ONEWHERO RURAL FIRE FORCE TRAINING FACILITIES RECEIVE LION FOUNDATION SUPPORT

 A $20,000 grant from The Lion Foundation has been awarded to the Onewhero Volunteer Rural Fire Force for stage two of their meeting facilities – constructing the building on top of the concrete base which has already been established.

 Brett Smythe, Deputy Fire Chief of the Fire Force says the meeting facilities will be useful in a number of ways.

"Not only can we use the meeting area for training for our volunteers, it can double as a local Civil Defence emergency centre. Currently the closest one is 24km away in Pukekohe, across the Waikato River.

"Thanks to the generosity of The Lion Foundation, we can also provide this venue for St John's junior cadets, local Scouts and other community groups."

Operating for 24 years and one of the country's most widely respected community trusts, The Lion Foundation funds a wide range of arts, cultural, sporting, educational and health focused causes, by distributing back to the local community the funds raised in that community.

The Lion Foundation Chief Executive Phil Holden says the charitable trust is proud to support the Onewhero Volunteer Rural Fire Force.

"As a rural fire force, Onewhero doesn't receive funding from The New Zealand Fire Service, so it is vital that grants like these from the Lion Foundation support this volunteer organisation.

"These new facilities will provide an important advancement for the Onewhero Rural Fire Force, as well as other community groups in the region, making it a hugely worthwhile project to give backing to."