COVID-19 Response

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui 

Together we can Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Steadfast and together will get through this and continue to make a real difference.

We would like to acknowledge that these are unprecedented times for us all and the impact of COVID-19 on our community is significant.  We are heartened to see the strength and resilience shown by so many community organisations and communities as they adapt, innovate and work together to continue to support those who need them. 

Grants budget and priority for funding

While there will be an impact on the Trust’s investment fund, we can confirm at this point that the Trust is able to maintain our granting budget at $6.5 million for this year.  The Trust will be taking a long term view and will be working to ensure we can continue to provide community support.  We will continue to actively engage with organisations in our community so that we can ensure the Trust appropriately targets our funding to provide the best support for our community both now and into the future.  Grant applications totalling $972,119 have been approved for April which will provide on-going assistance to many organisations during this difficult time. 

Providing flexibility for recipients with approved funding

As previously confirmed, where a grant or scholarship has been approved and you can no longer run or attend events or complete work due to COVID-19, your funding will still be paid out for costs which cannot be avoided and where there are no options to recoup costs. We will be flexible with your accountability and other reporting deadlines and encourage you to talk with us as soon as possible if you need to revisit any aspect of your funding. 

Change of purpose

With the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 the way in which you deliver services, events and projects may need to change.  If you need to innovate or adapt your services, the Trust is here to support and work alongside you.  We ask that you keep us informed about any changes in purpose relating to your grant so that we can discuss and approve any change in a timely way.

Upcoming grant applications

We will continue to accept applications and to help inform our decision making we are asking some additional questions in our applications to understand the implications of COVID-19.

Other community support

Keep an eye on our website as we will continue to add useful information to help support your organisation.

We will continue to advocate for our communities, and we will adapt our responses to ensure the best use of our resources on behalf of the communities throughout our region.

The Government has announced a $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

The package supports services that:

• Ensure people have access to the food and other goods they need to survive
• Provide a place for people to live
• Support disabled people to maintain critical wellbeing
• Keep families safe from harm and offer crisis support

Up to $16 million is to bolster existing essential social sector services delivered by NGOs so they can continue to support individuals, families, whānau and communities at risk through uncertain circumstances and respond to increased demand. 

Up to $6 million is funding for disability Community Participation providers to put in place appropriate health mitigations for the current group orientated services and provide support for disabled people in lock-down. 

Up to $4.8 million to provide community grants or fund innovative community-led solutions to support local resilience.

For the health and safety of our staff, trustees and community from today Monday 23 March 2020 our premises at 62 Don Street, Invercargill will be closed. All meetings and events involving staff, applicants, grantees and stakeholders are therefore cancelled (including upcoming district visits, funding forums and other community meetings hosted at our offices).

However, we are continuing to run business as usual carrying out all aspects of our work and supporting grant recipients, applicants, partners and our community as we all navigate these unprecedented times – it’s just we are now doing this from home and through a virtual means.

We are continuing to accept applications, make decisions, process accountability reports and make payments. 

Connecting with us

We are encouraging you to keep connecting and engaging with us and there are several ways you can continue to do this:

• by phone 0800 500 185
• by general email info@communitytrustsouth.nz
• by specific staff emails which are available on our website
• via ZOOM just call us on 0800 500 185 or email info@communitytrustsouth.nz to arrange.

We would like to reassure all recipients and community groups involved with our funding, either currently or for future applications, that we have plans in place to enable us to continue our operations uninterrupted in light of COVID-19. We are continuing to accept applications, make decisions, process accountability reports and make payments. We will however be changing how we operate to help keep everyone safe and healthy and will be providing ongoing updates on our website and Facebook page. 

Connecting with us

For now, we have cancelled all district visits, events and meetings hosted at our offices until further notice. However, if you need to meet with us we ask that you consider doing this by phone, email or ZOOM and you can call us on 0800 500 185 or email info@communitytrustsouth.nz to arrange.

While at this stage our office remains open, we are requesting that prior to visiting us you call 0800 500 185 in advance and confirm: 

• You have not returned from overseas or had close contact with anyone who has travelled overseas within the last month even if you are not exhibiting any symptoms, or 
• You have not had contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and that you don’t feel unwell, or have flu-like symptoms. 

If meeting with us in person, please also understand that we will use appropriate social distancing e.g. keeping an appropriate distance and not shaking hands. 

Media Release - 7/05/2020

Sport Southland to administer Sport NZ financial relief fund

Southland sporting organisations will be able to access financial relief as part of a Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund administered by Sport Southland, it was announced today.

The fund will be available to regional sports organisations, sports clubs and any other organisations affiliated with a Sport New Zealand national investment partner. 

Eligible organisations can apply for a maximum of $1,000 for clubs and $40,000 for regional bodies.

Sport Southland chief executive Brendon McDermott said the purpose of the fund was to provide short-term relief to organisations facing severe challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been an incredibly tough time for the sport sector during the lockdown period, with a halt to competitions and no Class 4 gaming funding seriously impacting revenue,” McDermott said.

