Taranaki rural schools benefit from sponsorship programme

Rural primary schools across New Zealand received more than $140,000 from ANZCO Foods this year as part of the Sponsor a School Programme with several of the recipients located in Taranaki.

ANZCO Foods works with local dairy farming families who nominate a rural primary school to receive a donation from the company, that is linked to supply.

This year's sponsorship means the company has now contributed more than $1.3m to rural schools across the motu since the programme started in 2011.

“We always get a buzz to see how the schools use the funding as each school makes their own decisions regarding how the money will be spent. This year funds were used to purchase things like sunshade gazebos, swimming pool covers, playground safety bark and to refurbish swimming pool changing rooms. We hear from the schools that many of the projects funded are used by the wider rural community during summer months, so the sponsorship also benefits a wider group than school pupils,” says Shannon Parnham Head of Livestock for ANZCO Foods.

“The team at ANZCO gets a huge amount of satisfaction from the annual Sponsor a School Programme. It’s great to see rural schools, in the regions where we operate, receiving money to purchase school items that might otherwise not be available. We’re always looking for new farms to register for the programme because the greater the support we get from the rural community, the more money we can contribute back to schools.”

Auroa School in Southern Taranaki was one of the schools that benefited from the Sponsor a School Programme receiving just over $8000 from ANZCO which it chose to use to help fund new covers for the school swimming pool.

Auroa School Principal, Jarad Chittenden, says the pool is not just an asset for the school but for the wider community and the new pool cover will mean a warmer swim this summer.

“The school pool gets a huge amount of use in the summer season and a new cover will make a difference to swimmers. We are grateful to ANZCO for the donation that is made every year as part of the Sponsor a School Programme. As well as acknowledging ANZCO we are also grateful to the local farming families who chose Auroa School to receive the funding,” said Jarad Chittenden.

Rahotu School in Taranaki received $5200 which was used to subsidise the cost of school camps, purchase sunblock for all eight classrooms and support the school’s commitment to education outside of the classroom including the greenhouse, chicken coop and garden space. These projects provide students with the opportunity to connect to the whenua with practical real-life experiences.

Matapu School in Southern Taranaki received $4500 which will be used to purchase two gazebo shelters for outdoor activities.

“The ANZCO donation allows us to purchase those extras not covered by state funding. This year we are delighted to be able to purchase two gazebos we can take to sports events and other school outings. They will be branded in our school colours and will provide sun and rain shelter for students when they are out and about. The students are looking forward to having a smart new shelter to use at a wide range of events and we are grateful to ANZCO,” said James Willson, Principal of Matapu School.