Sports club and marae in the region are set to benefit from about $37,400 worth of new environmental grants from Waikato Regional Council.

Council's finance committee approved two applications to its Environmental Initiatives Fund made by Project Litefoot Trust and the Nga Uri o te Ngahere Trust last week.

Environmental programmes in the upper Waihou River area will receive financial support from the Nga Uri o te Ngahere Trust, which is set to receive a $17,400 grant from the Waikato Regional Council's Environmental Initiatives Fund. Photo: Google Maps.

Project Litefoot will receive $20,000 and Nga Uri o te Ngahere will receive $17,400.

Committee chairwoman Jane Hennebry says the grants were a worthwhile way of spreading environmental protection in the wider community.

'The money will be helpful within sports organisations and marae to contribute to protection of the regional environment.”

Formed by golfer Michael Campbell and brand consultant Hamish Reid, Project Litefoot looks to reduce Kiwi sports clubs' environmental impact by applying practical measures to reduce waste, plus electricity and water usage.

It uses the leadership of sports people to ‘encourage others to follow in their footsteps, and prove that small actions can add up to substantial footprint reductions and cost savings'.

This new EIF funding will now help the trust expand its work into the Waikato region.

Nga Uri o te Ngahere's grant will go towards helping marae engage in and support ecological restoration and enhancement programmes.

The funding will contribute to environmental programmes along the waterways annexed to Raukawa marae and Maori land blocks in the upper Waihou River area.