In May, the Trustees of The YMCA, New Zealand Soldiers Great War Memorial Trust were delighted to be able to announce the recipients of the 2025 distribution from the Trust.
The recipients were:
- Y North ($15,000) for the Raise Up programme;
- Y Gisborne ($3,000) for the Raise Up programme;
- Y Central ($18,000) to pilot ‘Y Thrive & Shine’ Camps;
- Y Central South Island ($14,000) for Youth Initiatives in the Mackenzie District;
- Y Invercargill ($15,000) towards a Disability & Inclusion Advisor to develop and deliver programmes for young people with disabilities; and
- The eight Associations with Youth Workers (collectively $17,510) to fund 15 people to attend the Ara Taiohi ‘Involve’ Conference in August 2025.
In total, $82,510 was distributed.
The Trustees commented that the combination of a strong year of investment returns and reducing inflation had combined to deliver a record surplus for distribution. The funding requests were of a high calibre and greatly exceeded the funds available, so it meant some tough decision making was required to get down to the final selection.
Image: This travelling kitchen saw service in Boulogne. By 1917 there were 15 NZ YMCA centres in the fighting area of France, everyone within range of German shells and none more than 4 miles from the front line.