blog

Youth Connections Across Auckland

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:46:17 +1200

Yesterday, 14 May 2012, Auckland Council launched a new Tindall Foundation funded initiative called Youth Connections in collaboration with joint funder Auckland Airport Community Trust and several other key stakeholder organisations. It will help Auckland’s young people to get local jobs by improving the links between school leavers and local employers. This initiative will complement and work with existing services to tackle the high rate of 16-24 year-old unemployment. Currently, 25,700 young people in Auckland are not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

Helping young people to find and keep meaningful employment benefits everyone. It creates a prosperous future for them and their families. Employers can access a committed trained local workforce. Evidence also shows that this model can signifcantly reduce long-term costs of ongoing anti-social problems resulting from jobless youth.

There will be $1.35 million of funding over two years from The Tindall Foundation (TTF), Auckland Airport Community Trust & Auckland Council. TTF's contribution is $670,000. The joint funding will pay for five initiatives across Auckland, delivered at a Local Board area level. The five funded Local Board areas are Henderson-Massey/Whau, Puketapapa, Mangere-Otahuhu, Maungakiekie-Tamaki, and Otara-Papatoetoe.

Each area has developed a delivery plan to suit the specific employment needs of its own community. The model is loosely based on the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs model, championed by Mayor Dale Williams, which has led to almost zero youth unemployment in Otorohanga. This reduction in youth unemployment also led to a significant reduction in ratepayer expenses to address the results of anti-social crime (e.g. vandalism).

The Auckland Local Boards offer the best opportunity to adapt the Otorohanga model in a practical way to operate at a local community level in Auckland. Local Board leaders will champion this initiative by encouraging and supporting local employers, schools, trainers and support services to get behind it.

A co-ordinated cross-city approach will be ensured by an Auckland-wide governing steering group made up of key organisations including Auckland Council, MSD, Employers and Manufacturers Association, and training organisations.

Listen to the Radio New Zealand piece here

Funding Manager and Local Allocation Committee Workshop

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:16:06 +1200

Next week, May 16th and 17th, TTF will host its National Funding Manager and Local Allocation Committee Workshop at Vaughan Park Retreat and Conference Centre, Long Bay on Auckland's North Shore.

We have 17 Funding Managers who distribute funds on our behalf in the areas of Supporting Families and Social Services and Caring for the Environment. These particular donations are small in nature, and are given to charitable organisations throughout New Zealand. Our Funding Managers and Local Allocation Committees know the needs of the communities in which they live/work far better than we could from one centralised location.

Every other year we hold a workshop and invite our Funding Managers to Auckland with the aim of building relationships, networking, sharing ideas & sucesses and discussing what is happening at the grass roots level in their communities. This year, our keynote speakers will be Ngahau and Debbie Davis, Community and Economic Leaders in Morewa, Northland. They are the main drivers behind 'He Iwi Kotahi Trust' and have initiated many cutting edge projects, committing a lot of their time over the years to the community.

Staff and Trustees are excited about hearing Ngahau, Debbie and many others speak about their experiences. Hosting the workshop and keeping in touch with these incredible people is so valuable to us and to our work.

Christchurch Visit

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:38:49 +1200

Staff members, Dave Richards and Kate Tindall visited Christchurch recently to meet with organisations TTF are supporting through the Canterbury Earthquake Response Fund and to catch up with Bede Martin, our joint Todd/Tindall Foundation Project Manager in Christchurch. Although the visit brought the usual feeling of sadness, it was brilliant to meet with those who are working so hard to move things forward through such a complex, painful situation.

Mary Richardson of Christchurch Methodist Mission spoke of the hardships some people will face this winter in their earthquake-shaken homes. Methodist Mission continue to do a fantastic job providing multiple services to the people in their community, despite the increased workload after the earthquakes. Their own offices were devastated in the February earthquake, but they have settled into another site in which they have accommodation and independent living for older people, an early childhood centre and the offices of the Methodist Mission. It was a highlight to hear from Andrea, the early childhood centre manager of the interconnectedness of the community. The children and the older people, who live in the Methodist Mission housing units just a few minutes walk away, get together regularly to have morning tea, or to sing songs. These ages rarely get to mingle, so something like this is really valuable for both groups.

Driving through Sydenham has recently turned into a somewhat colourful experience, especially for the average visitor to Christchurch. Gap Filler have injected hope and enthusiasm into empty lots with creative pop-up projects such as the super impressive Dance-O-Mat, which is a real dance floor with speakers, disco ball and is actually powered by an old washing machine! You just plug your ipod in and pop your $2 in the slot, and half an hour of dancing is yours! We unfortunately didn't have an ipod, but danced anyway. We met the energetic staff, Coralie and Trent, in their tiny, heavily-insulated office made from recycled materials. Gap Filler have been attracting attention for their proactive attitude towards reclaiming the city. They really encourage others to do as they have done, and start to use derelict spaces for the public. It definitely breathes hope, fun and a sense of community into the otherwise desolate spaces where buildings once stood.

Addington Action is an organisation, which was founded after the Canterbury earthquakes to help vulnerable residents to clear and repair their homes. Bede led a tour of a few houses which have been repaired by Addington Action. The repairs on the houses included; major cracks refilled, rubble cleared from sections, broken concrete replaced, the replacement of framing and insulation, new wiring etc. The owners are feeling a lot more secure and some are on the path to being able to do the rest of the repairs themselves and have joined AA as a volunteer.

