A $125,000 grant for the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club’s planned beachside clubhouse has kickstarted its fundraising campaign.
The club has launched its fundraising campaign to cover the cost of building its planned new $4.9 million facility on Tāhunanui Beach.
Last week, the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) announced its substantial grant to the club and indicated that another $125,000 could be expected later this year.
Club president Noah Hosie says the trust’s commitment was “fantastic”.
“Clubs like us, we’re 100 per cent relying on that sort of type of support.”
Paul Matheson, the NZCT funding adviser for the Top of the South and former Nelson mayor, says the new facility would be good for Tāhunanui.
The new facility will replace the club’s current clubhouse and will better protect the more than 3000 people who visit the beach each day during peak season.
But Paul says the clubhouse had another “big bonus” for the NZCT.
“The new building will also have room for community use, and that’s what we desperately need down here.”
If the second $125,000 grant is approved – “which I’m pretty confident it will” – he adds that it will be one of the largest grants from the NZCT that he has helped facilitate.
Nelson City Council has contributed $1.65 million to the project, and a further $1.6m was received from Surf Life Saving New Zealand.
Along with the donations it has received to date, including the first NZCT grant, the club still needs to raise $1.44m.
Noah is confident that amount can be raised and has had many people reaching out to help.
“The economy is not the best, but we do have a lot of support within the community and the region.”
While residents could make normal donations, the club has also launched its ‘Donate a Brick’ campaign.
That required a specific $250 donation to cover the cost of a symbolic brick for the building.
Brick donors will be celebrated on a recognition wall inside the clubhouse’s main foyer.
Noah says the campaign was “tracking really well”, with some larger companies donating several bricks at once.
There are also several greater opportunities to sponsor a step for the stairway leading up to the training room, or for entire rooms in the clubhouse, such as the kitchen.
Noah says more information can be found on the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club’s website.
“Every dollar counts.”
