Million Dollar Mission

West Auckland Groups Receive Pre-Christmas Windfall More than 50 West Auckland charities and community groups will receive an unexpected windfall thanks to a grant from a local social enterprise. Many of the 57 charities which had applied for funding for a range of health, education and environmental projects faced shortfalls with no certainty around when…

All Aboard At Hobsonville Yacht Club The summer can’t come soon enough for the membership of Hobsonville Yacht Club! A packed programme of sailing and racing is planned at the busy club based in Hobsonville Point’s Boundary Road. Although sailing takes place all year round, the summer is when the action really ramps up. ‘Clubs…

New Pool On The Way At Waterview School Waterview Primary School was devastated when the school pool had to be decommissioned during the construction of the Waterview Tunnel. But now, thanks in part to the Million Dollar Mission, the school is looking forward to having a fully functioning swimming pool on site next year. The…

Coastguard: Saving More Lives Out West Auckland is known as the City of Sails for a reason. Aucklanders just love the water. Uniquely placed straddling the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours, it’s no wonder that we spend so much time out on boats and yachts. Sadly, that also means that every day of every year, people…

Fun For All Ages At Glen Eden Bowling Club Lawn bowls is often seen as a game for the older generation, but a visit to the bustling Glen Eden Bowling Club will soon put paid to that myth! With both competitive and social leagues on offer and players of all ages, there really is something…

Million Dollar Mission 4 Finalists Announcement Thank you to each and everyone of the organisations who applied for a share of funding from Million Dollar Mission. We received a record 167 applications from organisations looking to make a difference to West Auckland. The applications were reviewed by Janet Clews & Ami Chand (Portage Licensing Trust),…

LiteClub Helps Local Sports Clubs And The Environment An award-winning, ground-breaking programme is helping local sports clubs to reduce their environmental impact by being more efficient with water, electricity and waste. LiteClub is a free service that saves clubs valuable dollars while also making a big difference to the environment. This nationwide programme is operated…

Henderson’s Youth Studio Transforms Lives Enabling communities to connect and flourish is the mission of the Henderson-based MPHS Community Trust. And that’s exactly what’s happening at the charitable organisation’s ground-breaking Youth Studio. A recipient of $20,140 from this year’s Million Dollar Mission, there’s no doubt that the Youth Studio is helping to transform lives. To…

Community Transport Initiative From Massey Matters For community organisations working on the ground, it’s often the small projects which can have the biggest impact. That’s certainly the case in Massey where the community development organisation, Massey Matters, identified an urgent need for a community van that local groups could use to support their work. A…

Support For Local Young People In Need Youthline has been providing youth development and support services to young people throughout New Zealand for 49 years. A charitable organisation supported by a dedicated group of volunteers, Youthline also operates a 24/7 helpline offering vital support for young people in need. The importance of Youthline’s work was…

Vital Upgrade For Waitakere BMX Club There’s a real buzz at Waitakere BMX Club at the moment. Club members are not only looking forward to the start of the new season in September, they are also super excited about the long-anticipated upgrade to their track at 103 Glen Road, Ranui. Since becoming an Olympic sport…

Sustainability Takes Centre Stage At Laingholm Kindergarten Learning about the environment and making sustainable choices is an important part of early childhood education at Laingholm Kindergarten. The kindy is all about inspiring and developing enquiring minds as children learn about the world through play. And now thanks to the $21,355 of Million Dollar Mission funding,…

Community Comes First For New Lynn Stags The New Lynn Stags Rugby League Club has a long and proud history out West. Founded back in 1967, the Club has fostered some great local rugby league talent including former Kiwi, Warriors and Melbourne Storm player Henry Perenara, as well as Patrick Ah Van who formerly played…

New Playground For Chaucer School Blockhouse Bay’s Chaucer Primary School will shortly be enjoying a brand new playground thanks in part to the Million Dollar Mission. It’s been a long road for the Board of Trustees as parent representative, Frian Wadia explains: ‘Our old playground was decommissioned in 2016 following health and safety concerns. For…

New Parents Get A Bellyful! Anyone who’s ever had a newborn baby in the house will understand just how life changing it can be. A lack of sleep plus juggling the demands of a small baby is a challenge for the best of us. It’s even more of a challenge if you have no family…

Million Dollar Mission Is Back We’re giving another one million dollars to schools, sports clubs, charities and community groups doing great things in West Auckland. If your community organisation has a project, we can help you pay for it. That’s right Million Dollar Mission is back for its fourth edition. Over the last three years…

New Van For Henderson Intermediate   For Henderson Intermediate School, enabling students to flourish and grow across all areas is just as important as academic achievement. The school is proud of the broad programme of extra-curricular activities that is available to enrich students and develop their sporting abilities and talents.  Henderson Intermediate is a regular participant at inter-schools sports events. From rugby and netball through to athletics,…

