About The Fund

The RhinoKids Flooring Fund has been set up by Carpet Court to help improve the educational environment in public Early Childhood Centres, Kōhanga Reo, Schools, Community and Sports Centres around the country.

By providing quality flooring that improves the learning spaces and ultimately the health and wellbeing of Kiwi kids, schools are then able to free up funding that can be used elsewhere.

Carpet Court stores around the country are getting behind this initiative, to give back to their communities and ensure that Kiwi kids have great environments for their learning.

At Carpet Court we’re all about people, believing that everyone matters! We have 63 stores around the country, so our Carpet Court people are local people too. We are committing $2,000 + GST to qualifying RhinoKids Flooring Fund projects around the country. Every purchase of Rhino flooring products made in our stores will help build on this fund each year and will go back into the local community.

We are proud to service the country in bringing flooring solutions to every home and now to local organisations.

Why is flooring in schools so important?

Flooring refurbs are often pushed to the bottom of the to-do list for the education sector, we know there is an unmet need – think of all those old and tired floors in your local schools and community centres. We believe quality flooring improves the health and wellbeing of Kiwi kids. Flooring can deliver a positive result in an educational setting and benefits learning environments in a number of ways, including:

Acoustics

The correct type of flooring improves acoustics and can reduce external noise such as children playing outside, neighbouring classrooms and traffic which can be distracting for students needing to concentrate in a learning environment.

Insulation

Flooring also helps the temperature of the classroom as it works as an insulator.

Comfort

It is important that students (and teachers) are comfortable sitting and moving around the classroom. From sitting on the floor, to standing and sitting at a desk, new flooring provides cushioning, removing distractions caused by feeling uncomfortable.

Safety

Slips and falls are a leading cause of injury in schools. New flooring provides better traction, reducing the likelihood of frequent falls and potential injuries.

Aesthetics

New Flooring provides colour, pattern, texture and vibrancy to a space.

Maintenance

Modern, properly installed flooring is easier to maintain and lowers cleaning and operating costs.

FAQ

What is the story behind the RhinoKids Flooring Fund?

The RhinoKids Flooring Fund is a new initiative that we have set up to help improve the educational environment in public Early Childhood Centres, Schools, Kōhanga Reo, Community and Sports Centres around the country by providing funds for new flooring up to the value of $2,000 ex GST and in turn Making Room for More.

We know the importance and value of being connected to the community and with so many stores across the country we wanted to develop an initiative that not only gave back locally, but also gave back in a way that reflected our skills and expertise to the community we serve.

The RhinoKids Flooring Fund is a unique and heartfelt way of giving back to our communities ensuring that Kiwi kids have great environments for learning. Recipients of the RhinoKids Flooring fund are then able to free up funding that can be used elsewhere, whether it be library books, art supplies, sports equipment, music gear, school trips or more.

Who can apply for the fund?

Applications are open to all public Early Childhood Centres, Kōhanga Reo, Schools, Community and Sports Centres. Anywhere that has a focus on school aged children.

Why can’t a private school apply for funding?

There are many worthy educational organisations in New Zealand, however we have made the decision to focus on supporting not-for-profit / public schools and education centres.

Who decides who gets the funding and what is the process?

When each application round closes, the applications received in each area will be passed on to the local Carpet Court store. As a team they will go through each application to decide who their recipient will be. Selection criteria includes but is not limited to;

Quality and completeness of application
Needs of space and school (priority given to high-use student spaces, priority given to replacing unsafe flooring)
Size and scale of project (a site visit / assessment may take place prior to selection)

All applicants will be advised as to whether or not their application was successful.

How will we receive the funding?

As the fund covers flooring and services to the value of $2,000 ex GST this will be credited against the applicant’s project. Depending on the size and scale of each project schools may be required to contribute towards the cost. We will work closely with each recipient to determine what this may look like.

How does the $20,000 flooring makeover competition work?

Applications submitted between 1st November – 31st December will be automatically entered in the competition which is additional to the opportunity to be selected for the $2,000 flooring project.

We will shortlist 4 applications and Kiwi’s nationwide will have the opportunity to vote for the project they believe is most worthy of the prize.

The lucky recipient will be announced in the first week of March 2025.

Click here to read the full terms and conditions.