New five-year plan for trust

Barbara Bridger
Barbara Bridger
The Otago Community Trust has announced the introduction of a new five-year strategic plan, from April 2022.

Trust chairman Diccon Sim said the new strategic plan was developed to guide the trust into the future.

From April, funding decisions will be categorised under four new funding pillars, representing the trust’s four strategic focus areas.

They are: empowered communities, improved health and wellbeing, increased access to opportunities, and thriving children and young people.

Projects falling under the former Funding for Change strategic priorities of warm homes, regionally significant cycle ways and youth health, wellbeing and employment would continue to be considered, but within the new framework, Mr Sim said.

Otago Community Trust chief executive Barbara Bridger said under the thriving children and young people funding pillar, the trust had developed a dedicated strategy to support Otago’s children (tamariki) and young people (rangatahi).

The trust expects to launch a new strategic fund in the first half of 2022 specifically to benefit tamariki and rangatahi.

Other changes as part of the trust’s new strategic plan include the identification of priority communities.

Ms Bridger said Otago Community Trust would continue to fund what it had always funded.

"We can’t stress this enough. We will continue to support the grassroots organisations that contribute to the fabric of our community.

"However, as part of our new strategic plan we also need to look to the future and fund strategically to have a lasting and beneficial impact," she said.

As a result, the trust may prioritise funding to the priority communities, with the aim of addressing inequalities.

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