New Zealand
Funding Recipients, April 2007
The April 2007 Small Grants Fund call for applications attracted 52 highly competitive applications from across New Zealand. Save the Children commends those organisations that took time to submit an application and congratulates the 10 successful projects
Please note that as of September 2007, the maximum grant will be increased from $5,000 to $10,000.
The following organisations received funding from Save the Children New Zealand's Small Grants Fund in 2007:
Download a pdf of all recipients [Adobe PDF, 131 Kb]
1.The Hub, Nelson
Project: Anti-racism video project. Start up equipment and mentoring support
$5000.00 (excl. GST)
Website: www.nelsonhub.org
The Hub, established in 2003 is the largest recreation centre in the Nelson. Boasting 7 workshop spaces, a café, hall, skate-ramp, gym and recording studio. The Hub is a key local provider for 11-18 year olds in Nelson and has established links with schools, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) and other youth service providers. The Hub has a staff of 6 (4 full time, 2 part time) each managing different project areas.
The project seeks to celebrate New Zealand’s multicultural society and draws inspiration from a recent racist motivated attack on Korean young people and the media’s presentation of the issue. The project proponents say they “want to create an opportunity for young people to have a voice about their experiences of racism and of living in a multi-cultural city”.
The project recognises video as a powerful communication tool, familiar and popular with young people. The project will run for 3 months and will include training the young people in video making skills, resulting 20 minutes worth of material being published as a DVD. The material is likely to be a documentary, drama, or docudrama made by either the whole group or up to 4 small groups working on the common theme. The DVD will be disseminated in New Zealand with possibilities of submission to Real Time (UK) for inclusion in public screenings of video work by young people in Reading UK as part of the Real Time Open Screens project.
The project expects to raise awareness of the complexities of racial issues, create a safe forum for children, young people and the community to challenge negative attitudes to different cultures. The Hub’s multi cultural children and young people will present role models of tolerant communities. Young people who would not normally have a chance to get together or find common ground to meet on will implement the project. Participants are drawn from the Canadian, German, Filipino, Japanese, Pakeha, Maori, Tanzanian and Zimbabwean communities.
This project addresses Save the Children’s and the UNCRC principles of active participation, freedom of expression and protection from violence and abuse.
2. Rural Childhoods, Children’s Issues Centre, University of Otago
Project: Research into Rural Childhoods, Researcher: Mary Ann Powell
$5000.00 (excl GST)
Website: www.otago.ac.nz/cic
This is a research project to investigate children’s experiences of childhood in rural New Zealand from their own perspective. The project addresses children’s right to provision of services, resources and opportunities, participation, protection and development. 20 children aged 7-11 in years 4-6 of primary school will take part in the study.
The project argues that research attention has tended to focus on children and young people in urban rather than rural environments. Consequently children who live in rural areas have been marginalised to the extent that the basis for the understandings that have developed and dominated perceptions on children and childhood have been urban centred.
The researcher notes that although there has been an increase in international research into rural childhoods most of the studies do not include the direct voices of children. Recent attempts have been made to redress this but a significant gap exists in the research, with children’s experiences in the diverse range of rural environments in New Zealand yet to be addressed. This research will contribute to greater understanding of lived experiences of children and rural childhoods in New Zealand as well as an appreciation of the processes by which children become citizens through their engagement and participation in every day life.
3.Hibiscus Coast Bluelight Ventures, Orewa
Project: Project M
$4930.00 (excl GST)
Website: bluelight.co.nz
Hibiscus Coast Bluelight is one of 55 Branches in New Zealand. It is a Police, youth and community initiative designed to reduce the incidence of young people offending or becoming victim of a crime, encouraging better relations between police, young people, their parents and care givers. The organisation works with children to build self-esteem and promote responsible decision making in young people with positive outcomes. Hibiscus Bluelight achieves this by running a variety of supervised cultural, social, sporting and educational activities in an environment free from alcohol, drugs and violence. Hibiscus Coast Blue Light’s objectives are in sync with the Police mission statement of “Safer Communities Together”.
Project M is made up of a diverse group of students that want to promote greater awareness and understanding of Maori, Pakeha, and migrant cultures in New Zealand. This experiential learning will take the students on a journey to Te Papa, on a cultural exchange with a Kohanga reo (Language nest) and a Marae. Throughout their learning the children will focus on collecting information and resources for the establishment of a Marae type project room at their school.
