Above: A Night Before Christmas community event
Twenty-six community events planned for 2022 and 2023 have secured funding in the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund’s first funding round, with a total of $339,231 being granted across the events.
The new Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund (TWBCEF) is a collaboration between Acorn Foundation, Bay Trust, Tauranga City Council, TECT, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
The fund aims to streamline the application process for community events taking place in the region that enrich our communities through active participation and inclusion. Instead of applying to multiple funders to meet their funding requirement, community event organisers can now apply to a single joint fund.
Nelita Byrne, Manager of Venues and Events at Tauranga City Council, says there has been a hugely positive response to the TWBCEF.
“It’s been fabulous to collaborate with our partners on this new fund, and the unprecedented number of applications we have received shows how much this joint fund is needed in our region.
“With the COVID-19 Protection Framework lifting, we’re looking forward to seeing these events come to fruition as our industry now experiences certainty to move forward and deliver wonderful events for our community.”
The joint fund is allowing much-loved existing events to continue, such as the Katikati Festival of Cultures, the Fiji Independence Day celebrations in Te Puke and the Tauranga STEM Festival, as well as for new events to take shape.
One returning event that has been successful in receiving $40,000 in the first funding round is A Night Before Christmas, run by The Tauranga Community Trust.
A Night Before Christmas is a free community event that celebrates the spirit of Christmas and the heart of giving and caring for people. The festive season is welcomed in with live music, dance, carols by candlelight and a fireworks display.
A spokesperson for The Tauranga Community Trust says the collaboration of local funders to make the fund-seeking process simpler and more supportive is appreciated.
“Everyone involved in A Night Before Christmas is hugely appreciative of the support from the TWBCEF. It is a substantial contribution that will help bring this massive community event back after COVID-19, and will see the event continue to be one of the largest and most accessible culture and arts events for Tauranga during the festive season.
“The simplicity provided by funders collaborating together to support community events has been warmly welcomed, and a significant factor in A Night Before Christmas returning in 2022.”
A total of $700,000 is available in the TWBCEF, which is made up of a maximum of $50,000 per applicant for events held in Tauranga, and a maximum of $15,000 per applicant for events held in Western Bay of Plenty.
Applications are considered on a bi-monthly basis and event organisers are encouraged to submit their applications at least four months in advance. The next funding round is open until Sunday, 20 November, with funding decisions released on Tuesday, 20 December 2022.
For more information and to apply for funding in Tauranga click here or for the Western Bay area click here.
