New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) has installed facial recognition technology at all six of its Gisborne gaming venues to help problem gamblers who have excluded themselves, says NZCT Chief Executive Mike Knell.

NZCT has recently awarded a grant of $7,770 towards completing the bike skills park in the Mid-Canterbury town of Methven. 

NZCT has approved a grant of $75,000 towards Sunset Coast BMX Club reconstructing its existing track to UCI standard.

An increase in gaming machine proceeds (GMP) from class 4 gambling (pokies) will help keep vital funding available to community organisations across New Zealand, says the Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand (GMANZ).

A grant of $80,000 has recently been approved by NZCT towards a new all-weather bowling green at the Otaki Bowling Club.

Mamaku School near Rotorua has recently been awarded an NZCT grant of $100,000 towards a new swimming pool complex.

A grant of $8,800 towards helmets and lifejackets will enable adult and junior paddlers at the Palmerston North Canoe Club (PNCC) to train and compete with brand new safety equipment.

A grant of over $15,000 from NZCT will enable the Christchurch City BMX Club to asphalt the corners of their track in Hornby as part of a significant upgrade of the facility.

NZCT has approved a grant of $80,000 towards the salaries of the head coach and manager of the Tauranga Boxing Academy, as well as the capital fit-out for its boxing gym.

The Hawke’s Bay Nautical Education Trust Board was over the moon when they bought four second-hand Elliot 6 yachts for a bargain price last year.

A $52,000 grant has been approved towards the sports court upgrade at Tiniroto School.

The Kapiti Coast-based rugby league club has recently been given a significant grant of $150,000 towards completing the renovation of its clubroom in Otaki.

The Rangataua O Aotearoa Maori Martial & Cultural Arts Club in Gisborne has recently received a $5,000 grant towards boxing bags and safety gear from NZCT.

Construction has begun on a major new project at Natureland that will use sustainable materials and encourage nature play with children that visit the park.

Volleyball is a popular sport at Napier Girls’ High School.

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from NZCT, the Tauranga Moana Outrigger Canoe Club (TMOCC) will be able to buy a new Mahi Mahi W6 Waka to help meet the growing demand for the sport.

The ability to play basketball, netball and hockey all year round will now be possible thanks to a recent NZCT grant to the school.

NZCT has made a submission to the Ministry of Health on its proposed Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2019/20 to 2021/22 and the problem gambling levy rates for the next three years.

Dame Valerie Adams will headline the off-field line-up as 10,800 young athletes arrive in Tauranga next week to showcase their athletic talents at New Zealand’s biggest sporting tournament.

NZCT awarded Tutira School just over $13,000 towards an update of their pool area.

NZCT awarded Harbour Hockey Charitable Trust (HHCT) $400,000 towards the overall building and turf costs of the National Hockey Centre at Rosedale Park.

Good news for Camp Raukawa.

NZCT recently awarded St John Central Region $185,000 to buy a new ambulance and stretcher for the Gisborne area.

NZCT recently awarded Central Hawke's Bay District Council a grant of $120,000.

NZCT has approved a funding application of $5,000 towards newly adjustable paddlers for Te Kaihau o Kupe Waka Ama.

NZCT has approved a funding application of over $7,000 towards an electronic scoreboard and shot clocks.

180 Degrees Trust can buy four new stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) for their Outdoor Education Programme, thanks to a grant from NZCT.

NZCT has approved a funding application of over $10,000 towards replacing Coromandel Golf Club’s old mower with a new one that makes maintenance of the course easier. 

NZCT awarded Huringa Pai Charitable Trust over $10,000 towards a sound system, banners, gazebo, tri bikes and t-shirts to widen the opportunities for Huringa Pai to stimulate more whanau to change lifestyles and get healthier.

Good news for the Wanganui Sailing Club.

The senior leadership of Nayland College was thrilled to hear that NZCT had approved a funding application of $50,000 towards replacing their aging bitumen tennis courts with an all-weather multi-sport turf surface.

Ross Harvey, Principal at Kai Iwi School, is happy that NZCT awarded his school $5,000.

NZCT recently awarded Te Arawa Kapa Charitable Trust $25,000 to hire a venue capable of accommodating 4,000 kapa haka enthusiasts safely and comfortably during the Te Arawa Kapahaka Regional Festival on 2 and 3 March 2018 in Rotorua.

