The Foundation for Youth Development will receive $120,000 from the Acorn Foundation towards the Kiwi Can programme over the next few years.

The grant is part of $430,000 the foundation is giving to 83 organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty community.

Papamoa Primary School is one of the beneficiaries of Acorn's grants.

This brings the total amount given by Acorn, to the community, since it's inception to over $2.4 million.

This year the largest grants have gone to organisations focusing on young children says Foundation for Youth Development, who which has received a $120,000 commitment over the next three years towards their Kiwi Can programme. Acorn Foundation Operations Manager Margot McCool.

'Kiwi Can is a values based programme that is delivered by teams of young leaders to over 2300 primary school children, during school time, in 10 decile 1-4 schools across the WBOP region.”

Plunket also received $30,000 to go towards the introduction of a new high-tech recording system so that all babies' records will be stored digitally and can be accessed in real time, allowing Plunket nurses to interact with other organisations in the health and social community. This will ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of children and their families.

Also receiving a generous grant is Nga Reanga e Toru – 3 Generations Trust. This group of dedicated and skilled educators is working with 2-4 year olds in the Tauranga South area, collecting them from their homes each day to take them to an early learning centre, where they are able to benefit from intensive support so that when they turn five they are fully prepared for learning at school. Without this support, it has been found that the children will may never be able to 'catch up”.

The trust's aim is to overcome lack of literacy within three generations, and therefore all the associated issues that come with it.

'There's been so much discussion recently around child poverty. We are focusing our efforts on those organisations that are well placed to make a lasting difference in this area, by equipping our young people with the values and skills that will set them up to make a success of their own lives,” says Margot.

For more information and a full list of organisations receiving grants this year go to www.acornfoundation.org.nz