Established in November 2005, Mazda Foundation New Zealand has been providing funds to various initiatives, including education, environmental conservation, and culture.
To support the activities for conservation of biodiversity in New Zealand
The Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre provides help, treatment and rehabilitation for injured and ill native birds before they can be returned to the wild. The centre is run by volunteers and is also used for educational purposes and cares for up to 1,200 birds each year. The Mazda Foundation New Zealand (NZ) has previously provided grants to the recovery centre and the latest grant is for facility maintenance work.
To assist in the school teaching children how to grow and prepare fresh produce
The Mazda Foundation NZ provided the grant to the school to buy equipment and seeds as part of the school program "Grow, cook and eat." The Mazda Foundation NZ grant was specifically used to fund the construction of two large vegetable gardens and the purchases of soil and seeds. The new garden will be an innovative way to incorporate environmental education into the curriculum and educate children about healthy eating and maintaining resources.
To assist in training volunteer rescuers
The Mazda Foundation NZ provided a grant to LandSAR to run a New Zealand land search and rescue camp for leading tracking practitioners to further hone their skills. The course is over four days and the objective is to ensure LandSAR groups possess the range of skills, local knowledge of terrain conditions, and experience for local search and rescue incidents. LandSAR is the national volunteer organization within NZ providing land search and rescue services to the police and public of New Zealand.
To assist in the redevelopment of the website
The grant from the Mazda Foundation NZ was provided to assist in Auckland SPCA's IT system and the redevelopment of their website. The focus of the upgrade is to allow young people to learn more about animals and the SPCA in a fun way through stories, images and video. The new IT system and the upgraded website went online in early 2011.
To support the resurfacing of the riding arena
The Mazda Foundation NZ support was for the Hamilton organization, which is one of 56 members of the riding for the disabled organization. The group provides horse riding for the disabled community for therapeutic educational purposes. The grant was used specifically to reseal the riding arena used by approximately 140 children and young adults with disabilities for horse riding for rehabilitation and to boost confidence and independence.
To assist in the funding of the Kids First Children's Hospital ongoing needs
The Mazda Foundation NZ provided a grant to the South Auckland Health Foundation, which is seeking to raise $1 million for a fund that will support 115,000 children under the age of 15 who use the hospital services. The hospital has been providing services for children with chronic illnesses for ten years. The hospital also offers some regional dedicated services such as orthopedics and plastic reconstructive surgery and a national service for children with burns.
To support golf scholarships for financially disadvantaged children
The Mazda Foundation NZ support was for golfing scholarships to financially disadvantaged children. This initiative is led by the First Tee organization, supported by Kiwi Kids Life Skills Trust. The First Tee organization, first established in the US, works toward helping children grow their potential of being productive, fulfilled adults who will make a contribution to society. The golf classes improve confidence, social and communication skills and attitude toward responsibility while also teaching them how to play golf.
To assist in upgrading of the library resources from a tape format to a digital format
The RNZFB library currently caters to their members who are unable to access mainstream libraries and provides more than 6,100 audio and Braille entertainment titles, which have been in cassette format. This technology is outdated and needs to be updated to a digital format, which will be done by the utilization of the Mazda Foundation NZ grant.
To support the commission of an art piece for the museum foyer
South Taranaki Museum is undergoing a redevelopment project and the Mazda Foundation NZ grant is to be used to commission a piece of glass art by a local Maori glass artist to display in the foyer of the museum and enable visitors to learn more about the history of the area.
To support a resource library for sufferes of aphasia
The Aphasia Association of New Zealand is a national organization and registered charity providing support education, information and advocacy for the estimated 16,000 New Zealanders living with aphasia. The Mazda Foundation NZ grant is for resources for a library for educational and training programs.
