The Wairarapa Catchment Collective invites catchment groups to apply for the Catchment Support Grant Fund, designed to help with the coordination and administration of their group.
Catchment groups rely heavily on volunteers, and managing meetings, communication, and planning can be time-consuming. This grant provides financial support for essential tasks such as administration, minute-taking, meeting coordination, and communicating with members.
The Value of Support
Michael Woodcock, Coordinator for the Upper Waipoua Kaitiaki Group, has already seen the benefits of having a paid coordinator:
“Having a paid coordinator has allowed for the role of Chairperson and coordinator to be separated out into two distinct roles. It allowed Gill, who was doing both, to be able to step back from carrying much of the load, but to remain active in the committee. I can already see that the committee is reshaping, freer to focus on the strategy and the action plan, not needing to ask who will do it, but rather whats next, knowing they have a coordinator able to follow through on decisions made.
For me, with the role being paid it gives me the sense that it matters, not just to our committee but all those supporting the work in the catchment. It's valued and backed. Being paid gives me a sense of both expectation and duty to see things through, knowing that others are keen to see us build our capacity and produce the outcomes envisaged.”
In this round we have a total of $18,500 available. Applications will be evaluated by the Collective against the following criteria:
The application is from a recognised catchment group (are an active group and are either developing or have developed a catchment action plan)
The purpose of the application will support the catchment group to achieve their outcomes set out in their Catchment Action Plan
If the group does not currently have an action plan, the group is willing to work with the Collective to establish a plan
As an indicator, our last grant round is supporting four catchment groups at $500 per month for 12 months.
Additional Support Available
Beyond funding, the Wairarapa Catchment Collective can assist groups with:
Facilitating meetings and action planning
Water monitoring
Pest management planning
Signage
Funding applications
Acting as a fundholder for grants
How to Apply
Applications close Friday, 7th March 2025.
📌 Apply here: bit.ly/wcc-fund-application
For more information, or to discuss how the Wairarapa Catchment Collective can support your group, feel free to contact John or Kirsty.
The Upper Waipoua Kaitiaki Group Committee