A funding boost is helping Huntly’s local swimming club replace mould-stained, broken equipment and invest in new items.
Kickboards with missing chunks are a thing of the past for Huntly kids as the Huntly Swimming Club is one of 10 national recipients of a $1,000 Powering Your Community Grant from community-owned electricity company Pulse Energy.
The community organisation provides swimming lessons, coaching and recreational opportunities for kids aged between 8 and 17 years old in Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, and the wider Waikato West rural communities.
The Club Chair, Dianne Firth says the grant will allow them to replace damaged, mould-stained gear and invest in new items.
“The grant means our rangatahi can use good quality equipment that is safe and sanitary.
“Huntly is a low socioeconomic area so gaining access to funding is challenging and our swim whanau are often unable to support us with traditional fundraisers such as selling pies and chocolates.
“Grants like this one from Pulse Energy help us provide the basics that these rangatahi deserve to compete in their chosen sports alongside their peers at other clubs,” Firth says.
Pulse Energy launched the Powering Your Community Fund in 2023 to provide financial support for projects and organisations that enhance local communities and help drive positive social impact.
“We’re proud of being community-owned and the grants programme is an extension of our commitment to local communities around New Zealand,” says Sharnie Warren, CEO of Pulse Energy. As well as Huntly Swimming Club, this round’s recipients included a range of community groups, from a knitting club in Lower Hutt producing clothes for tamariki in need to Tarras School in Central Otago which needed a heating and cooling system for their library.
“We love seeing the Huntly Swimming Club team using this grant to teach kids to be safe and strong
swimmers – which is incredibly important in our island nation,” says Warren.
