Donor Story: Multiple Sclerosis South Canterbury

Every story has a catalyst. Maybe four kids venture through a wardrobe into a world of everlasting winter. Maybe an elderly hobbit leaves his cousin a magic ring and disappears into the night. For the South Canterbury Multiple Sclerosis Endowment Fund, the catalyst was the sale of a long-held property in King St, Timaru.

According to Treasurer Barry Taylor, the house at 10 King St had a long history. In June 1983, Henry & George Baker left their estates to charity, with the total value of two estates exceeding one million dollars. MS South Canterbury was one of 13 beneficiaries. They received about $100,000 from the estate. Around the same time, the late Alan Waugh bequeathed $10,000 to the MS Society.

These two legacies enabled the MS Society to purchase the King Street property, and the balance was invested with their solicitor. The purchase price at the time was $43,200 — a far cry from today’s property prices!

Over time, alterations were made to the property to make it fit for purpose. The MS Society used it as their base of enterprise, operating a drop-in centre to support people with MS. They also based their Field Officer there. Then a space became available at Community House in the heart of Stafford St. “It was an attractive prospect,” Barry said. “The rent at Community House is very reasonable, and the central location has many other benefits.”

Following the move to Community House, they rented out the King St property and used the income to help with the many costs involved in running a small charity organisation. The house was rented out for over 10 years. This not only gave the MS Society regular income, it also provided stable housing for Timaru tenants. Recently, however, their last tenant moved out. The property needed a lot of maintenance and that meant money. So, in 2022 they decided to sell it. But what to do with the money?

“The problem when you have a lump-sum of money sitting there is the concern that over time it will whittle down and trickle away and you’ll have none left. We’d love to see it grow instead.” – Barry Taylor

Their solicitor, David Forman suggested speaking with the Aoraki Foundation. Having been impressed with the Foundation’s work with C-Bay and the MRI scanner, Barry and Chairperson Robyn Baldwin arranged a presentation from AF Chief Executive Richard Spackman to the South Canterbury MS Board.

Bolstered by the news that AF could set up a dedicated fund for the MS Society, the decision was simple. The South Canterbury MS Fund was set up through Aoraki Foundation with an initial investment of $50,000. This will continue to be invested and added to until, Robyn hopes, the fund is self-supporting of their services.

“A person’s life can change in an instance with a diagnosis of MS, and we are here to support that person, and their whānau at this time of need. A self-supporting funding stream would allow our team to focus on service delivery rather than fundraising” – Robyn Baldwin

The move will not only grow the MS Fund so the society can continue to support people with MS, it will also grow awareness of MS in South Canterbury under the Aoraki Foundation umbrella. The endowment fund’s intended aims are to help run the organisation, to grow community awareness, and to build up their finances. “In perpetuity,” Barry says. “The fund is an ongoing vehicle that our supporters can contribute to, via donations or a gift in their will. The professional management of the Aoraki Foundation provides them with peace of mind that their gift will continue to support Multiple Sclerosis within South Canterbury for years to come.”