Aoraki Foundation roundtable a success

Challenges, highlights, and changes for some of the region’s charities have been highlighted at a first-of-its-kind meeting in Timaru. The Aoraki Foundation held a recipient round table last week, bringing together the successful applicants of its most recent funding round.

The round-table discussion is a new concept for the foundation as it moves to simplify the funding application process, including accountability reporting by successful applicants. Aoraki Foundation donor and community adviser Kirsty Burnett said charities already faced a massive workload, “usually more than they have resources for”. It was hoped that simplifying the funding process would be “good for everyone”, she said. Those in attendance spoke of the increase in workload over the past few years and what their charities did in the community.

The Stroke Foundation’s community adviser for South Canterbury, Abby Hodgson, said the organisation worked with Timaru Hospital to make sure stroke patients were supported after being discharged. The organisation was seeing more working-age patients who had suffered strokes, she said, and this could create “real challenges” for families who lost an income as a result.

Meanwhile, Multiple Sclerosis field worker Fiona Pearse told the meeting the number of clients the organisation was seeing had increased dramatically in the past few years. Its focus was on education, support and referrals.

Timaru Plunket representative Louise Haley said poverty was a real issue for many families in the region. In the 12 years since she had been with the service, she had seen it change to meet the needs of parents.

Alzheimers South Canterbury manager Rosie Chambers said client numbers had escalated in the past three years, and this was forecast to continue.

A total of $26,000 was awarded to recipients of grants from the Aoraki Foundation’s Miller General Impact Fund in the 2023-24 round. Recipients were:

  • the Life Education Trust Mid and South Canterbury, with $5653 towards educator and administration salaries;

  • the Stroke Foundation, with $2000 towards the salary of a community stroke adviser for South Canterbury;

  • Presbyterian Support South Canterbury, with $10,000 towards running the Christmas Angel Project 2024;

  • the Fairlie Mackenzie Heritage Museum, with $346 to erect photos of farming;

  • the Cancer Society’s Canterbury-West Coast division, with $4000 towards the running cost of the South Canterbury centre;

  • Alzheimers South Canterbury, with $1000 for wages and travel costs to deliver services across the region; and

  • the Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust, with $3000 for operational costs to run free and subsidised swim programmes in Geraldine and Temuka.

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