New pontoon saves the season

Poverty Bay Kayak Club (PBKC) used their Sunrise grant to purchase a new pontoon for club paddlers, replacing the original jetty that was lost during Cyclone Gabrielle. 

PBKC received a grant from the General fund in our annual funding round. Applications are invited once a year and reviewed by our grants committee to ensure funds are directed to where they will have the greatest impact, benefiting groups or organisations across the arts, education, environment, community, health, and sport.  

The new pontoon the club purchased was split in half, with one part used to access the river outside their club at Anzac Park allowing training sessions for experienced paddlers to continue, and the other half was set up at a private lake in Manutuke.  

Having a pontoon on the lake meant paddlers were able to continue training during times when access to Anzac Park was restricted in the aftermath of the cyclone. Without the pontoon the lake would have been completely inaccessible to some of the younger or inexperienced paddlers.    

“Having the pontoons has meant we were able to continue paddling and even grow our membership despite the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle. This would not have been possible without the grant provided by Sunrise,” says Liz Thompson, coach. 

PBKC held a mini regatta at the lake which Liz says was thoroughly enjoyed by paddlers of all ages and levels and would not have been possible without the pontoon.