Advance Ashburton
Community Foundation
Progress
Total funds - $10.1 million
Bequests established with an
anticipated value of $21m
Distributions in the year to
March 31st, $291,019
ISSUE 1/2016
New Day
Centre Van
Having the
Courage
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Neil Sinclair
It is with great sadness we report the
death of Neil Sinclair on Saturday
February 27th, 2016.
Neil founded Advance Ashburton
Community Foundation in 2003 and
was Chairman until 2013. He retired
from the Board in December 2015 but
was still active on the Foundation’s
Investment Advisory Board and
remained an avid supporter of the
Foundation until his passing.
He was honoured last year with a
Queen’s Service Medal for his services
to the community.
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Neil and his wife Jeanette have
established a Fund with the Foundation
which is at present supporting a major
child literacy project in five Ashburton
primary schools.
With $10m in funds, Neil said recently:
“Today I’m really proud of how the
Foundation has grown. I look back on
my life and realise that the things you
do for your community are some of
the most satisfying things in your life”.
Neil’s legacy will benefit our
community now and forever.
Neil Sinclair
Celebrating Children
The sun shone and the music played,
as five thousand people packed into
the Tinwald Domain in celebration of
Children’s Day on Sunday March 6th.
Chairperson of Mid Canterbury
Children’s Events and Activities Trust,
Lorayne Oakley, said the vision for
the day is to see children celebrated,
nurtured and treasured by all.
Celebrated annually throughout the
country, the event in Ashburton is a
free day of child-centred fun activities
including rides, face painting, crafts,
gymnastics and a BBQ.
The trustees for the Tinwald Club
Trust Fund, administered by Advance
Ashburton, were delighted to
encourage positive relationship
between adults and children, by
making a grant to help cover costs of
the event.
A fun day to remember (Photo: The Guardian)
Jaycee Scholarships
The Jaycee Trust Fund, for the
development, advancement and
education of young adults in our district
funded these scholarships in April.
Jaycee Industry Training
Scholarships: Luke Glendinning,
George Williams, Missy Parata, Riki-Lee
Marshall, Hayden Hurst, Georgia Lacey,
Jennifer Markham
Jaycee Outward Bound Scholarships:
Serenity Timothy, Andrew Tait,
Nicola Loach
AACF | Phone 308 2231 | www.advanceashburton.co.nz
A New Van for Park Street Day Centre
Park Street Day Centre is a service
run by the Canterbury District Health
Board for older members of the
Ashburton community. The extra
care and socialisation during the day
enables them to live in their own home
for longer. The Centre is open every
weekday and offers a range of services:
socialisation, support for carers, craft
and handwork, assistance with skills for
daily living, recreational activities and
outings. The Day Centre is renowned
for its individual care of patients and
offers the additional service of picking
up and dropping home the people who
use the service. Advance Ashburton
along with Pakeke Lions is proud to
have supported the purchase of a new
van to help continue the work of this
wonderful community service.
Jan McClelland, Director of Nursing and clinical services, Ashburton Health Services
and Jack Allan, Trustee, Advance Ashburton, with the new Park Street Centre van.
Community House Help
“One of the best parts of being a
Trustee is being able to present funds
to the Mid Canterbury community; to
those organisations and individuals
who will benefit from the money,” said
Kevin Geddes.
Kevin, who is retiring from the
Foundation’s Board of Trustees,
recently presented the latest donation
of $8600 by Advance Ashburton to
the Community House Charitable
Trust. This funded the purchase of
the telephone system for their new
Community House premises. “Advance
Ashburton has been very generous
as they donated funds to support the
purchase of the building and have
now again donated for the purchase of
our phone system,” said John Driscoll,
Chair of Community House Mid
Canterbury.
Kevin Geddes has seen the Trust
grow in the past ten years into the
organisation it is today. He attributes
this to three things: First and foremost
the generosity of people in the
Ashburton community. Secondly
the inspired leadership and vision
of the late Neil Sinclair, the first
Chair of Advance Ashburton. Thirdly,
the ongoing support of the Tindall
Foundation which makes funds
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available to Community Trusts and
approved community projects.
Kevin feels that he has been privileged
to be part of a remarkable group of
Ashburton people who have built an
organisation that has harnessed the
inherent generosity of this community
into an catalyst for positive change.
Philanthropy is for everyone and our
community is very much the better for
the work of Advance Ashburton.
Retiring Advance Ashburton Trustee Kevin Geddes presents the cheque to John
Driscoll, Chairman Ashburton Community House Charitable Trust.
AACF NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1/2016
For the Love of Reading
Members of Group Ashburton 4 of the nationwide Book Discussion
Scheme have enjoyed books, lively literary discussion and friendship for
twenty-eight years. The eleven members of the group decided late last
year to make a donation to Advance Ashburton towards the BOOST literacy
programme, instead of exchanging Christmas gifts amongst themselves.
As member Kay Baird said,
“We felt it was appropriate for
a book group to encourage
children to learn to read
and enjoy books as much
as we do, and to make a
difference in their education.