On The Road With West City Band! Have you ever tried to squeeze a set of kettle drums into a hatchback car? Well, that was the problem faced by the West City Band every time they played a concert. A part of the West Auckland music scene for over 40 years, the West City Band…

Helping Address Adult Literacy Rates More needs to be done to de-stigmatise low adult literacy, and schools need greater resources in the early years, if we are to help educate the more than one million Kiwis who have literacy issues, according to an industry expert. Research shows that around a quarter of Kiwis do not…

Celebrations At Waitakere Hindi School! There’s much to celebrate at Waitakere Hindi Language and Cultural School. Not only has the school enjoyed success in this year’s Million Dollar Mission, the experience has also brought the whole school community together in a way that hadn’t been anticipated. Operating on Sundays out of St Dominic’s College, Henderson,…

Rosebank Peninsula Environmental Project Gets Started You may not realise it but the coastal bush, wetlands and mangroves around the Rosebank Peninsula are an important wildlife habitat for nesting and migratory birds as well as a wide range of native species including lizards and insects. However, the area is under threat from animal pests such…

On The Road With Henderson High School   Developing social and leadership skills is an important aim at Henderson High School. As well as enabling academic achievement, the school’s goal is for students to graduate as mature and confident young people. To this end, Henderson High has an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities. However, getting students to and from the wide-ranging programme was…

Caring For Our Communities With The Well Foundation The Well Foundation is all about caring for local communities. The Foundation, which is the official charity of Waitakere Hospital, has recently launched a new mobile dental clinic. An amazing $261,538 was raised by the Foundation to purchase the van from a number of charitable organisations including…

Mission Generates Buzz At Titirangi Primary School Titirangi Primary School is one of our finalists in this year’s Million Dollar Mission. And in a record six days, the school reached its target of $25,000 to carry out much needed repairs to the swimming pool. We went along to the school to find out the secret…

On The Road With Ranui 135  Named after the bus service that connects Ranui with central Auckland, this community-led youth trust is all about getting out there, connecting with, and bringing about positive outcomes for local youth. Back in 2002 when the trust was started, Ranui was hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Education, crime and unemployment were…

Keeping The Roof Over Mount Albert Scouts  The Mount Albert branch of Scouts NZ may have been active for over 90 years, but their base in New North Road was literally falling apart. In urgent need of re-roofing and renovation, the 1st Mt Albert St Jude’s Scout Group applied to the Million Dollar Mission for help. Million Dollar Mission is an…

Predator-Free Cornwallis Peninsula Within Reach Thanks to the support of The Trusts and the dedication of the volunteers from Save Cornwallis Old Wharf (SCOW), a predator-free Cornwallis Peninsula is now a real possibility.   Originally set up to stop the impending demolition of the Cornwallis wharf, SCOW is now focusing on wider environmental projects that safeguard the natural habitat of…

More StarJammers Out West! Million Dollar Mission funding has been used by StarJam Auckland to develop their programme of music and performance workshops for young West Aucklanders with disabilities. Up to one in five New Zealanders is living with a disability. For young people with disabilities and their families, StarJam provides essential opportunities to channel…

Crucial Support For Piha Surf Life Saving The summer is the busiest time of year for the lifeguards at Piha Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). As well as patrolling the beach and carrying out rescues, the club also offers an extensive programme of education for children and youngsters including water and surf safety. An iconic…

Fair Food: Feeding People, Not Landfill The West Auckland-based food rescue charity, Fair Food, is making a massive difference to local communities. As well as reducing waste and the amount going to landfill, Fair Food is also helping disadvantaged local families to put food on the table. A recipient of $33,335 of Million Dollar Mission…

Titirangi Badminton Enjoys New Lighting Million Dollar Mission funded court lighting has made a dramatic difference at Titirangi Badminton Club. The club successfully applied to the Million Dollar Mission for $11,010 to replace the existing outdated and high maintenance court lighting with new, brighter and energy efficient LED lighting. “The entire hall is so much…

Sports Equipment Boost to Local Schools Sport Waitakere is part of a national network of regional sports trusts and its aim is to get Kiwis more active, more often. They saw a need for support to the West’s low decile schools which often struggle with sports equipment that frankly has seen better days.   Sport Waitakere’s Community Sport Manager, David George explains,…

Making a Difference with Big Buddy Bringing up a family can be a challenge for the best of us, but for mothers coping with fatherless boys support and positive role models can sometimes be hard to come by. Big Buddy Mentoring Trust is helping to fill the gap by providing positive mentors for fatherless boys aged 7-14. There’s…

