The Invercargill City Council’s new $500,000 Community Wellbeing Fund was launched on Monday, with the first of six rounds of applications closing on January 29.

The Community Wellbeing Fund replaces previous council funds including the Community Grants Fund, the Neighbourhood Fund, the Iconic Events and the Development Events Fund.  

The funding pool arose out of the council’s response to Covid-19 and aims to simplify community funding applications and introduce a more strategic approach to supporting the community.

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The council will distribute $500,000 each year across six funding rounds.  

Council engagement and partnerships officer Gemma Crawford is available to advise applicants.

She said the fund would invest in social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing.

“I am really excited to be part of this new funding stream,” she said. 

The fund will be overseen by a committee of three community people and five councillors: Lindsay Abbot, Rebecca Amundsen, Alex Crackett, Peter Kett and Graham Lewis.

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Councillor Lewis said the fund was an important development for the council and a wonderful opportunity for the community. 

“We are looking forward to receiving applications for many exciting projects, events and other activities which support wellbeing,” he said.

Nominations for community committee members close on January 11, 2021 (apply to [email protected] with a CV and a brief cover letter). 

Apply for funding on the council website HERE.