This project encourages child participation, and in line with the principles of Save the Children and UNCRC promotes non-discrimination, respect for individuals and tolerance.
4.YWCA Wellington and Hutt Valley
Project: Future Leaders Mentoring Programme
$5000.00 (excl GST)
Website:www.ywca.org.nz
The YWCA of Aotearoa- New Zealand works to empower women, especially young women, by enhancing their physical, spiritual, mental and cultural wellbeing. The YWCA of Wellington and Hutt Valley’s vision is “Young Women Leading Change”.
Established by the Auckland YWCA, the Future Leaders programme is currently running in 9 schools and has recently been initiated in 2 schools in Northland. Funding from Save the Children will support staff training and the establishment of a similar programme in Wellington in September 2007.
The Future Leaders programme is a unique individualised leadership programme for young women who show potential in leadership within their lives. Young women enter the Future Leaders programme in Year 10 and remain in the programme for up to five years. The programme provides young women with mentors, skills development, new experiences and opportunities to support them in achieving their goals. The mentor aged from the mid 20’s upwards act as a friend and trusted guide.
The Wellington and Hutt Valley YWCA will involve 2 schools, 6 students and their caregivers. Funding from the Small Grants Fund pay for the Wellington and Hutt Valley Coordinator’s training for the skill based student workshops. This project recognises and aims to address gender imbalance empowering the girl child to take up leadership positions and encouraging them to reach the highest levels of education possible in any field of their choice. Participation in this programme is free.
The Future Leaders project nurtures young leadership and enables girls and young women to maximise their potential. Save the Children is happy to support the expansion of the Future Leaders programme as a case of good practice in addressing gender inequalities.
5. The Wellington Boys’ and Girls’ Institute Wellington
Project: Practical Participation: Workshops and resources.
$4500.00 (excl GST)
Website:www.bgi.org.nz
The Boys’ and Girls’ Institute, known as BGI, is an Incorporated Society established in 1883. The organisation is committed to a holistic view of personal development (physical, mental, spiritual and social) from a relational perspective that takes family, cultural and religious contexts into consideration.
Funding from the Small Grants Fund will support training workshops for young people and youth workers. The training will focus on principles of youth participation as a way of building communities that recognise the value of including young people in all aspects of community development. BGI does not believe in token inclusion of young people but rather advocates for young people to be informed, consulted and their views respected as equal members of society.
BGI together with young people across New Zealand will research, develop and produce resources for youth workers that include a tool kit on ways that young people and youth workers can use participatory methods.
6.Special Needs Advocacy and Support Trust, Waipukurau
Project: Camp David Inclusion project
$4788 (excl GST)
Website:www.supportconnection.org.nz
The Special Needs Advocacy and Support trust was formed in February 2006 to provide advocacy, support and information to families and educational facilities that have a child in their care with a disability, health impairment or special need in Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay.
Camp David Inclusion School holiday Camps Project is designed to enable children with disabilities to participate in activities they would regularly be marginalised from because of their disability.
Special Needs Advocacy and Support Trust believes that the mixed abilities group will enable children to learn from each other, about disabilities, inclusion and accepting people for whom they are. The project is designed on a ‘can do’ attitude as this assists both disabled and non-disabled children to approach challenges and activities with an open mindset of “what do we need to do to make it work?” The Small Grants Fund funding will contribute towards developmental learning and training and camp carer costs.
Save the Children considers all children equal and advocates for equal opportunity and non discrimination of children regardless of their abilities, gender, race or religion. The Special Needs Advocacy and Support Trust competently proposes to use the camp meeting as a platform to tackle issues of discrimination and marginalisation of children with disabilities by bringing together children with disabilities and those that do not, in a single learning experience.
7.Wellington City Mission, Wellington
Project: Mission for Families – Young Families at Risk Programme.
$3590.00 (excl GST)
Website: www.wellingtoncitymission.org.nz
The Mission began work in 1904 with a vision to provide services for people in the Wellington Region that are at risk or struggling to achieve a reasonable quality of life.
