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Image: (L-R Top) Children using Seed Pod education resources at home, Kiwi banding on Tiritiri Matangi, (L-R Bottom) Image captured by a Heartfelt NZ photographer, Tamariki at TKKM o Puau te Moananui-ā-Kiwa
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – 10 September 2024: Canon Oceania today announced the winners of its 2024 Grants Program, recognising four New Zealand organisations that are making positive impacts in their local communities.
This year, the Program introduced a Cultural Grant category for the first time, alongside the existing categories for Community, Education, and Environment. Each recipient receives a $5,000 grant comprising of $2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product (ranging from cameras and lenses to printers and other accessories).
This year’s winners are:
By combining te reo Māori and filmmaking, this kura strives to empower and nurture tamariki to feel confident in their Māori identity and heritage. Canon’s Grant and equipment will help showcase and celebrate student films at their upcoming film festival.
This organisation is made up of professional photographers who volunteer their time to give the gift of photographic memories to families who have experienced stillbirth or have children with serious or life-threatening illness. Canon’s Grant and equipment will ensure there is a camera kit available for urgent sessions.
This social enterprise is dedicated to inspiring tamariki, rangatahi and the wider community to have a deeper understanding of, and connection to nature through a blend of education resources and artistic storytelling. Canon’s Grant and camera equipment will help support its storytelling and strengthen their connection with people and nature.
This volunteer-led organisation creates engaging ecological, cultural and historical learning opportunities for the thousands of annual visitors to the Island. Canon gear will assist with its education and advocacy programme.
Research conducted exclusively for Canon Oceania¹ reveals that the rising cost of living is impacting Kiwis’ commitment to sustainability, with 60% of respondents scaling back their support for environmental and community initiatives due to financial pressures. This shift underscores the need for community support initiatives to tackle this challenge. Canon Oceania is committed to addressing this need by actively supporting organisations that are making a difference, fostering meaningful progress and strengthening community engagement through the power of technology.
"Today, we celebrate the inspiring achievements of this year's Canon Oceania Grants Program winners, whose work is making an impact on communities across New Zealand. Guided by our Kyosei philosophy, we’re committed to closing the technology divide, empowering more Kiwis to share their stories, connect with others, and build essential skills. By providing these organisations with the technology and resources they need, we aim to inspire greater progress and strengthen connections throughout the country,” said Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director, Canon Oceania.
Over the past 18 years, guided by the company’s Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, the Canon Oceania Grants Program has supported more than 110 community organisations and schools across New Zealand and Australia. This support has included more than $550,000 in funding and product support.
Introducing the 2024 Canon Oceania Grant Winners from New Zealand:
This kura offers full immersion in te reo Māori nurturing young minds to feel confident in their Māori identity and heritage. They empower tamariki to combine te reo Māori and technology to make films. To spark passion and develop future career pathway opportunities within the creative arts sector, they’re empowering tamariki to combine te reo Māori and technology to make films. They also plan to host a film festival to showcase and celebrate student made films from local Māori kura across Auckland.
Robert Mika, Teacher said, “Ko Te Aho Matua te tāhūhū o tōku whare, ko ngā tikanga ngā heke, ko te whānau ngā poupou, ko te reo Māori te tuāpapa, ko au te poutokomanawa. He mihi taioreore tēnei ki a koutou o Canon. Nō mātou te maringa nui kia whai wāhi atu ki tēnei taonga Kua tukuna ki a mātou. E mihi hoki ana ki ngā whānau i kaha pōti kia puta tō mātou ihu. Nā tēnei taonga ka whai wheako ngā tauira Māori ki te ao hangarau me ōna āhuatanga maha, ka mutu ko te hiahia kia harapahia whānuitia tēnei kaupapa hei kaupapa matua i roto i ngā hōtaka ako o tēnā kura Māori, o tēnā wahanga Māori.”
The Seed Pod is a social enterprise dedicated to inspiring tamariki, rangatahi and the wider community to have a deeper connection to nature through innovative education resources and artistic storytelling. The organisation aims to spark curiosity and create positive environmental action through innovative learning experiences, one being free education resources called the ‘Learning Pods.’ This initiative offers an engaging and interactive experience to inspire future generations to foster environmental kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
Sian Crowley, Founder of The Seed Pod, said, “Winning the Canon Oceania Grants Education Category 2024 means the world to us, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of our community, whose votes made this win possible. This Grant will not only help us tell more powerful stories through our work, but to also strengthen our connection with the people and nature that inspire us every day. We’re so thankful to have this opportunity to continue growing together, making a real impact for the environment, and fostering a deeper connection to nature for current and future generations.”
Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi is a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring the mauri (lifeforce) of the island in partnership with local Māori iwi and Department of Conservation. As a pest-free open sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi is considered a world-leader of change. The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi want to inspire the next generations of conservationists, by creating engaging ecological, cultural, and historical learning opportunities for the thousands of annual visitors to the island.
Dr. Ian Alexander, Chair of Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, said, “The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi are honoured and delighted to be the recipients of the 2024 Canon Oceania Environment Grant. This conservation treasure island means so much to many, including our community of mahi aroha volunteers, visiting schools from the Growing Minds Programme, wildlife-enthusiasts, adventurers, explorers, scientific researchers, and visitors from across the globe. Thank you, Canon, for supporting an internationally recognised beacon of community-led conservation. This Grant will be used for the island's education and advocacy programme and will support the installation of informative display boards across the island's beloved walking tracks.”
Heartfelt NZ is a volunteer organisation of professional photographers dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families who have experienced stillbirth or have children with serious or life-threatening illness. Due to the in-kind nature of this service many volunteers face travel delays due to their work and the location of their photography equipment – a delay that can be difficult for vulnerable families. The Heartfelt NZ team want to store a permanent photography kit in an affiliated hospital to ensure their volunteers can provide the best support and experience for families.
Emma MacDonald, New Zealand Representative for Heartfelt, said, “Heartfelt is dedicated to supporting families in crisis, in a caring and compassionate manner. Sixty-five photographers across New Zealand freely give their time, in a family's darkest hours, to honour and capture the memories, details and love for families to keep. The work of a Heartfelt photographer is unique, demanding, challenging, confronting, and profoundly rewarding. This Canon Grant will allow us to have a camera kit available for urgent sessions when our photographers don't have the turnaround time to get to their camera kit & back to the hospital.”
The Australian winners for 2024 who will receive a $5000 grant ($2,500 in cash, $2,500 in Canon products) are:
• Community: The Reconnect Project
• Environment: Farmers for Climate Action
• Education: Farm My School
• First Nations: Kimberley Ecosystems Restoration & Cypress Pine Conservation Project
Note: All grant amounts are in local currency, Australian dollars in Australia and New Zealand dollars in New Zealand.
For more information about Canon Oceania’s Grants Program, please visit:
New Zealand: https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants
Australia: https://www.canon.com.au/about-canon/community/grants
¹ MYMAVINS survey May 2024, n=1,009
