Christchurch Firm Funds Swim Lessons for 185 Kids

A Christchurch business just made a donation that could literally save lives this summer.

New Era Consulting, an immigration firm with staff across New Zealand, contributed $12,940 to fund swimming lessons for 185 children. The donation comes during a tragic summer that's seen 22 drowning deaths in New Zealand, including 10 since January 1 alone.

The money supports Stuff's Life Savings campaign, which partners with Water Safety New Zealand to teach 10,000 kids essential water safety skills. Each child receives eight in-pool lessons or beach and river safety experiences for about $70.

Founder Karen Justice said the decision was simple. "Everybody should be able to swim at least enough to keep themselves safe," she explained.

New Era Consulting donates a portion of their professional fees every three months to charitable causes. They started at 1% and have worked up to 2%, with hopes of reaching 5%.

The need is urgent. More than 130,000 New Zealand children have never had a swimming lesson, and seven in 10 can't tread water. For a nation surrounded by water, those numbers are frightening.

The Ripple Effect

Justice hopes their contribution inspires other businesses to step up. Corporate donations can move the needle fast on ambitious fundraising goals that might take months through individual contributions alone.

Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Glen Scanlon called the donation "exceptionally generous." He emphasized that every dollar donated directly translates to lifesaving skills for young people.

Other businesses have already answered the call. So far, the Life Savings campaign has raised enough to cover lessons for more than 6,300 children, putting them well past the halfway mark toward their 10,000-child goal.

New Era Consulting's previous charitable recipients include Women's Refuge, the SPCA, and Christmas food drives for families in need. The firm sees community contribution as core to being a good Kiwi company.

The campaign is racing toward its target of 10,000 children trained in water safety before summer ends. With businesses like New Era leading the way, those life-saving skills are becoming reality for thousands of young New Zealanders who desperately need them.