Trust $18,000, Last of the Summer Wine $1500, Lowburn Hall Society $17,919, Mt Aspiring College $15,000, National Foundation for the Deaf $2432, Otago Mounted Rifles Regimental Association $2000, Parents Inc $1500, Presbyterian Support Otago $63,000, Queenstown Lakes District Council Christmas Concert $7500, QLDC Memorial Hall $1 million, The Terrace School $45,000, Volunteering Otago $65,000, Wakatipu Abuse Prevention Network $71,250, Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group $108,906, Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust $200,000.