A New Clubroom For Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club Westies are justifiably proud of the west coast’s wild and beautiful beaches. Who doesn’t enjoy a dip in the sea or a fishing trip on a glorious summer’s day? Stunning though the likes of Piha and Karekare undoubtedly are, they are also some of the most dangerous…

Raukatauri Music Therapy – Changing Lives Through Music Every Wednesday, Xavier Faughey goes to one of his favourite places in the world, Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre in West Auckland. Here, Xavier is able to have fun, to sing, to connect with people and to express all the emotions he can’t communicate. It’s an incredible achievement,…

Two New Rescue Helicopters Taking To The Air Operating as one of the region’s crucial emergency services, the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) performs an outstanding job all-year round. With over 1000 missions typically completed every year, the ARHT is often the difference between life and death. With such high stakes, it’s essential that the…

A New Playground For Ranui Primary School  Million Dollar Mission funding of $78,450 has been used to provide a vibrant and colourful state-of-the art playground for the 360 tamariki at Ranui Primary School. The school playground had seen better days. It was old, rundown and only really suitable for the younger children. Overcrowding as well as…

A New Incubator For Waitakere Hospital Thanks to Million Dollar Mission the Well Foundation, Waitakere Hospital’s charitable arm, recently took delivery of a state-of-the-art transport incubator. The much needed incubator will be used to transport premature babies to and from nearby hospitals for vital specialist tests and treatments. The Well Foundation’s Million Dollar Mission application certainly struck…

Family Action Puts The Smile On Children’s Faces The Million Dollar Mission is all about providing support to community groups and charities wherever it’s needed and regardless of how big or small that need might be. Family Action is one of the organisations we have been able to help through the Million Dollar Mission. Here’s…

Equipment Boost for Bay Olympic Soccer Club The winter soccer season may have come to a close, but for Bay Olympic Soccer Club there’s no such thing as an off-season. In fact, a full schedule of summer football is about to kick off in November. Situated in the heart of West Auckland at New Lynn, Bay Olympic is one of the…

The Trusts help Auckland Land Search & Rescue Save Lives For people who get into difficulties while out tramping or boating off the shoreline, Auckland Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) can quite simply make the difference between life and death. The Trusts through Million Dollar Mission is proud to support the tremendous work of Auckland LandSAR.…

Waka Ama Launched Thanks To Million Dollar Mission Funding Million Dollar Mission funding of $39,555 was used to purchase the custom-made waka ama which will help to reconnect the children and whānau of the primary school and marae with their history and genealogy. The water has special significance in Māori culture because it symbolises the very essence of life.   ‘The waka ama will…

Matuku Link’s Mission For the past two years, we have given back one million dollars to community groups all over West Auckland through our Million Dollar Mission.   During the initial two-month application phase The Trusts receive hundreds of entries. A handpicked selection panel, including members of the Local Boards and other leading West Aucklanders, choose the 30 or so most deserving groups. Million…

Arts projects helping vulnerable young people The Trusts Million Dollar Mission is all about recognising and supporting the amazing work of community and voluntary groups throughout West Auckland. There are thousands of volunteers achieving great things for our communities every day. Sometimes though it’s the Simple things that have the biggest impact. This was certainly…

We give back our profits to the community in all sorts of ways. One of those ways is Million Dollar Mission – an initiative that helps community organisations achieve big things in West Auckland. VisionWest is a recent recipient of Million Dollar Mission funding. Taema is typical of the people VisionWest is seeking to help…

Advancing West Auckland Health & Wellbeing Thanks to incredible public support, the Well Foundation received the highest number of votes during the recent Million Dollar Mission, raising $116,010 towards the cost of a third Mobile Health Clinic. The Well Foundation is the fundraiser for the Waitemata District Health Board (DHB) and the new clinic-on-wheels will bring first class dental services to children…

Vikings Cranking Up The Heat In The Kitchen Bay Roskill Sports Club Upgrades Its Kitchen The Bay Roskill Sports Club, the Vikings, succeeded in raising a much needed $11,660 in The Trusts Million Dollar Mission to re-equip their kitchens that make and sell food to players and spectators. Like most clubs, Bay Roskill “runs on the…

Helping West Auckland Youth  Zeal’s youth facility near West Wave is well known in Henderson but this youth oriented organisation isn’t so well known for its work with young people (like Mara in the video above) on West Auckland’s streets. Zeal’s Street Youth Work (SYW) team and partners work with young people who ‘fallen through the cracks’…

Helping West Auckland Families Through Music Therapy In the 2017 Million Dollar Mission, Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust managed to achieve their funding target of $50,575 for their music therapy programmes for West Aucklanders with special needs. Million Dollar Mission is an initiative setup to give back The Trusts profits to West Auckland community organisations. About Raukatauri Music…