Lottery Board gives $3M to welfare, aged, research

Press, 14 May 1979, Page 21

Lottery Board gives $3M to welfare, aged, research

Almost S3M in Lottery Board proceeds will go to welfare services, the aged, and medical and scientific research this year. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Highet), speaking as chairman of the Lottery Board, said that nearly S3M had been allocated to the welfare of aged, welfare services, medical research and scientific research distribution committees.

The Welfare of Aged Persons Distribution Committee has been allocated $700,000. The committee gives grants to welfare councils; for the erection and furnishing of old folks clubs; towards the furnishing of old people’s homes; ; -wards the erection of community halls and day care facilities; and tries to respond to othei areas of need as they arise. The Welfare Services Distribution Committee has been allocated $1,500,000, an increase of $ T 0,000 on last year’s allocate n. The committee distributes grants to a wide range of voluntary welfare organisations — community set vice organisations; distress organisations; children’s organisations; disability organisations; and disabled individuals.

The Medical Research Distribution Committee, which was allocated $350,000 gives grants to assist with buying equipment and to support research projects which would not receive grants from other sources. The Scientific Research Distribution Committee was also allocated $350,000. This committee gives grants in aid to institutions, universities, other organisations and special individual research projects.

The Mountain Safety Campaign receives $220,000, an increase of $40,000 on last year’s allocation.

It will be used for the salaries of field officers,

for assistance to the 41 district committees, television and printed material publicity, providing and replacing equipment producing manuals and handbooks, the production of films and slides, and organising special seminars and courses. Special assistance will be continued to teachers colleges and for work in the schools. The provision of help and material for the district committees, instructors and schools, and other aligned organisations will be maintained. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust grant was increased to $25,000 from the $15,000 which has been given annually since J $74. The trust provides overteas study fellowships in a variety of fields. The latest grant would allow for increasing travel and ether costs, and for the number of fellowships to be increased, said Mr Hight t. The Maori Purposes Fund Board would receive 530.000 to be used as subs>d!es or grants for smaller projects on marae, and would help speed up the completion of many smaller projects such as improving ablution and dinning room facilities, and urgent maintenance work. for the further deveiopmentof the Army Memorial Museum at Waiouru $50,000 was granted. The Y.M.C.A. would receive $27,500 to assist the “Redirect Youth Development Using Minibikes” programme, a preventive programme which takes “at risk” children aged 11 to 13, and gives full instruction in handling a motor-cycle and on road safety.' A special grant of $lOO,OOO was given to help establish a new children’s health camp at Rotorua. Of an estimated cost of SI.IM the Government had already given $400,000, while the Health Camp

Board would have nearly $200,000 by January, 1980. “The Lottery Board decided recently that special emphasis should be given in this area of devel opment. particularly as it is the International Year of the Child,” said Mr Highet. To help in the con servation of cultural pro perty including such items as early films and photographs, maps and plans, machinery, and sound recordings as well as art works and museum objects, $90,000 was allocated.

For the first time a spech! grant of $lOO,OOO was approved for Civil Defence to undertake a nationwide publicity and instructional campaign through all media to teach the public tnd the schools on all assets of civil defence. Special projects in the •.rts will get $260,000. Fhis help will include assistance for touring exhibitions and performances, and particularly to develop exchanges with Australia in this field. The grant also includes funds towards re-establishing opera in New Zealand.