As Farmer Autovillage celebrates 30 Years this November, the company marks the milestone by giving back to the Bay of Plenty with three community grants to help drive current and future generations.
Over the years, Farmer Autovillage has helped many local causes become more mobile, assisting with short-term vehicle loans, project funding and sponsorships.
Numerous charities and groups including Tauranga Foodbank, Waipuna Hospice, The Movember Foundation, Breast Cancer Bay of Plenty, Homes of Hope, Tauranga Ladies Luncheon, A Night Before Christmas, Tauranga Garden & Arts Festival, Water Skills for Life Plus, The Kollective, Sweet Louise, Tauranga Boys College Rugby, Tauranga Riding for the Disabled, A Night Before Christmas, Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, local surf clubs and bowling clubs have all enjoyed the support and encouragement of Farmer Autovillage over the years. Farmer Autovillage was also pivotal in organising and funding of flagpoles in Gate Pā, Pāpāmoa and the city’s flagpole at the bottom of Elizabeth Street.
As Farmer Autovillage celebrates 30 years in operation, the company marks the milestone by giving back to the local community. The company has established the Farmer Autovillage 30th Year Celebration Grants which will be utilised for positive change and improve accessibility to resources for current and future generations.
Mike Farmer, Group Managing Director says, “This is our way of saying thank you to the Bay of Plenty for all the support this city has shown our business across the last 30 years. Continuing support for the Bay of Plenty community is our responsibility and our future.”
Farmer Autovillage is proud to announce the recipients of the Farmer Autovillage 30th Year Celebration Grants.
The grants are focused on driving important areas that bring benefit to as many as possible – education, community and environment. Three initiatives have been selected for positively impacting and providing support for current and future generations in the Bay of Plenty.
Education: Acorn Foundation
The Acorn Foundation is the Western Bay of Plenty’s community foundation which connects caring people and organisations with causes that matter in the region. The foundation helps build a permanent endowment fund that will cater for the current and future needs of the region.
The Acorn Foundation has been tasked by Farmer Autovillage to administer nine Farmer Autovillage scholarships. Three schools, Mount Maunganui College, Pāpāmoa College and Te Puke high school will receive three scholarships each.
The total scholarship grant of $27,000 will make a significant difference to nine students who will receive $3,000 each towards their study, giving them a financial boost as they head off to tertiary study in 2022.
Applications will be run by each school and will open in July 2022. Recipients will be announced at end-of-year prizegiving. To be eligible, applicants must be committed to completing their full programme of study, show resilience, enthusiasm, be determined to succeed, and stand out from their peers for their strength of character and leadership qualities. They will be able to provide examples of their support and involvement in their local community and/or school.
Lori Luke, CEO of Acorn Foundation says, “The Acorn Foundation is really pleased to help the Farmer Autovillage team celebrate their 30th year with the creation of these awards. Local students at Mount Maunganui College, Pāpāmoa College and Te Puke High School will benefit greatly from the generosity of Farmer Autovillage as they prepare for their tertiary journeys. Thanks so much to the whole Farmer Autovillage team for this thoughtful gift, and congratulations on 30 years of successful business in the Bay of Plenty.”
Community: Kura Kai
Founded in 2020, Kura Kai lives by the value of manaakitanga with a simple kaupapa of “whānau cooking for whānau”. Kura Kai achieves this by raising funds to purchase chest freezers, which are donated to the high schools. Kura Kai then builds a local community of volunteers who give their time, money and resources to cook nutritious family meals to help keep the freezers well stocked. Each school is then responsible for identifying the need and distributing the meals to support rangatahi and their whanau.
Kura Kai has chosen to support secondary schools knowing how important a completed secondary education is to the future of rangatahi. Kura Kai also encourages the practice of “Manaakitanga” teaching the value of “caring for the community”. High school students can help those in need by utilising Kura Kai meals as an offering.
Keeping mobile is essential for Kura Kai staff who need to stay connected with their partnered high-schools and communities as well as distribute meals to fill freezers.
Farmer Autovillage is proud to support Kura Kai with a long-term vehicle loan. A seven-seater, 2021 Nissan X-trail SUV complete with Kura Kai branding will help drive initiative, providing ample space and easy accessibility when collecting and unloading the meals.
Marie Paterson, General Manager Kura Kai, says “The team at Kura Kai are so grateful for Farmer Autovillage’s support. Having a vehicle means we can deliver more meals to our partnering Secondary Schools and now have the ability to connect in with more Kura Kai volunteers and our communities. The Kura Kai head office is based here in Pāpāmoa, so having a local company support our kaupapa is really important to us.”
Environment: PiPS – People, Plants, Schools
PiPS was formed in 2016 by a group of school parents who are passionate about the environment and education on how to grow and eat your own food. Based in the Mt Maunganui/Pāpāmoa beach area, the initiative was formed to help support the garden programmes of local schools.
PiPs current catchment area runs from Mauao, east along the coastline to Pāpāmoa Primary School. PiPS employs Garden Facilitators who work across our member schools, assisting volunteers and staff to run their school gardens and other environmentally-based, student focussed projects including planning, preparing, growing, harvesting, and cooking.
The Farmer Autovillage 30th Year Celebration Grant of $8,000 will be shared and utilised by seven local schools; Omanu Primary, Mount Intermediate, Arataki School, St Thomas More Catholic School, Tahatai Coast School, Papamoa Primary School and Suzanne Albert Catholic School.
During the next 12 months, PiPs will be working with each school to launch and support some exciting projects. Clare Rodgers, PiPS Manager, says “On behalf of our 7 local schools, PiPS would like to thank Farmer Autovillage for their generous contribution. This grant will go towards a special garden and environmental project in each school, involving our garden club students every step of the way. Such a great way to give our tamariki hands on learning.”
Read: It takes a village – Driving support for the community
