The recent rounds of Max e Grants close this Friday, and OfficeMax is offering grants of up to $5000 to children in disadvantaged situations.

One in 10 Kiwi kids are going without life's necessities and living at the hardest end of poverty. With this in mind, OfficeMax's Max e Grants programme has never been more important.

Pukehina school teacher Chris Scott, principal Roger Reid, and some of the pupils of Pukehina School, who benefitted from earlier Max e Grants. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

One small grant can make a big difference and OfficeMax is proud to announce that entries are now open for the latest round of Max e Grants.

Pukehina School benefitted from the last round of Max e Grants, allowing the school to remodel their uniforms with a grant of $5000.

Max e Grants is an OfficeMax initiative providing financial support and essential education-related items to disadvantaged children aged four to 18. Schools, kindergartens and day care centres can nominate children in need for grants of up to $5000.

To date the programme has donated an incredible $580,000 and provided grants to more than 11,000 Kiwi kids thanks to gold sponsors Brother, Croxey and OfficeMax, silver sponsor Acco, and bronze sponsors ACME, Frankco & Simon, Energizer, and Sharpie.

OfficeMax New Zealand's national manager of education Blair Horsfall says the Max e Grants programme is designed to help less fortunate children escape the ling-term effects of feeling isolated from their peers.

'Unfortunately for many children there is an overwhelming need for these grants, which can make a real difference in a child's education and future opportunities.

'Max e Grants provide essential educational items such as stationery, school uniforms and teacher aides, as well as access to extracurricular activities such as swimming classes, school excursions and camps.

'The last thing any child wants or needs is to feel isolated simply because their family can't afford to buy them a school uniform that fits. A small grant can make a big difference to children, with lasting consequences in life skills, confidence and self-esteem.”

A priority for the programme is to support children living in isolated rural and remote areas and recently settled refugee or migrant communities.

Entries for this round of Max e Grants close September 23. For more details or to apply visit www.maxegrants.co.nz