“Play, active recreation and sport play a vital role in our wellbeing and bringing communities together. This fund will go some way to ensuring sporting organisations are in a position to support the community when the alert levels allow.”

Sport NZ have set the criteria of the funding, which will be assessed by Regional Sports Trusts as applications are received until the fund is empty.

Sport NZ chief executive Peter Miskimmin said it was hoped the relief package will provide maximum benefit for sport at a vital time.

 “Clubs and regional organisations are the heartbeat of our sector but have been among the hardest hit by COVID-19, they need support now more than ever,” Miskimmin said

Further details about the fund are available on the Sport Southland website.

Application forms will also be available on the site from Monday, May 11, at 10am.

Granting Schedule - 2020 - For Organisations

Please find attached a useful guide that McCulloch + Partners has prepared to assist with post Covid-19 business planning, it includes information on what you should consider now:

• Cash Flow
• Support Packages
• Managing Key Stakeholders
• Communication
• Strategic Planning

The guide also provides a summary of government initiatives which are currently available as at 16 April; these are:

• Regional Business Partner Business Consultancy Support
• IR Tax Change
• Central Government Support
• Business Finance Guarantee Scheme

COVID-19 EMPLOYER CONSIDERATIONS

In response to COVID-19 the Government announced a $12.1 billion Economic Response Package. Part of this includes two subsidies a Wage subsidy and Leave Payment available to all New Zealand employers, contractors, sole traders, self-employed people, registered charities and incorporated societies.

The Government has announced a $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

The package supports services that:

• Ensure people have access to the food and other goods they need to survive
• Provide a place for people to live
• Support disabled people to maintain critical wellbeing
• Keep families safe from harm and offer crisis support

Government has committed $56 million to support Māori communities and businesses feeling the economic impacts of Covid-19:

• $30 million for targeted health funding for Māori
• $10 million is for whanau Māori community outreach 
• $15 million will go towards Whānau Ora to reach into Māori communities, and 
• $1 million to provide Māori businesses with advice and planning tools to tackle the economic impact of Covid-19.

Understandably many people will be feeling increasing amounts of stress and anxiety as COVID-19 changes our daily lives. So its really important we look after our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others - as together we will get through this.

Mental Health Foundation

You can free call or text 1737 at any time to speak with a trained counsellor – it’s free and confidential.

Or visit http://www.mentalhealthorg.nz/get-help/covid-19/for top tips to get through.

Loss and Grief Centre

Are offering an Emotional Wellbeing phone service available to anyone - contact them on 027 443 8788 or email lossandgriefcentre@gmail.com

NZ Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience

Coping during coronavirus

Creative New Zealand announced its response to Covid 19 with a grant package of $16m - read more here

Creative New Zealands first pahse covid-19 repsonse $16m

For detailed and up to date information on how Creative New Zealand is helping the community go to their website - www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/covid-19-cnz-response

Charities Services have compiled some really useful information in response to concerns they have been hearing about and questions they have been asked e.g. what to do if you have to cancel or postpone your AGM or what to do if you need an extension to file your annual return. 

Please also ensure your primary contact details are up to date on the Charities Register.

To get guidance on these and other concerns visit http://www.charities.govt.nz/news-and-events/blog/information-on-covid-19-for-registered-charities/

They have also advised the following: 

• Staff from Charities Services remain contactable - if you have questions email info@charities.govt.nz – but it may take a little longer for them to get back to you.
• They won’t have access to any post that has been sent, so contact them via email - annual returns, cheques and responses to questions that have been posted to them will have to wait until they return to the office.
• Registered charities have 6 months after the end of their financial year to submit annual returns and financial statements/performance reports. They won’t be sending their regular reminder emails about annual returns being due - so if you are unsure when your annual return is due, you can find this out by searching for your charity on the online charities register, and selecting the “Annual Returns” tab.

Age Concern - 03 218 6351

Citizens Advice Bureau:

• CAB 0800 367 222, email or live chat 
• Invercargill - 03 218 6648 or 03 218 2217 email invercargill@cab.org.nz or to live chat just visit the website 
• Queenstown - 03 442 6799 or email or to live chat just visit the website 

Multicultural Council - 03 214 9296

Parent to Parent - 03 214 3179

Stroke Foundation - 03 214 5439

Epilepsy NZ - 03 218 3089

ABLE - 03 218 2100

Head Injury Society - 027 424881

Time Out Carers - 03 214 9999

Youthline - 03 211 0031

Visit https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/2020/covid-19/supporting-providers-through-covid-19.html to find out more.

Volunteering at Alert Levels 3 & 4 guidance - https://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Volunteering-Central_QLDC-COVID-19-Volunteer-Guidelines_Public_version-2.pdf

Volunteering resources Pandemic/Disasters - https://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/available-resources/disasters/

Useful guide - Levels of Volunteering Poster