Free school bus programme hits the road for another year!

A $50,000 New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) grant has ensured the Porirua City Council run Te Pahi, community school bus programme, will run for an additional year.

Te Pahi provides a free service that transports students from low decile schools to educational and sporting activities within Porirua and the wider Wellington region that might otherwise be out of their reach due to cost.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker adds “Te Pahi is well-used and loved by many of our local schools, giving tamariki and rangatahi some fantastic learning opportunities. We’re over the moon to hear that funding has been secured to keep Te Pahi on the road for the whole year. Almost every day Te Pahi is out, taking Porirua students to sporting, cultural and educational experiences all over the Wellington region, and the feedback we get from schools is amazing. Thank you NZCT for keeping the wheels turning this year.”

“Te Pahi has been absolutely pivotal in providing our tamariki with rich, varied learning. Without a doubt they have had better educational experiences and outcomes because we are able to access the service”, says Ngāti Toa School teacher Bronwyn Pope.

NZCT’s GM for Grants, Marketing and Communications, Ben Hodges adds “Do you remember how exciting class trips were when you were a kid? No young person in Porirua should miss out on those enriching experiences because of cost. So we are delighted our fundraising partnership with hospitality venues in Porirua - The Sandbar and The Mariner – has enabled NZCT to make this grant’’.