The Beautification Trust has launched four new initiatives to help empower south and east Auckland communities to lead their own successful environmental and beautification projects.
The official launch of the projects – the Community Tool Library, the Tiaki Fund, the Free Community Compost, and Creator Space – on Thursday, July 29 – was celebrated by the Trust at a morning tea.
Locals can borrow tools free of charge from a Community Tool Library for their own environmental and beautification projects.
The library is in a re-purposed shipping container and has hundreds of tools like spades, wheelbarrows and paint brushes which can be reserved on their website.
The Trust’s newly established Tiaki Fund offers grants up to $1000 per project towards the cost of locally led initiatives in south or east Auckland.
“Whether it’s a waste clean-up, community mural, native planting or something else,” the Trust says. “If you want to make a difference in your community, we want to help you make it happen.”
Papakura has a weekly kerbside collection of household food scraps which is made into compost. This compost can be ordered and collected from the Trust free-of-charge for south and east communities in Holmes Road, Manurewa.
The compost can be used in home gardens, schools and community gardens.
The Creator Space is the Trust’s vision to “see communities love and respect the environment”.
It’s a newly refurbished workshop and classroom facility at the Trust in Holmes Road. The space is available to hire for teaching sustainable practices and environmental education.
“When it comes to beautification and protecting the environment, locals know best what needs to be done in their own community,” says Beautification Trust CEO, Daniel Barthow.
“These new programmes are designed to give people the tools and resources they need to succeed.”