Govt Grant For Workshop

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32034, 8 July 1969, Page 26

Govt Grant For Workshop

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 7. The Government had made a grant to the Auckland Sheltered Workshop and Training Centre which, a centre official said today, would still leave 95 per cent of the annual running cost to be found from public appeals. The decision of the Minister

of Social Security (Mr McKay) on requests for aid for the sheltered workshop was announced today. The Minister said the organisation was of an acceptable standard for Government financial help. The Government would make an immediate grant towards operating and administrative costs of $2OOO a year, back-dated to April 6. It would,, also pay up to $8 a week for adults undergoing approved rehabilitation training. For persons under 20 it would pay up to $6 a week. These payments would be in

addition to any Social Security benefit. A small assessment team would be set up to determine those eligible. The allowances would enable parents to make an increased contribution to the centre’s costs, so increasing its income.

The centre could benefit under the recent provision of a 50 per cent subsidy for paid staff at day-care centres. Government policy must be implemented by progressive steps, but what had already been approved and future steps under way would be of real help to the centre, Mr McKay said. Mr A. J. Faulkner, M.P., whose electorate contains the workshop, said today he was disappointed with the sum of the grant. However, it was gratifying after six years effort that the State had accepted the principle of some responsibility. “We will press on until the amount is made more realistic,” he said. The director of the workshop (Mr A. A. Clayton) said it cost $45,000 last year to keep the organisation running, which meant that the Government grant would represent about 5 per cent. He was grateful for the help given but the centre was still left almost wholly dependent on public support. The centre now had 160 trainees but it could not stop at that number. It had notifications of 252 anxious to undergo training. There was a heavy demand in the Glen Innes-Mount Wellington-Pan-mure area to justify a branch there. Land was already held for such a branch.