We are open for funding
Under Level 1 our office is open so come and see us. When you visit we will collect the required contact tracing information and will ask you to keep a 1 metre distance. If you are unwell please do not visit us at our office rather contact us by phone, email or we can arrange to meet via Zoom.
We know these continue to be uncertain times and we are aware of the challenges and increased pressure the impacts of Covid-19 will have on our community. So it's now more than ever that we need to be supporting one another.
We have reviewed our strategic vision with regards to the impact of Covid-19 - for detailed information https://www.communitytrustsouth.nz/about-us/our-strategic-vision/
Remember if you have any questions you can call us for free on 0800 500 185 or email us on info@communitytrustsouth.nz or come and visit at 62 Don Street, Invercargill.
This page was last updated 1 April 2021.
Government is posting all the latest information on https://covid19.govt.nz/
The Government Helpline is available if you aren’t sure who to talk to 0800 779 997
It is acknowledged that these are extraordinary times and while the impact of Covid-19 on our communities is still evolving, we already know that it will be significant.
“We have been heartened to see communities pull together and support each other to be innovative and adapt to operate in this challenging new environment” said Trish Boyle, Chair.
Covid-19 has also caused an economic crisis and it is predicted there will continue to be investment market volatility over the months ahead. This is impacting on the Trust’s investment funds. At this point however, the Trust is able to maintain its $6.5m grants budget for the coming year. This has provided certainty to the wide range of community organisations we support through multiyear and recurring grants, Regional Sports Organisation funding and our Principals Discretionary Fund. Some of these 250 organisations have been working on the front line during Covid-19 and our funding has given them much needed flexibility to focus their funding where it is most needed at this time and provided security until the future is clearer.
In considering an appropriate response to Covid-19, Trustees have reviewed our current Strategic Vision and updated this to concentrate our focus on the most critical priorities in the post Covid-19 environment (visit about us / our strategic vision for more information). This updated framework will allow the Trust to respond to Covid-19 and to support the ongoing recovery, reactivation and building of resilience across our communities. For the next six months we will be prioritising projects that support the people and communities most impacted by Covid-19, enhance the capacity and capability of organisations to work in new ways, explore change for good opportunities and assist with communities building back better so they can thrive.
“We will continue to connect across our communities and with sector stakeholders to understand emerging and evolving needs and will adapt our response where needed to ensure we can continue to make a meaningful difference. Organisations are encouraged to contact us in the first instance to discuss their situation, that way we can provide guidance and support.”
Jackie Flutey,
General Manager
Community Trust South
Our priority continues to be our team and communities’ safety so while some of the team are back working in the office, we are currently open by appointment only. The best way to contact us is by video calls, phone, or email:
We continue to follow Government guidance and will keep you up to date with any changes to the way we are operating.
We trust you to know what’s best for your community so if you require some flexibility we encourage you to get in touch if you need to revisit any aspect of your project or funding.
We’re also happy to extend accountability and other reporting deadlines.
We continue to accept applications and for the next 6 months at least we will be reprioritising and sharpening some focus areas within our strategy so please visit our website to see what this may mean for you.
In the short term the following will not be a high priority for us:
We’ve heard some amazing stories of what organisations are doing by adapting and innovating how they are delivering services or running events. We would love to hear about your stories.
We know there are still a lot of unknowns, but we are committed to working alongside you as we all transition to the region’s recovery. So don’t forget we are just a phone call (0800 500 185) or email away (dianne@communitytrustsouth.nz).
From the team at Community Trust South
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Please remember we are only a phone call or email away so please reach out to us if you need to. You can connect with us:
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.
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:
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 full announcement visit
Supporting providers through COVID-19 visit
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.
We are encouraging you to keep connecting and engaging with us and there are several ways you can continue to do this:
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.
We are continuing 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.
Together we will get through this, please take care of yourselves and each other, and remember you can call us on 0800 500 185 or email info@communitytrustsouth.nz
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.
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:
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.
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 (your accountability will need to include evidence of costs incurred). 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.
We are continuing 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.
We appreciate your understanding and we will continue to monitor the situation in our community to ensure we are able to respond appropriately. Take care of yourselves and each other and if you have any queries call 0800 500 185 or email info@communitytrustsouth.nz.
Jackie Flutey
General Manager, Community Trust South
Kia ora koutou - From the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage
As you will know this year’s budget saw a landmark investment in the arts, culture and heritage sector. This reflects the huge importance of our sector to Aotearoa and recognises it has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19.
The Arts and Culture COVID Recovery Programme announced in the budget includes a suite of initiatives designed to ensure the sector not only survives but adapts and thrives.
We know there is strong interest in all these initiatives from across the sector. We will keep you updated through these newsletters.
Museums Hardship Fund
The Museums Hardship Fund will make available $2 million over two years in contestable grants to museums, galleries and whare taonga that have been impacted by COVID-19. The fund will offer grants of up to $25,000 to small and medium-sized organisations. Te Papa National Services Te Paerangi will administer this fund, over multiple funding rounds.
Further information on timing and criteria will be available in coming weeks on the National Services Te Paerangi’s webpage.
Applications for the first funding round are on track to open before the end of August 2020.
Support for Musicians and Venues
Music Venue Infrastructure Fund applications now open: Grants of up to $50,000 per venue are available to support upgrades at music venues to ensure safe environments for audiences, workers and artists in response to COVID-19.
Applications are open until 12 August or until the fund is fully distributed, whichever is earlier.
Full information is available on the NZ Music Commission website.