Southern Zone Deaf Rugby Union received funding from NZCT towards interpreters at the 25th National Deaf Rugby Championships they are hosting.

NZCT awarded ARGOS Gymnastics Club $45,000 of the total $75,000 needed to buy a new sprung floor.

NZCT recently awarded Toko School $2,610 to buy new all-weather padder tennis nets.

NZCT recently awarded Poverty Bay Rugby Referees Association (PBRRA) $14,704 to buy new communication equipment.

NZCT recently awarded Napier Group Riding for the Disabled Association $1,043 to buy new riding helmets.

NZCT awarded Te Aroha and District Riding for the Disabled (RDA) $10,000 to keep their current Head Coach.

Kawerau residents can start the new year healthy and active.

A good start to the New Year for the Chatham Island Community Swimming Pool Trust.

NZCT recently awarded Parafed Bay of Plenty $25,000 towards the salaries of a Coachforce Development Officer and Executive Officer.

Establishing a cement 130 x 80m all-weather track is a big dream for Blokart Hawke’s Bay, so NZCT's grant of $10,000 is very welcome to make this wish come true.

It won't be long before Opiki School's children and the community can make full use of their tennis courts again.

Many volunteer hours as plumber have come to an end for Gary Martin, head coach of the Enterprise Aquatic Swim Team, to maintain the club-run public swimming pool.

Good news at almost the end of the school year for the Oaklynn Special School.

A major surprise for the Wanganui Motorcycle Club, NZCT awarded the club $50,000 for the purchase of high-tech crash air bags and plastic barriers.

Good news for Marist Alternative Education in North Shore.

Sixteen years as the owner and manager of the Eastside Tavern in Hamilton has taught Nick Field a thing or two about how to make sure his team demonstrate an exemplary culture of care towards their gaming room patrons.

A generous contribution of $100,000 has been made by NZCT towards the new Diversity Centre of the Indian Association of New Zealand.

NZCT has contributed $191,681 to resurface the Tauranga Domain athletics track.

A very welcome grant for Hauraki Plains College, NZCT donated $15,000 to the school to buy a new sailing boat.

NZCT awarded Totara Park Riding for the Disabled $3,000 to hire a new Group Coach.

NZCT made a generous grant of $50,000 towards the construction costs of the Arrowtown Community & Sports Centre.

There are busy times ahead for Kawerau District Council, with two iconic events on again this year.

Amy Robinson works full-time at Tauranga Intermediate, travels to Auckland three times a week to train with the Black Sticks and still dabbles in track and field when she gets the chance.

NZCT recently awarded the Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park Trust almost $47,000.

NZCT awarded Rototuna Indoor Recreation Centre Trust with $200,000.

A very welcome grant has been awarded to the Wanganui Pirates Football and Sports Club.

NZCT recently awarded Wellington City Council $160,000.

NZCT has awarded College Old Boys Rugby League Club Charitable Trust $4,000 towards new playing uniforms for their youngest members aged under 6 and their Premier Team.

NZCT has awarded $5,000 to Youthline Central North Island.

NZCT has been supporting the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter for a number of years and the service once more proved its worth when Peter Lethbridge broke his leg on Mt Taranaki last year.

After more than 15 years, Rongotai College can replace their rugby training equipment.

A deeply cherished wish of the Rotorua Netball Association is coming true.

Good news for the Queenstown Ice Hockey Club.

The Te Waka Pounamu Outrigger Canoe Club is a step closer to a Mahi Mahi six-person waka ama.

Good news for the Wellington Handball Federation.

Hastings Group Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) recently received $1,085 from NZCT.

Good news for Special Olympics Manawatu.

The City of Nelson Highland Pipe Band is a step closer to replacing their old, faded kilts.

NZCT recently awarded Westshore Surf Lifesaving Club $7,000 towards the purchase of a four-person surf canoe.

NZCT recently awarded $8,000 to Auckland Asthma Society.

NZCT recently awarded Pohutukawa Coast Bike Club $2,000 to hire professional trail builders to construct three new mountain bike trails in the Maraetai block of the Whitford forest.

