Geoff Balme is a volunteer 'Fund Champion' for the Mercury Bay Future Fund, he writes…

Mercury Bay is an attractive place to live and play.

Living here, it can feel a bit isolated, but that can work both ways.

Our community, knowing it is ‘out on a limb’ geographically, responds by pulling together.

We’ve used our local knowledge, skills, energy and resources to build much of what we need and have here, including health, community, education and recreational services, especially for youth and the elderly.

We are a popular visitor destination, and we readily welcome our visitors and celebrate our colourful local history and wonderful environment, while also seeking to protect and enhance our residents’ wellbeing.

The age and economic demographics of Mercury Bay suggest that collectively we currently have the ‘ways and means’ to take care of the local community and those things that are important to it.

There is still much to do however, and we may not always have these ‘ways and means’.

A gift to the Mercury Bay Future Fund will ensure that our community remains resilient and has the ability to, for example, purchase medical equipment and fund additional medical services.

A gift to the Mercury Bay Future Fund could mean better support for local elderly care, looking after our beaches and waterways, or developing new walking trails to enjoy our natural environment.

Locals set this local Fund’s priorities.

The Mercury Bay Future Fund will make it easy for you to leave a legacy for the community you have enjoyed and the local causes you care about.

Mercury Bay Future Fund explained.

The Mercury Bay Future Fund provides residents and visitors with the opportunity to donate and bequest to a philanthropic investment fund that is, and always will be, focused on the prosperity, wellbeing, sustainability and vibrancy of the Mercury Bay community.

It is a ‘place based’ endowment fund led and driven by committed locals and professionally managed by the Momentum Waikato Community Foundation. The Fund’s committee is made up of three local ‘fund champions’ and two representatives from Momentum.

This community-based funding instrument will grow through both the donations and gifts-in-Wills (bequests) it receives, AND its investment income, which is secured and amplified by the scale of Momentum Waikato’s regional endowment fund.

When the Fund reaches a base balance of $50,000, the committee will start annual distributions of a majority portion of its investment income via grants to projects and programs benefiting Mercury Bay, with the rest of the income being re-invested to continue its growth.

One-off and ongoing donations and bequests to the Fund are invited from anyone and everyone who wishes to provide positive long-term support to Mercury Bay.

Contact Mercury Bay Future Fund Champion Geoff Balme, or Momentum Waikato to find out more.