Waitaki schools were this week among the recipients of the latest allocation of grants from Meridian Energy's Waitaki Community Fund.
Meridian announced on Thursday the distribution of more than $94,000 to nine community groups in the Waitaki Basin, bringing the total amount of grants distributed over the past five years to more than $1.8 million.
Aoraki Mount Cook School, in Mt Cook village, was awarded $26,000 in the latest funding round, to allow the purchase of a van that would enable pupils at the isolated school to travel further afield. School principal Coral Butler said the vehicle would be a big asset.
"Being a small school, we have struggled to find ways for our students to experience the world outside our township. This van will mean we can more readily participate in arts, culture and sporting opportunities across the Mackenzie and Waitaki Valleys."
The Waitaki Valley School Board of Trustees received $48,000 to buy a solar heating system for the Waitaki Valley Community Pool.
Further funds were allocated to the Twizel Netball Club ($3106), Omarama Friends of the School ($4000),Waitaki Riparian Enhancement Society ($7766), Waitaki Valley Community Society ($898), Lower Waitaki Playcentre ($1200), Duntroon and District Development Association ($3000) and the North Otago A and P Association ($500).
Waitaki Community Fund acting chairman Mat Bayliss said the fund had now 200 local volunteer and community groups.
"Supporting grass-roots projects like these creates genuine benefits for the community, and Meridian is proud to be associated with such a great bunch of initiatives."