The Methven Volunteer Fire Brigade is going to purchase and install long-life photo-electric smoke detectors in every residential house and sports club in Methven.

Good news for Croquet Mount Maunganui.

Ann Wilson has been behind the bar at the Salty Dog in New Plymouth since 1997 when pubs were almost exclusively owned by men.

A Rotorua not-for-profit organisation says it wouldn’t be able to do the work it does without a New Zealand Community Trust grant.We recently awarded Rotorua Mountain Bike Club $25,000 towards a first response unit at Whakarewarewa Forest.

September’s Anchor AIMS Games has breached two significant milestones, with more than 10,000 athletes from over 300 schools heading to Tauranga from around New Zealand and the Pacific.

NZCT awarded a grant of $25,000 to North Beach Surf Life Saving Club to enable them to buy a new Clymer Surf Boat.

People suffering from Dupuytren’s disease could ultimately regain the function of their hands and quality of life, thanks to the international award-winning work of the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute (GMRI), which NZCT has funded since 2013.

The small community of Netherton on the Hauraki Plains near Paeroa relies on its hall as a hub for community activities.

For the first time in New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) history, three Auckland brothers – Benjamin (Tenor), Benedict (Bass) and Benett Tan (Tenor) – have all made it into the new NZYC.

Netball participation is on the increase in Manawatu and a recent boost to funding will ensure it continues to grow. 

We've published our annual report for the 2015/16 financial year. 

PINS ten-pin and entertainment centre in Waitakere offers a mix of entertainment options apart from bowling with pool tables, video games, a bar and one of NZCT’s most popular gaming rooms. PINS has been owned by Stephen Penney since 2003 and he has been associated with gaming venues for over twenty years.“We treat gaming as a part of our business, which is as important as any other, and ensure service levels are maintained across all sectors.

Now in its 30th year, the New Zealand Cycle Classic is the only international event for Kiwi riders.

An injection of good news has come for the earthquake-hit communities of Waiau and Kaikoura as Christmas approaches and summer temperatures soar.

Olympic and world champion rower Hamish Bond and a professional cycling team made up of riders who all have Type 1 diabetes will contest the New Zealand Cycle Classic, an NZCT-funded international stage race held entirely in the Wairarapa from 22 to 26 January 2017.

New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) has appointed a Gisborne Regional Advisory Committee (RAC).

Over a thousand undaunted young sportspeople came together in earthquake-battered Wellington for the 33rd NZCT North Island Junior Secondary Schools Championships that ran for the week of 21 to 25 November.

Matthew Gilroy leads a double life.

Latu Talu is a man with passion.

Twenty students from Rotorua Boys’ High School will soon be heading for the hills near Tongariro National Park for a week of leadership and life skills development at the Hillary Outdoors Education Centre with the help of NZCT.

NZCT is a major funder of the New Zealand Youth Choir, which won over the hearts of audiences and judges when achieving a clean sweep in all four categories they competed in, as well as the Grand Prix, at this year’s International Festival of Academic Choirs in Pardubice, Czech Republic.

The crew of the Taranaki Community Rescue Helicopter have expressed their gratitude for the ongoing support of New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT).

When Val Morrison’s wife saw the bar he wanted to take over, she said “You’re not going to buy that dirty, little hole, are you?” But buy it he did and, three years later, it’s a top spot in Gisborne for a night out.

NZCT gave funding to Motutapu Restoration Trust last year to purchase a Farm Worker Suzuki truck for its volunteer restoration programme on Motutapu in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

The NZCT AIMS Games, which start on Sunday 4 September in and around Tauranga, have broken their own record for competitors with almost 9300 athletes from intermediate schools around the country taking part in 21 sports.

Six young athletes from North Shore Canoe Club made a splash in Belarus when they were selected for the New Zealand Canoe Sprint Junior/Under 23 team to compete at the World Championships at the end of July.

New Zealand Opera’s production of Verdi’s La traviata had a stellar season in July at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal, thanks to NZCT’s funding for venue hire.

After an extensive recruitment process attracting more than 90 applications, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Hodges as NZCT’s new National Grants Manager.

Between 20 - 24 January 2016 New Zealand sports fans will be treated to top-level road cycling when the New Zealand Cycle Classic is held in the Wairarapa.

