Fastway Couriers have kindly offered their services to ferry the money around the country. Thanks Fastway!

Coins being melted down.

Give old money new value

Resene are supporting the Lions New Zealand to raise money for kiwi kids. Dig out any unwanted old currency or foreign currency and drop it in to your local Resene ColorShop.

New Zealand Lions Clubs have come up with a blindingly simple campaign to collect old coins and banknotes, foreign currency and hoarded loose change for the benefit of young New Zealanders. Lions have teamed up with Resene, which is offering its nationwide chain of Resene ColorShops as collection centres and is helping to promote the appeal.

Queenstown Lion Simon Hayes said the Reserve Bank estimates there’s more than $80 million of pennies, shillings and pounds, old decimal coins and banknotes sitting around in drawers or cupboards in households throughout New Zealand.

New Zealanders also have a tendency to hoard current coins and the Reserve Bank would like to see an estimated $36 million back in circulation to avoid incurring unnecessary costs of minting new additional money, Mr Hayes said.

“In addition there must be tens of millions of dollars in foreign coins and banknotes that find their way back to New Zealand,” he said “We want New Zealanders to dig it out so Lions can give it away to organisations and charities that support young people.

“The old decimal money that is no longer legal tender can be redeemed at the Reserve Bank and when the foreign currency is sorted it will have a value with dealers or will be recycled,” he said.

In New Zealand 11,500 Lions from 400 clubs throughout the country run programmes for young ambassadors, international youth exchanges, speechmaker contests and in primary schools they sponsor the internationally acclaimed Lions Quest programme.

There are 11,642 teachers from 1550 schools who have been through the Lions Quest training and reaching over 250,000 students.

“Money will go to these programmes and to outdoor education programmes that Lions already support, such as Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Spirit of Adventure and Outward Bound.”

Outdoor education introduces young people to the great New Zealand outdoors and in many cases offers life changing experiences that will remain as lifelong influences.

“We want to make a substantial investment in New Zealand’s most precious asset and provide a springboard for good Kiwi kids to become amazing New Zealanders of the future,” Mr Hayes said.

Download flyer as a pdf.