Media Releases

• 13 November 2023

  Multicultural Centre supports a growing number of migrants to make Marlborough home

  In Marlborough, one local organisation is supporting a growing number of former refugees and migrants in the region to feel more at home. The Marlborough Multicultural Centre in Blenheim offers support services and events for newcomers, designed to celebrate diversity and foster a sense of belonging and cultural connection among migrant communities.

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• 12 October 2023

  Supporting generations of whānau to thrive in sport and recreation

  Ōtautahi Sports Association is more than just a traditional sports club. Based in the central city, the organisation is strengthening its ties to the community and supporting generations of whānau to participate in sport and cultural activities.

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• 31 July 2023

  First-of-a-kind resources for Muslim children launched in Aotearoa New Zealand

  With nearly 5,000 people of the Islamic faith residing in Canterbury, creating safe and nurturing learning spaces where young Muslim learners can thrive and succeed is crucial. New resources released today address Muslim children's needs and serve as a tool for building bridges of understanding and acceptance among the wider community.

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• 10 July 2023

  Critical conservation mahi continues to ramp up in Tasman and Nelson

  Tasman Environmental Trust (TET) has been on a mission as they ramp up their conservation efforts in Te Tau Ihu. They have helped plant 625,000 native plants, set 2920 pest traps, totalling 17,400 trap catches, and fostered 31,200 volunteer hours since 2000. “The number of native plantings has more than doubled in recent years, while there has been an increase of 88% in volunteer hours during that time,” says TET Manager, Sky Davies.

• 05 July 2023

  Tasman students adopting Nurseries in Schools with native seed bank project

  The Tasman District's technology education hub teaches students to care for their local environment through hands-on plant restoration and sustainability efforts. Motueka Technology Education Centre (MoTEC) is a multifunctional, sustainable education centre that combines technology, sustainability, and environmental learning. Year seven and eight students from schools across the region gather at the MoTEC campus, based at Parklands School, to learn from dedicated staff and volunteers.

• 26 June 2023

  First Climate Action Campus in New Zealand helps students take action

  Climate Change has become a significant concern worldwide, especially for young people. In Ōtautahi Christchurch, more than 8,000 students can now channel their concerns into action by running their projects through a collaborative Climate Action Campus. With Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery as the lead school, primary and secondary students from a dozen local schools can get involved in projects to help bring about positive environmental change. The number of schools has grown from last year and is still climbing.

• 04 July 2023

  Embracing Pacific values critical to supporting tamaiti in their transition from early childhood education to school

  New research from Tātai Aho Rau CORE Education highlights that Pacific children's unique identities, languages, and cultures help support their transition from early learning services to school environments. The research project sought to address the barriers traditionally contributing to underachievement and low engagement among Pacific learners.

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• 20 June 2023

  Marlborough Community Foodbank meets an increasing community need

  The demand for assistance from the Marlborough Community Foodbank continues to grow as the rising cost of living hits the region's households. The most vulnerable in the community were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the foodbank give out more than 2000 food parcels in 2021 to Marlburians struggling to make ends meet. In 2022, demand increased dramatically for another 500 food parcels.

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• 22 May 2023

  Aotearoa's first purpose-built Youth Hub gets significant funding boost

  The stage one construction of Aotearoa's first purpose-built Youth Hub has been significantly boosted with a $500,000 grant from the Rātā Foundation. Located on Salisbury Street in central Christchurch, the Hub will provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for rangatahi that includes health and mental health services, social services, counselling, and educational and employment support. Stage one also includes 22 supported housing units for young people aged 16 to 24, provided they are actively looking for education, training or work.

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• 14 April 2023

  Magenta Creative Space calls for community support to help shift to a new studio

  Magenta Creative Space is the only free, walk-in, fully-resourced arts studio in Nelson that provides a space for people experiencing mental distress, including at-risk youth, to socialise, feel accepted, express themselves creatively, and develop relationships with others facing similar challenges in a safe, non-institutional environment.

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• 07 October 2022

  Climate Action Aotearoa Launches ‘Shared Resource’ for funders

  Climate Action Aotearoa has proudly launched a ‘Shared Resource’ and Tika Transition framework to help funders along their climate action journeys. The resource contains a substantial amount of information and encourages users to make the framework their own.

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• 06 September 2022

  Largest collaborative team working in conservation in Aotearoa receives strategic support grant from Rātā Foundation

  South Island’s largest funder Rātā Foundation has granted global conservation organisation The Nature Conservancy (TNC) $754,007 to support the delivery of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance (KMTT) strategy.

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• 21 July 2022

  Rātā Foundation’s investment portfolio shows solid returns in FY 2022

  Against a bleak backdrop of falling global investment markets, Rātā Foundation’s diversified investment portfolio showed solid returns in the year ending March 2022.

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• 18 February 2022

  Are schools ready for our tamariki?

  What if we've been asking ourselves the wrong question about our tamariki starting school for the first time? What if it isn't so much a case of are they ready for school – but is school ready for them?

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• 16 July 2021

  Rātā Foundation Refutes Otago University Report – No Money Has Been Lost

  Rātā Foundation emphatically refutes the findings a report prepared by Otago University's Associate Professor Helen Roberts in partnership with fund manager Simplicity on the investment performance of the twelve Community Trusts, and in particular, its assertions that Rātā “destroyed” $51.5 million in investment value over the period reviewed.

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• 18 January 2019

  Rātā Foundation grant gets Christchurch Coastal Pathway closer to finish line

  The Christchurch Coastal Pathway is one step closer to being completed with a $200,000 grant from Rātā Foundation. The project, launched in 2012, is a 6.5km walking and cycling track that connects communities and offers a unique way to experience the stunning coastal environment.

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• 18 January 2019

  New Brighton Rugby Football Club rooms to undergo much-needed revamp

  New Brighton is on its way to becoming a sporting ‘hub’ as plans to rejuvenate the New Brighton Rugby Football Club rooms get the green light. The club rooms, at Rāwhiti Domain, will receive a makeover with the help of a $200,000 grant from Rātā Foundation.

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• 28 September 2018

  $9 million Impact Investment Announcement

  We are pleased to announce our repurposed $9 million Local Ventures Fund will act as a vehicle for our new impact investment programme. Rātā Foundation has a putea or endowment which is currently sitting at over $600 million. The $9 million represents 1.5 percent of its total investments. Impact investing is a rapidly growing investment area internationally. We believe businesses focused on achieving a meaningful social and/or environmental impact are generally those at the frontier of disruptive social and environmental innovation and can be expected to outperform their traditional predecessors.

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