Left: Te Āti Hau Trust Chair, Keria Ponga
On the sporting front, changes have been made that mean school teams can no longer apply for grants.
Changes to better support Ātihau uri Update on grants, education and scholarship programme. The desire to make it easier for shareholders and their beneficiaries to get pūtea to where it is needed has driven a change to the grants and scholarship programme run by Te Āti Hau Trust. The changes affect general grants, including those for marae and kaumātua, as well as education grants and scholarships from secondary school to tertiary. “We are moving toward a more streamlined process when it comes
to applying for and distributing grants that will make it easier for our people. It also recognises the mana of our marae and kaumātua to determine what is important to them,” says Trust chairwoman Keria Ponga. “There is now no set criteria for our marae and kaumātua. Our trust is now leaving it up to them to determine what their priorities are. This change is about us respecting that our people know what is best for them.”
“We want to put the focus back on the student rather than the school, so our children who are representing their region competing at an international or national level can still get support from us as a child or mokopuna of a shareholder rather than as a student at a particular school,” explains Keria. Traditionally, the Trust has required groups taking part in the annual Hui Aranga and organising the annual Pākaitore Day celebrations to submit an application. Under the new changes, those groups will no longer need to submit formal applications every year. This can add up to a lot of paperwork and mahi at both ends of the application process. “Because we know who these groups are and when these events are held, we now ask that you write to the Trust advising that your rōpū is travelling to the Hui Aranga outside your rohe, noting the number attending,” says Keria. “Likewise, with the Pākaitore celebrations organisers, we ask that they write to the Trust advising that the event is going ahead.” Changes to the education grants TOITŪ TE TANGATA
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