Organisations involved in supporting youth within the Katikati to Ōpōtiki coastal region may be eligible for a helping hand courtesy of the Bay of Plenty Education Trust.

Thanks to the trust’s Supplementary Grants scheme, up to $75,000 is available this year to be shared among Bay organisations/agencies focused on assisting the region’s young people.

Since the grants were introduced in 2021, the following organisations have received financial support: ICONZ, the Graeme Dingle Foundation, Blue Light Ventures, House of Science, Arataki School, Big Buddy and the Youth Encounter programme.

Education trust chairman Nick Earl, pictured, said there was no limit to the slice of the $75,000 that organisations/agencies could apply for, however, the most one organisation had received was $16,000.

He said the trust was always open to considering other agencies and organisations to support, whether by way of sponsorship or in partnership with other parties and he urged people to apply.

Applications can be submitted to the trust by May 1 via email to [email protected]

There is no application form – those interested should submit a covering email or letter outlining what their organisation is, what the money would be used for, and ensuring the application meets the criteria outlined on the trust’s website.

He said the supplementary grants were introduced to again extend the way in which the trust supported the region’s youth.

The trust is best known for its annually awarded BOP scholarships for students embarking upon tertiary education.

It recognises, however, that not all students choose to advance their education through tertiary studies.

“Successful supplementary grant applicants are most often involved in empowering students to overcome life’s obstacles and teaching them tools to build resilience and improve themselves,” Mr Earl said.

“We love programmes that help broaden horizons and fuel aspiration in people.

“We are firm believers that with hard work, sacrifice and dedication, anyone can set and achieve realistic goals in life.”

To find out more, see the trust’s website at https://bopeducationtrust.org.nz/apply-grant