The Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club Scholarship programme has been a huge success so far! The club has awarded 16 scholarships totalling almost $6000 for members to develop packrafting, mountaineering, skiing and canyoning skills.
The funding came from hosting the Wellington screening of the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival (in partnership with the Victoria University of Wellington Tramping Club) and other film nights. We’re making this an annual fundraising event so the scholarship programme can continue.
We know that members would like to develop their outdoor skills and technical knowledge to be more confident trip leaders. And some types of trips require extra skills and technical knowledge that we may have limited resources or leaders to offer those trips – like packrafting, ski touring and more.
We’ve made a few changes to the scholarship programme to make it easier to apply and ensure the programme is supporting our members and our club community:
- We did away with the different types of scholarships. Just apply for the amount you would like up to $500 and tell us specifically what course or trip the money is for.
- There is no deadline to apply, the programme will run continuously as long as we have money in the fund. You’ll need to use the money within 3 months or it will go back into the pool.
- We’ve simplified the application and criteria.
- Bushcraft, snowcraft and leadership courses led by WTMC will be excluded – the intention of the programme is to encourage people to develop skills that we lack in the club.
- Because the programme will now be ongoing, you can apply for a scholarship once per 12 months. Priority will be given to people who have not received a scholarship.
These scholarships are for WTMC members only. We are committed to helping our members have great and safe adventures, and develop the skills to help others get out in the backcountry.
These scholarships come with the expectation of giving your time and skills to the WTMC community. The amazing things we do depend entirely on volunteers. The scholarships are a way to recognise the incredible time and effort some volunteers have already given. The programme also invests in our members so they can invest back in the club.
To learn more including eligibility criteria see the Scholarships programme on our website.