About Us
The purpose of the Trust, which was established in 1988, is to distribute funds for charitable, cultural, philanthropic and recreational benefits in our four regions (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and the Chatham Islands) - all of which benefit our quality of life. Our donations in turn, assist thousands of people working in numerous voluntary organisations, to create their own social and cultural dividends thereby rewarding their communities.
The Champion Centre
September 2011 - The Spirit of Champions
The Canterbury Community Trust (TCCT) trustees visited the Champion Centre on 26th September 2011. In recent years TCCT has made annual donations to the Christchurch Early Intervention Trust which operates out of the Champion Centre. These funds help and contribute to the excellent work carried out at the Champion Centre.
The Champion Centre works with approximately 200 children per year, each receiving an average of three hours intensive hands-on therapy per week. They have 70 staff, mostly part time, all of whom are highly qualified and motivated to achieve best possible outcomes for each family.
The majority of the children start at the centre in their first year of life, and stay until they transition to school. Parents and therapists alike are making a long term investment in building a solid foundation for the future of each child. These children all have a disability which causes developmental delays in at least two areas (eg communication physical, intellectual). These disabilities may be as a result of premature birth, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury, etc. Children are referred by their pediatrician.
It currently costs in excess of $1.8 million per annum to provide the Champion Centre’s exceptional service to the children of Canterbury. A little over $1 .2m comes from a range of government service contracts with the remaining $600,000 to be sourced through ongoing fundraising efforts. The trustees were impressed with what we observed and congratulate the director Dr Susan Foster-Cohen and her staff on what they achieve to help and assist families.