Previous Recipients
Winter 09 Recipients
We are delighted to announce the following women and organisations as our Winter 2009 recipients of funding from the Max Foundation for New Zealand Women Trust.
We think you'll agree they absoulutely embody the spirit of the Foundation and we are thrilled to be able to provide them support to enable them to acheive their goals.
Congratulations!
Wairarapa Women's Centre
Wairarapa Women’s Centre in Masterton – is a community centre providing a unique service to women and their children in the Wairarapa region, fostering and promoting equality, wellbeing and the development of women and their families and empowering to them to take control of their own lives.
Centre Co-ordinator Shanan Aspinall explains “We believe that knowledge empowers, leading to better understanding and tolerance, bringing about harmony within families and communities. We enable women to make informed decisions about their lives and those of their families”.
The Centre was established in 1988 to confront women’s oppression and promote well being and development of women in the Wairarapa region. The Centre provides a safe place for women and children along with emergency clothing, linen, household goods, support, advocacy, workshops and courses on a wide range of topics and home visits when required.
The Centre relies on funding from community groups and funding bodies and the Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is delighted to pledge the Wairarapa Women’s Centre a $10,000 grant.
New Beginnings Midwives
Danielle North represents a group four committed midwives in the Papakura district whom share a vision to upgrade the Papakura Maternity Unit so those women who deliver and stay postnatal in the unit, can have a better start in this crucial and special time in their lives.
As public funding is unavailable, this small passionate group have begun a journey to realise their vision through working with a number of community partners.
Danielle North says, “the upgrade will give the women of Papakura a more pleasant and comfortable
environment in which to spend the most important time in their lives. The Papakura Maternity Unit has been part of the community for over 60 years and we want it to continue to provide a wonderful service.”
The Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is delighted to hold in trust $5,000 until June 2010 to go toward the upgrade project for the New Beginnings Midwives.
Taonga Education Centre -Teen Parent Unit
The Duke of Edinburgh Hillary’s Award: A previous Max Foundation recipient, the Taonga Education Centre Teen Parent Unit in Clendon will be the beneficiary of a grant to help the girls through the Adventurous Journey section of The Duke of Edinburgh Hillary’s Award.
Specifically, the funding will provide the Silver and also the new Bronze participants the equipment and hireage fees needed to allow them to take on this life changing challenge.
The emphasis has always been on the empowerment of young mums and the Award has given an added dimension to the excellent programmes being run at Taonga.
28 participants from the Teen Parent Unit are currently enrolled in either Bronze or Silver and completed Awards so far are 12 Bronze, 9 Silver and 7 Gold.
Typically for Service the girls run a co-operative crèche which allows them to do their schoolwork online in a rota system and give each other a helping hand at other times in their lives.
Taonga participants now regularly achieve above average results for NCEA 2 school exams and most aim to go on to Tertiary studies or employment.
The Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is delighted to pledge $5,000 to the Taonga Education Centre Teen Parent Unit.
Women in Sport Project
The Women in Sport Working Group got together to progress thinking around the status of women in sport leadership in New Zealand.
The Group is passionate about the future of New Zealand sport and our ability to achieve performance excellence on the international sporting stage.
The Working Group has come together with a view to working in partnership with government, sporting organisations and business to set in place initiatives that will not only assist women to contribute more fully, but develop them and support them to achieve a greater proportion of leadership roles.
The Women in Sport Project will send two women to the 5Th Annual International Working Group Conference on Women in Sport in Sydney in May 2010.
The women attending, Kereyn Smith (pictured) & Maria Clarke will be representing the Women in Sport project and will present a paper on the current situation and issues for women in sport in New Zealand and proposed national strategies to foster and advance future women leaders in sport.
The Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is delighted to pledge $ 4,700 for two of their members to attend the Annual International Working Group Conference on Women in Sport in Sydney in May 2010.
Dress For Success
Dress for Success New Zealand is a charity which boosts the job prospects of low income women by providing free work clothes and accessories.
They help around 3000 New Zealand women a year move from welfare back to work and rely on donated work wear to provide this highly regarded service. Over 90% of their clients rate the experience as extremely useful in helping them to secure jobs.
The Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is pleased to pledge over 900 Max clothing garments to help New Zealand women re-enter the workforce in style.
Roberta Francis
Roberta Francis was a recipient of the Supreme award at the 2009 Attitude Awards (recognising the outstanding achievements of New Zealanders living with a disability)
Born with congenital leg malformations (phocomelia) Roberta underwent amputation at 12 years old and uses a prosthetic leg, she has to undergo continuing surgery on her good foot.
Roberta previously won the Youth Award for her outstanding continued work in the community.
Roberta is truly outstanding – Part of Global Volunteer network, she has worked in Calcutta slums, back home she cares for a 6 year old with severe cerebral palsy, Roberta sponsors a World Vision child who has a similar disability, and is an active member of victim support (having been trained in role by NZ police and spends a lot of time with victim and families in ICU or indeed in their homes)
Roberta has also received a prestigious Rotary Scholarship to study peace and conflict in Tel Aviv University.
The Max Foundation for New Zealand Women is delighted to pledge a $1000 styling session for Roberta at her local Max store.