Words by Annie Studholme
Ruralco's Spend for Your School campaign recently notched up a significant milestone, with $10,000 donated to local primary schools since its inception in March last year.
Launched as part of the co-operative's renewed local-first strategic direction, the initiative has benefited eleven individual schools to date, with some earning the prize multiple times. Each has greatly appreciated the extra money which helps them deliver quality education to local children.
At a time when schools' finances are incredibly tight, "every little bit helps", says Mayfield School deputy principal Cory Blackburn.
Mayfield School was the first school to benefit from the campaign, having been nominated by the Orchard family's grandparents. That first $500 windfall went towards the final expenses for the school’s impressive new swings, with the Home and School committee having raised the bulk of the necessary funds. The school has since been nominated an additional two times.
"It's so awesome that people in the community are thinking of us. At Mayfield, we pride ourselves on our sense of community and those extra-special connections. It's really cool what Ruralco and local businesses are doing to support schools. We are very grateful."
Cory says for a small rural school like Mayfield, donations like these make such a huge difference, and she encouraged the school community to get behind the programme and Ruralco.
Money from their additional wins has been used to fund transport for education outside the classroom (EOC), such as trips to Methven, Staveley, and Ashburton. While they don't want to limit student EOC experiences, nowadays transport is often the most expensive part of any trip they plan, forcing them to weigh up their options, she says.
Having the money from Spend for Your School meant they could use it to transport the children to Ashburton for five consecutive days for swimming lessons, filling their days with other activities while they were there. "It's really cool that all the kids get to have those experiences, as some might not have had the chance to do that with their own families. And they get to do it with their classmates as well," adds Cory.
Four-time winners, Wakanui School were also eternally grateful to the wonderful sponsors and the lovely people of the community who had contributed to making it happen. The school picked up its first win in June 2024, having been nominated by Robert Grice, and remarkably collected a further three consecutive wins between February and April this year. Merchant sponsors included Canterbury Motorcycles, Harvey Bakehouse and Mitre 10 National.
Wakanui principal Trena Watt says the money has been put to good use, paying for buses into Ashburton for swimming lessons and their production, as well as additional sports equipment for the playground, benefiting children of all ages.
"It's made a huge difference to the school," says Trena. "You only have so much money to spend, and we have to stretch it as best we can. It hasn't stopped us from doing things, but this money has really eased the pressure at our end. It means we haven't had to say 'no' to other things. It's just made it simpler for us. It means we've had the freedom to order two buses rather than just one, without expecting parents to take carloads. There is nothing like a bonus."
Rakaia School principal Mark Ellis echoed their sentiments. Winners in June this year, Mark says, "beautiful gifts" like this were always gratefully appreciated and "filled a gap". "The way schools were funded meant money was very tight. The budget was set, so if you overspend in one area, you have to underspend somewhere else. Funds like this gave us options and helped us to do things for the children that we may or may not have been able to afford otherwise."
Rakaia School was nominated by ex-board member Heidi Beattie. "It was so nice to know that they still feel a connection to the school. We are blessed to have some wonderful people in the community. We're all about relationships and connections; that's so special to us," says Mark. It was also special to have it sponsored by Hoopers Outdoor Power Centre, with Mark having served in the Volunteer Fire Brigade for many years with owner Eamon Hooper.
The campaign was an excellent way for Ruralco to cement those relationships within the community, he adds.
Meanwhile, other winners, Lauriston School and Methven School, had used the funds towards a new Jump Jam kit and new basketballs, and indoor games for wet-day entertainment in the library, respectively.
For those Ruralco Merchants who had stepped up as sponsors of the Spend for Your School campaign, they unanimously agreed it had been an enormous thrill to be directly involved with supporting local schools.
Cheryl Stocker of Stocker Solutions, who was recently on hand to present the $500 to Mayfield School as September's sponsor, says getting on board with the initiative had been a "no-brainer" as part of the wider Ruralco family. She'd got such a buzz from seeing all the children and was excited to hear where the money would go.
Neumann's Tyres sponsored August's prize, which was fittingly won by first-time winners, Longbeach School. As a past pupil, Emma Hintz also immensely enjoyed returning to the school to present it. "It was pretty special. It's always great to give back to the community, which we do anyway, but giving back directly to schools was very special. They are the future of Mid Canterbury."
It was also great exposure for the business as well as being a unique partnership opportunity, she says. "It's an affordable way to get our name out there while still giving back."
Perhaps one of the biggest things was that as funds were limited, schools could choose to spend this money on whatever they wanted, added Emma.
Through the campaign, Ruralco Chief Executive Tony Aitken has thoroughly enjoyed visiting the winning schools, connecting with locals and supporting them at a grassroots level.
"We're local first. That means we're making sure we give back to our local communities and the future farmers of Mid Canterbury. Primary schools are at the heart of rural communities, and this is a great way to help improve education and opportunities for our kids."
The Spend for Your School programme offers Ruralco members the chance to win $500 cash for a Mid Canterbury primary school of their choice, with every 10 transactions on their Ruralco Card giving them one entry into the prize draw. The $500 prize is proudly sponsored by individual Ruralco Merchants every month.
"The more you use the card, the more chances you have to support local schools, and it's entirely the school's choice how they decide what is best and how they spend the money. Simply spend on your Ruralco Card to go in the draw. Plus, you get great discounts and real value when you choose to use your Ruralco Card, which gives you the opportunity to support your nominated local school to the tune of $500," says Tony.
When it first started, the Spend for Your School programme was funded by Ruralco itself. Earlier this year, though, it decided to give local merchants the opportunity to get involved by becoming monthly sponsors. This has further strengthened partnerships, increased local engagement, and provided great promotional exposure for participating businesses.
Tony says the Spend for Your School campaign was yet another way Ruralco was connecting with its local community. "It fits why we are a co-operative." It was not just about supporting schools but encouraging people to use the Ruralco Card more with local merchants. It was clear that both schools and local businesses were benefiting from the campaign. Due to its ongoing success, Ruralco is proud to confirm it intends to continue the Spend for Your School campaign into 2026.
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible merchants for sponsoring this initiative in 2025: Tots to Teens, Canterbury Motorcycles, Harvey’s Bakehouse, Mitre 10 National, EuroAgri, Hoopers Outdoor Power Centre, Computing Solutions, Neumanns Tyre Centre, Stocker Solutions, Diesel-Tech Machinery, Tarbotton Land & Civil, and Gluyas Motor Group.