Kia ora koutou, greetings everyone.

Well, 2021 has been quite a year!

In our communities, we continue to see great work in challenging times. There is no doubt the Covid pandemic has impacted everyone in some way or other, and living with Covid will continue to do so.

As we face our challenges, we know the success of a Community Foundation requires solid governance and a strong network of ambassadors-to-the-cause. In November, we welcomed Roy Dawson as a Trustee, and in 2022 we’ll continue to work to attract other Trustees and support our ‘ambassadors’ to spread the word. If you’re reading this newsletter article, you can help too. If you know or meet someone who would like to make a difference in their community, please share the Community Foundation concept with them; ‘your gift is invested and grown and the ongoing income earned goes to the local causes you love’. If anyone you talk to would like to know more, please just ask them to get in touch. (And we’ll arrange a cup of tea!)

Alongside facing our challenges, at the Foundation, we’ve also aimed to harness our opportunities, and we’ve had an incredible year. We have grown our presence, our funds under management, and the level of grants to causes people love. Our recent Annual Report and our latest newsletter give more detail on some of the highlights, but recent achievements include establishing a new $1m fund, making and supporting a record level of grants, increasing the all-important partnership base that provides operational funding, and continuing to watch the build of our charity home in Richmond in partnership with Signature Homes.

So yes – it’s been a challenging, busy, rewarding, mixed-up year, and acknowledging all that, we must also remember to look after ourselves and those around us. I hope you can take some time off this summer and enjoy it with whānau and friends. I look forward to sharing more of our successes with you in 2022.

Ngā mihi, kind regards

Dave Ashcroft, Chair, [email protected]