Pictured at Cambridge Middle School after their recent meeting are, from left, Tagget Christophersen, John McDonnell, Lions Elbe Moreland and Warren Beard, Kim Budd, Wayne Donnellon, Lion Heidi Wehrle, and Julie Dawick.
School leaders and several Cambridge Lions met recently to discuss the benefits local students receive through Lions’ donations.
Cambridge Lions provides an annual grant of $13,000 each to Cambridge High School and to a primary/intermediate schools cluster, comprising Cambridge Middle School, Cambridge Primary, Cambridge East Primary, St Peter’s Catholic School, Leamington Primary, Roto-o-Rangi Primary, Kaipaki Primary, Karapiro Primary, Horahora Primary, Hautapu Primary, Goodwood Primary and Te Miro Primary.
The money is raised through the Vogel St Lions Shed, the club caravan, and Trash & Treasure market. Immediate past president of the Cambridge Lions, Warren Beard, said the amount to schools had increased from $10,000 about four years ago.
“We give it in two lumps over the year. The intermediate school and primary schools get half the amount each at the end of terms two and four, with Cambridge High School splitting it across the end of terms one and three,” he said.
The grants are channelled through the Cambridge Principals Association and Manaaki Ā’Konga, an organisation providing support for students who may be educationally disadvantaged for some reason.
Cambridge High School deputy principal John McDonnell said recipients are identified according to certain criteria.
“Part of the prerequisite would be where we believe a student’s education might be compromised without it or enhanced with the Lions funding.
Examples would include buying new glasses for a student, buying a pair of sports shoes, helping a student after the family home was affected by a fire,” he said. “It is a lifeline for some … we have used the funds when there has been a death in the family, or made sure there is food in the cupboard if a job loss is involved. A lot of our students would miss out without the Lions funding.”
Tagget Christophersen, chairperson of Manaaki Ā’Konga, said the increase in Lions funding was ‘gratefully received’ by the schools, particularly since Covid.
She said some families receive help with grocery or petrol vouchers where required.
Kim Budd, principal at Kaipaki School and chairperson of the Cambridge Principals Association said each recipient school had a committee with the hands-on knowledge of its students’ needs and distributed the money accordingly.
Also at the meeting was Julie Dawick, deputy principal at Cambridge Middle School and Manaaki Ā’Konga treasurer. She said the Lions funding was increasingly helpful for a growing number of families.
Wayne Donnellon, principal at Roto-o-Rangi School, said the more streamlined distribution of Lions funds through Manaaki Ā’Konga meant needs could be met more efficiently. He said he encouraged some of his pupils and their families to ‘give back’ by helping at the Lions’ Trash & Treasure market.
The Cambridge Lions have distributed around $250,000 over the last Lions year. Club president Elbe Moreland said they would continue to support schools and the wider community where it could.
