Te Anau Tartan Festival Donates $10,000 to Fiordland Fund

The recently concluded Te Anau Tartan Festival and Te Anau Community Events Charitable Trust are pleased to announce a donation of $10,000 to the newly established Southland Foundation Fiordland Fund.

This significant contribution comes as the festival, a much-loved event in the community, winds down its operations after many successful years.

The Tartan Festival committee, most of whom have been involved since its inception, recently made the difficult decision to call time on the popular event. In doing so, they made the decision to direct the surplus funds to the new endowment fund in the hope its legacy will be to foster and support other community initiatives in the future.

Committee spokeswoman Kirsty Pickett said the Southland Foundation's new Fiordland Fund was the perfect fit.

"It's been an incredible journey bringing the Tartan Festival to life each time, and we're so grateful for all the community support," Pickett said. "As the festival wraps up, we wanted to ensure its legacy continued to benefit Fiordland, offering a sustainable way to support our area for generations to come.”

Launched in June 2024 with seed funding from Neil and Jocelyn Hodges, the Southland Foundation Fiordland Fund will offer ongoing financial support for community initiatives in Fiordland. When the endowment fund reaches a sufficient level, part of its annual income will be distributed to the community each year in the form of contestable grants.

“Knowing the Tartan Festival’s contribution will be maintained and grown for the benefit of our local community has enabled us to wrap things up on a really positive note,” Pickett said. “It’s not the end of an era, but rather the start of an exciting new one. We also hope this expands awareness of the Fiordland Fund and encourages other groups and individuals to also contribute so it can reach critical mass and start financially supporting the local community as soon as possible.”

Southland Foundation Development Manager Rachel Cockburn said the organisation was incredibly thankful for this generous contribution from the Te Anau Tartan Festival.

"This $10,000 gift from such a cherished local event supports our efforts to build a permanent fund for Fiordland. It's a wonderful example of community spirit."

The Te Anau Community Events Charitable Trust, which has supported the delivery of the Te Anau Tartan Festival since its inception, recognised the significance of the festival’s legacy.

“We’re proud to have been part of an event that brought so much to the community,” said Cameron Davies, Chair of the Trust. “It’s rewarding to know the festival’s impact will continue through the new Fiordland-focused endowment fund.”

This donation marks a meaningful transition, ensuring the spirit of community engagement fostered by the Te Anau Tartan Festival will continue to benefit the region through the Fiordland Fund.