A football event with a difference was among two Dunedin youth initiatives to receive $40,000 in GigCity funding.
Football South received a $20,000 grant, funded by Chorus, for an e-Sports tournament in which competitors will play the latest Fifa football game.
The event is set to be run early next year in conjunction with the organisation’s "have a go" event where people play traditional football.
Football South chief executive Chris Wright said it was hoped the event would get gamers interested in playing traditional football and vice-versa.
"They are both sports at the end of the day, they are just played in a very different environment," Mr Wright said.
Otago Access Radio (OAR FM) also received $20,000, to design, develop and implement a digital content platform appealing to Dunedin youth and available on mobile.
OAR FM manager Lesley Paris said the funding would improve access to podcasts created by Youth Zone broadcasters.
"Being able to capitalise on the benefits of gigabit technology is particularly exciting.
"That will put as at the leading edge of delivery for the generation that is growing up in a fast-changing media environment, and will have flow-on benefits for other sectors of our community," Ms Paris said.
Chorus’ Dunedin liaison manager Kim Stewart praised the two initiatives yesterday.
"These are two extremely different but equally exciting and innovative community projects which involve local youth and showcase the benefits of gigabit technology to the city," Ms Stewart said.
The latest two $20,000 grants take the total funding allocated to almost $310,000 out of a $500,000 grant pool given to Dunedin by Chorus.