Outward Sound and Music Month Make Good funds: $1.4 million is available to allow musicians involved in NZ Music Month and Outward Sound to recoup some of the costs incurred through gigs cancelled due to COVID-19.
Applications have now closed and a list of successful applicants will be published on the NZ Music Commission website on 17 August.
Aotearoa Touring Support Programme: This fund will make available $5 million over two years to reinvigorate the live music sector and grow the potential for touring across Aotearoa.
Manatū Taonga and the NZ Music Commission are leading the work on the design and eligibility criteria for the fund.
The first funding round is on track to open in September. We will keep you updated through this newsletter.
Screen Production Fund
This fund provides $23.4 million to cover unexpected costs faced by screen productions already invested in by the New Zealand Film Commission or NZ On Air that were shut down, delayed or constrained due to COVID-19.
The Screen Production Fund will ensure up to 40 New Zealand Film Commission productions and over 200 NZ On Air productions are not abandoned, protecting around $250 million of public funding already invested in them, and the jobs of screen workers producing them.
We are working with the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air to develop this fund. We expect further information will be available later in August.
Creative Arts Recovery and Employment, Innovation and Cultural Capability Funds
These large cross-sector initiatives make available $150 million over several years to create new employment opportunities, develop skills and promote innovation while delivering inspiring experiences for New Zealanders. This investment provides us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock the full potential of the contributions our sector makes to society and the economy.
The team at Manatū Taonga is leading the development of these funds. There will be an opportunity soon to learn more about the fund proposals and to give feedback. We will update you in mid-August on the timing and details of the engagement process through this newsletter.
Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku Funding
This initiative provides $20 million in funding to support iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori to care for, protect, retain and strengthen their mātauranga Māori through arts, culture and heritage.
We are on track to provide more information on the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku funding in September.
Information on other Initiatives
For the latest information on other initiatives see the Manatū Taonga website.
If you have specific questions, email us at Budget2020@mch.govt.nz
For information regarding assistance for foreign nationals please visit -
https://www.redcross.org.nz/stories/new-zealand/visitor-care-manaaki-manuhiri/
The For-Purpose COVID-19 Bulletin summarises the current central government packages available to the sector and its employees, including those announced by the Government in its 2020 Budget. It also highlights the additional government funding available to certain sub-sectors.
JBWere Philanthropic Services For-Purpose Covid-19 Technical Bulletin
Bite-sized learning designed to support organisational success in Southland
This workshop series is a new, collaborative programme.
The Chamber is partnering with our members to provide not for profit community organisations and local businesses with easy, and affordable access to bite-sized professional development workshops to ensure they are armed with best-practice knowledge and up-to-date techniques.
Key strengths for this programme will not just be in the knowledge covered in the workshops but also in bringing like-minded people together – creating a valuable opportunity to connect, network, share ideas, experiences and information; and allowing organisations to implement a comprehensive training programme for their people.
Special thanks to Community Trust South and our delivery partners for investing in this new initiative to help build a strong Southland community.
For more information, click here to view our Building Capability in Southland brochure.
Please contact us on 03 218 7188 or email office@commercesouth.com to make a recommendation for a new learning topic or to become a delivery partner.
SPORT SOUTHLAND IS PROUD TO BE PARTNERING WITH SPORT NZ TO ADMINISTER THE SPORT NZ COMMUNITY RESILIENCE FUND (PHASE 2) IN OUR REGION.
The fund will be available from 3 August until 4 September, 2020 and aims to provide financial support to play, active recreation or sport organisations who are experiencing financial hardship in the period 1 July to 30 September 2020, as a result of Covid-19.
We welcome applications from organisations that have not previously received funding from Sport NZ, and those that may have received some support already through Community Resilience Fund in May/June 2020. Applicants for the earlier Community Resilience Fund had to be affiliated to Sport NZ national partners, but this is not a requirement for Community Resilience Fund Phase 2.
One key change to the previous Community Resilience Fund will be the ability to claim assistance for a broader range of costs including operational costs that are critical to delivering activities and programmes, to support the reactivation of active recreation and sport now that New Zealand has moved to Alert Level 1.
Not all clubs and organisations have fixed costs (such as clubrooms, phone bills etc), and assistance for operational funding will mean more community organisations will be eligible for support, and importantly, will be better placed to ensure our communities access to active recreation and sporting opportunities are reinstated/maintained.
Further details and the application process are available on the Sport Southland website.
Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund Guidelines - CSRF Guidelines
Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund Factsheet - CSRF Factsheet
Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund FAQs - CSRF FAQs
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:
The guide also provides a summary of government initiatives which are currently available as at 16 April; these are:
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.
There have been important modifications to the Wage Subsidy scheme. You may be eligible to apply for these schemes - for more information visit and how to apply visit https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/covid-19-support.html#null
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:
For the full announcement visit
Supporting providers through COVID-19 visit
Government has committed $56 million to support Māori communities and businesses feeling the economic impacts of Covid-19:
The previously announced $12.1 billion economic support package will also help Māori in our communities.
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.
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.
Are offering an Emotional Wellbeing phone service available to anyone - contact them on 027 443 8788 or email lossandgriefcentre@gmail.com
Are undertaking their counselling sessions by phone or Facetime - you can contact them on (03) 208 5366 or text 027-860-3056 or email office@gorecounsellingcentre.com
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
Click here for Creative NZ resource of frequently asked questions
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:
Age Concern - 03 218 6351
Citizens Advice Bureau:
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
Southland Help - contact@southlandhelp.nz or call centre 03 218 4357
Southland Community Law - 0800 55 0800 or email enq@comlawsth.co.nz
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