NZCT is proud to support the 2016 National Sevens tournament which kicks off on Saturday 16 January in Rotorua. The tournament, which conclude on Sunday 17 January, will feature twenty six teams from across the country, as they compete to claim their respective Men’s and Women’s national titles.

On 20 December we said farewell to our long-serving Grants Manager Tony Gill.  Tony had been with NZCT for 12 years and left to take on the role of Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust Manager.During his time with NZCT, Tony met and spoke with thousands of grant applicants from a multitude of sports and community organisations.  As well as being the face of NZCT’s grants operation, during his tenure Tony oversaw some 48,000 grant applications and the distribution of around $470 million in grant funding to communities all over New Zealand.

During our 2014/15 financial year NZCT approved $45.2 million for distribution to sports organisations and community groups.  This was a fantastic result, which we couldn't have achieved without the loyalty and support of our NZCT publicans across the country.As we are obliged to do, we recently published our complete list of approved grants and declined applications in a national newspaper.  To see all the organisations that benefited from NZCT funding this past year you can download our adverts here (Northern, Central and Southern).

During October the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter flew 29 missions.  Most (26) were emergency ambulance operations, with one Search and Rescue mission and one maternity/ICU case.  Like most non-profit organisations, the helicopter service has to work hard to raise awareness and funds to keep itself afloat.

NZCT has been a long time supporter of the New Zealand Olympic Ambassador programme which sees New Zealand Olympic Ambassadors visit schools to inspire young people to live the Olympic Values through sport.  One of the key components of the programme is Olympic Day, which this year was held in schools between 19-23rd October.

This year's NZCT AIMS Games has cracked another milestone, breaking through the 8000-athlete barrier for the first time.

By providing interaction with horses, Wellington Riding for the Disabled Association (WRDA) helps develop increased ability, independence and self- esteem in children and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and social challenges.

The 2015 school netball season has just started, but is this a case of ‘same old, same old’?  Not at all, says Netball Wellington Centre (NWC)’s general manager Sue Geale, in fact it’s the complete opposite.

On 17 May 2015, speedy young Wellingtonians will have a chance to hone their running skills and compete against their peers in the first of a series of cross country events organised by Athletics Wellington.  The Kids Cross Country Series caters for school children from year zero to year eight. ...

The Department of Internal Affairs released the following message today regarding gambling expenditure during the 2013/14 financial year:

The 2015 NZCT New Zealand Cycle Classic kicks off in Palmerston North on Wednesday 28 January.  As the only Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) endorsed event in New Zealand, this race attracts a wide range of local and international competitors. 

Late last year NZCT helped Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service purchase a new rescue vehicle.  The vehicle has been a great asset to the club - particularly over the busy summer holiday period.  It is being used to patrol the beach and has already helped rescue several people in need of help.

NZCT is a proud supporter of Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA).  We recognise the immense contribution the service provides to people living in the greater Wellington region.  And when we received a request for assistance with the purchase of a new state-of-the-art ambulance, we were pleased to be able to help.

AIMS Games contributed more than $1.5m to region’s economy

To help lift the performance of local kayakers, Whanganui Triathlon & Multiport Club’s Kayaking division (WTMC) realised it would have to attract a dedicated, professional coach to the region.

Minister of Internal affairs Peter Dunne has confirmed new regulations will come into effect on 4 September 2014 that raise the minimum percentage of net proceeds gaming societies must return to the community.

Sport New Zealand has just released findings from its 2012 study into sport and recreation sector funding provided by gaming societies.

This year’s NZCT Chamber Music Contest is currently underway, with around 2,000 young Kiwi musicians and composers competing for top honours.

Financial assistance for Auckland City Mission

A $5,000 NZCT grant has made a big difference to Christchurch’s Halswell Tennis Club.

NZCT is a proud supporter of the Avantidrome, which was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 12 April 2014.

The Encounter Race Team’s campaign in the NZ Motocross season over 2013/14 has been a journey of triumphs and misfortunes that has lead to a victorious finish.

Redcliffs Tennis Club is thrilled to have its tennis courts back up and running, three years after they were destroyed by the Canterbury earthquakes.