The programme helps children and families to build self-esteem through regular in home mentor support, counselling, advocacy support, emergency support and budget advice. The programme tries to ensure that children are at all times protected from harm and abuse. Between March 2006- March 2007 the Mission for Families programme assisted 130 families.
Funding from the Small Grants Fund will enable staff to under go a 5-day Child Protection Studies programme. The course run by CPS will deepen the knowledge of the Mission’s social workers by building their confidence to take positive action to protect children. The content of the course covers understanding and recognising the nature of child abuse, causes of child abuse, effects and symptoms of child abuse, what to do when child abuse is suspected, reporting and the identification of protection networks.
Save the Children considers child protection central to any programming children are involved in. The Mission says that formal training for staff is an “essential ingredient in ensuring that our programme maintains a fully professional and effective service”.
8.The Foundation for Peace Studies, Wellington
Project: Nuclear Zephyr
$2000.00 (excl GST).
Website:www.peace.net.nz
The Foundation for Peace Studies was established in order to promote the development of a more peaceful and caring society through peace education. The organisation has well-established programmes in schools and the wider community that have helped New Zealanders resolve conflicts and improve their lives.
Funding from the Small Grants Fund will support Nuclear Zephyr an ethnic young people-driven theatrical performance that focuses on cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution, and raises public awareness of nuclear issues. Nuclear Zephyr involves 8 actors from different ethnicities co-devising a theatre piece. The piece is driven by the exploration of issues that are pertinent to our global community in the areas of nuclear weaponry, nuclear deterrence and war. The moral issues raised such as individual responsibility, New Zealand’s role and the wider global implications give rise to a myriad of questions and topics ranging from personal guilt, fear and paranoia to issues of nation, human rights and crimes against humanity that create the foundation for the theatre piece. Participants collaborate with their local community in discussing cultural/ethnic responses to the issues and themes that arise and concurrently bring a community voice into the production.
The show will run for 5 nights from August 7-11th 2007 at 6.pm at BATS Theatre. The performance coincides with the Peace Week 6-12 August commemorating the nuclear on Hiroshima and Ngasaki during WWII.
9.Foundation for Peace Studies, Wellington
Project: Babel: Crossing Cultural Boundaries
$3000.00 (excl GST)
Website: www.peace.net.nz
The Foundation for Peace Studies was established in order to promote the development of a more peaceful and caring society through peace education. The organisation has well-established programmes in schools and the wider community that have helped New Zealanders resolve conflicts and improve their lives.
Babel is a child and young people driven developmental project that encourages a connection between, society, community, peers, culture, differences and the medium of creative arts. The six month collaboration will provide a model of conflict resolution and non-violence thus encouraging individuals and groups to choose peace and tolerance over violence in their interactions at home, school, work and in the community.
Babel will provide citizens with examples of peacemaking through the project and with the facilitators coming from a conflict-ridden country (Palestine and Israel) to demonstrate that violence is neither a preferred or inevitable response to conflict. Through forums and topics discussed, the community, schools and other educational institutions will be invited to participate and encouraged to listen to each other, acknowledge each other’s differences and diversity.
10.The Napier Family Centre Inc., Napier
Project: Sister 2 Sister mentoring workshops
$1400.00 (excl GST)
Website:www.napierfamilycentre.co.nz
The Napier Family Centre Inc is a community based, social service agency. The organization established a Sister-to-Sister mentoring pilot program in July 2006 after research into similar programmes in New Zealand and overseas. Sister 2 Sister focuses on 11-13 year olds and matches at risk pre-teen-early teens with successful young women. The project endeavors to show disadvantaged children and young people how to facilitate purposeful change and personal growth by drawing on existing strengths and overcoming obstacles. Sister 2 Sister mentors young girls and encourages them to build self-esteem and valuable life skills.
Funding from the Small Grants Fund will go towards strengthening the project by offering training and support to carefully screened big sisters. The big sisters will be trained to manage the needs of the younger girls in a healthy and safe way over a period of 12 months.
Sister 2 Sister provides girls and women a chance to have fun and discover new things while developing a caring positive relationship. The kaupapa of Sister 2 Sister matches Save the Children work to alleviate poverty and promote reach out to marginalised girls while promoting hope, self esteem and respect for others.