Advance Ashburton is to be
congratulated for supporting
the highly worthwhile Boost
programme and we wanted to
help this excellent cause too.”
Kay Baird, right, gives a donation
of $500 to Elizabeth Ashford, of
the Foundation, on behalf of her
book group.
Methven Library and
Historical Society
After the 2011 earthquakes the buildings belonging to the Methven
Library and the Methven Historical Society were unable to be economically
repaired and strengthened. As a result the two groups have worked
together to gain approval for one brand new building which should be
completed in 2016. Support from the community has come in the form of
donations towards the cost of the building. Advance Ashburton Community
Foundation was pleased to hand over a cheque for $100,000. This was
donated by the Lochhead Charitable Trust, which is now administered by
the Foundation, specifically for this new Methven building.
Methven Historical Society Chairperson Kathryn McKendry receiving the cheque
from the Advance Ashburton Community Foundation’s Chairman, Trevor Croy.
Having the
Courage
Hello. My name is Carmen Sutton. I am
a forty-two-year-old woman who has
always been ok at practical assignments.
I gratefully received one of your
Outward Bound scholarships, and later I
received an industry training scholarship.
This month I received my National
Certificate in Carpentry.
After completion of Outward Bound, I
had the courage to address my dyslexia
that had plagued my learning and my
confidence for my first thirty-eight years.
I had myself assessed at Seabrook
McKenzie for learning difficulties and
got myself a tutor. From there it took 18
months of hard work to get myself ready
for my pre-trade in Carpentry at Aoraki
in Timaru.
This year in Timaru brought many ups
and downs emotionally, however I stuck
with it and graduated. Alister McIntosh
then took me on firstly for work
experience and then as an apprentice
builder.
Three years later I have completed my
qualification and have recently built
my first registered house for McIntosh
Builders.
I would like to thank your organisation
for these opportunities and financial
support. I could never have followed my
dream and this path without your help.
Eternally grateful. Carmen Sutton
Carmen works on a house build in Tinwald
for McIntosh Builders.
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AACF | Phone 308 2231 | www.advanceashburton.co.nz
Advance Ashburton Community Foundation
Scholarships 2016
From over seventy applicants the Grants Committee of the Foundation was
delighted to award twenty-two scholarships on February 2nd, totalling $32,000.
Health Science scholarships from the
UFS, Johnston Brothers and Woods
Funds: Rebecca Robinson, Darren
Ritchie, Imogen Reid, Abbie Muir,
Mitchell Hopping, Nikita Quinn, Abbey
Marshall, Tessa Anderson and Louise
Clemens.
Alister Smyth and Woods Fund:
Jemma Rotch, Amelia Young, Ashleigh
Leonard, Hayleigh Miller, Harrison
Waddell, Emily Hickman and Monica
Leadley
Parsons Fund: Josh Heney
Tinwald Club Fund: Hannah Waters
Advance Ashburton Community
Foundation General Fund:
Stuart Kirkcaldie, Danielle Barakat,
Melissa Gooseman and Matt Gallagher
Advance Ashburton Scholars for 2016
Appointments
We are delighted to welcome two new trustees
to the Foundation’s Board.
Nicki Webster
Nicki is a Director and Financial Manager
of farming businesses in Dorie, Rakaia and
Aylesbury.
She is a Justice of the Peace, a trustee of the
Rakaia Medical Centre and Dorie Community
Trusts, and was the founding Chairperson of the
Dorie Community Preschool. She farms with her
husband Peter and they have three adult sons.
Chris Wylie
Chris, Senior Partner at BNZ, has been a banker
since 1988 and in Ashburton since 1994.
Previously an Agri banker, he now leads the BNZ
team across Ashburton and Timaru.
He is the Past Chairman of Ashburton Borough
School Board and past Chairman of Christchurch
Girls’ High School Rowing.
Chris is married to Jacqui and is father of four
daughters. He loves cycling, climbing hills and
boating in his spare time.
Nicki
Investment Advisory Committee
The Foundation thanks Roger Bonifant,
who has been a member of the Investment
Advisory Committee since 2011 and
who has recently retired from the role.
His expertise and experience have been
greatly appreciated and valued: we
acknowledge and thank Roger for his
wonderful contribution.
Grant Bonniface, has joined the committee.
He is a Chartered Accountant and since
2008 has been the Chief Financial Officer
of Ashburton Contracting Ltd (ACL). ACL is
a diverse civil contracting company based
in Mid Canterbury employing 135 staff.
His interests include commercial property
ownership, investment and farming. He is
a trustee (and treasurer) of the Waihora
Ellesmere Trust and Life Member and
Secretary/Treasurer of the Waihora Clay
Target Club.
Chris
Advance Ashburton is a perpetual charitable trust dedicated to benefiting the Ashburton region.
Give where you live – to build a strong community
For more information:
Please see our website www.advanceashburton.co.nz
Or contact our Executive Officer Margaret Rickard on 308 2231
email [email protected]
Charities Commission Registration CC28482
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