Stronger Together: How the Community Event Fund Brings the Western Bay to Life
The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund is a unique partnership between five local organisations – Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, TECT and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
By working together, these partners have created a single, streamlined fund that makes it easier for community groups to access support for events that bring people together and combat loneliness.
This collaborative approach means applicants don’t need to apply separately to multiple funders. Instead, one process opens the door to support from all five organisations, showing the power of collective funding in action.
What the fund achieved this year
In the 2024/25 funding year, the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund supported 99 local events across the region, 31 in the Western Bay and 68 in Tauranga, with a combined distribution of $267,100.
Events ranged from neighbourhood gatherings and cultural festivals through to large-scale community celebrations, all with the shared purpose of strengthening connections and making our region a more inclusive place to live. Each event is assessed not just on its ability to entertain, but on how it contributes to the social, cultural, environmental, and economic wellbeing of our community.
Most of these events are free or low-cost, which remove barriers to participation and ensures that everyone, regardless of age, income, or background, has the chance to be part of the life of our region.
How this connects to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund aligns strongly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
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- Good Health and Wellbeing (Goal 3) – by promoting connection, belonging, and opportunities for active participation.
- Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10) – by ensuring events are inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all.
- Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11) – by building stronger neighbourhoods and fostering cultural vibrancy.
Through this framework, local events are recognised not just as moments of celebration, but as building blocks for long-term community wellbeing. Since its inception in 2022, the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund has shown what can be achieved when funders work together with a shared vision. By pooling resources and aligning priorities, we can support a greater number of events, remove barriers for organisers, and create lasting benefits for our communities.
This fund reminds us that community wellbeing is built not just through services and infrastructure, but through the moments when people come together. For older people in particular, those moments of connection are vital.
Thanks to this fund, and the generosity of the Acorn donor endowment funds that help support it, we are building a region where everyone, at every age, can find a place to belong.