Another resident-led initiative we visited is Cancern (Canterbury Communities' Earthquake Recovery Network) a network of Christchurch residents' groups. Leanne and Brian are performing a stirling job making sure residents' are kept informed by the authorities and ensuring that earthquake-stricken Cantabrians' concerns are addressed. We really got a feeling of the immense complexities of the many inter-woven issues that need to be constructively addressed to sort out the recovery.

Kia Kaha, Christchurch!

TTF on Facebook

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:03:55 +1200

The Tindall Foundation is now on facebook! We want to keep in touch with other trusts and foundations, community groups and organisations, so please visit our page and 'like' us. We'll then be able to keep up to date with what's going on for you, and you can see what's happening for us.

Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tindall-Foundation/263311543745040

New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services Conference

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:53:47 +1200

Tindall Foundation Trustees and staff attended to two-day national conference and the one-day Auckland conference held by NZCCSS last week.

The conference was very well attended with keynote speakers including Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Bill English and Minister for Social Development, Hon Paula Bennett. The initial two days of the conference focused on the changes that were in the pipeline for relationships between the community sector and government and changes required in order to make progress on intractable social issues. On the third day of the conference Deputy Mayor, Penny Hulse presented The Auckland Plan, followed by detailed explanation by Ree Anderson (Manager, Regional Strategy, Community & Cultural Policy) and feedback from workshop participants.

Foundation Trustees and staff picked up a strong message from the first two-days of impending change for the sector but with very few details about how this may be implemented. Hopefully the Government White Paper, scheduled to be issued in August will provide more clarity along these lines. The final day showed a strong-looking Auckland Plan, in terms of its people-centred approach. We hope that this focus on young and vulnerable people at the forefront of the plan will come into fruition as the plan is implemented.

Details of the conference are available at: http://www.socialservicesconf.org.nz/

Community Foundations Conference

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:24:08 +1200

Last month community foundations from around New Zealand gathered in Rotorua for a two-day conference. Over the past ten years there has been significant growth across the country in the number and size of these local philanthropic organisations.

A community foundation is a regional organisation with which a local donor can establish a fund in perpetuity. Income from these funds is used to benefit local charitable organisations and causes.

Hosted by the Geyser Community Foundation, the conference heard from keynote speakers including Monica Patten (Ex CEO, Community Foundations of Canada) and Sir Stephen Tindall, along with reports from each of the foundations represented.

Highlights included:

A dramatic overall increase in the total community foundations funds under management and endowments promised
Increased levels of sustainability amongst newly emerging foundations
Lessons learned in Canada and how these can be applied in New Zealand
A commitment to advance shared interests through a national "movement"

The Tindall Foundation has supported the emergence of community foundations in New Zealand over the past 15 years. It is now limiting its support to development of the national movement and exchanges between existing organisations.

For further information please visit http://www.nzcommunityfoundations.org.nz/

Giving New Zealand

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:44:07 +1300

The Giving New Zealand study on giving by Individuals, Trusts and Foundations and Business over the past five years, undertaken for Philanthropy NZ by BERL was launched last week in Auckland. The launch included a presentation by Dr Adrian Slack, Economist and principal researcher. Dr Slack was also involved in the last 'Giving New Zealand' research study, which was undertaken in 2006.

This report is a fascinating insight into giving in New Zealand, and showed that personal giving is higher, at 58% than giving by Trusts and Foundations at 36%. Business only gives 6% of New Zealand's total. New Zealanders will be pleased to know that for overall giving, New Zealand ranked second behind the USA in the group that includes Canada, Australia, UK, USA and New Zealand. Dramatic increases in Payroll Giving, which the Tindall Foundation supports were also highlighted.

The Tindall Foundation, among other Philanthropy NZ members and the Ministry of Social Development helped fund this report. We are pleased to see the in-depth research which was thoroughly undertaken, and the promising results which show how generous Kiwis are.

Link to report

One Year Anniversary of February 22 Christchurch Earthquake

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:35:03 +1300

We honour those who died one year ago in Christchurch and send love to their family and friends.

This week, Wednesday 22 February marked the one year anniversary of the "darkest day" the city of Christchurch has seen.

The day started with an emotional memorial service for the bereaved families which paid tribute to the dead and injured, but also highlighted the remarkable tales of heroism in the earthquake's aftermath.

At noon families joined dignitaries and 20,000 fellow citizens for a mass civic memorial service in North Hagley Park and paid tribute to the 185 victims of the 22 February, 2011 earthquake by witnessing the release of 185 monarch butterflies, and listening to a complete list of the names of those who died, which were read out.

We at The Tindall Foundation honoured those who have died and their families who remain by bowing our heads in a two minute silence, as many around the country would have done.

Our thoughts continue to be with those in Christchurch who have endured so much over this past year.

New Trustee Rob Tindall

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:28:50 +1300

Rob Tindall was recently appointed as the fifth Trustee of the Foundation.

Rob currently works at K1W1, which is Stephen Tindall's investment company. K1W1 focuses on investing in New Zealand based early stage technology companies. Prior to this, Rob worked at The Warehouse Limited for eight years, most recently as a buyer. Rob has represented New Zealand in Men's Water Polo over a number of years and still plays at club level.

He is warmly welcomed by Trustees, who appreciate his family perspectives and keen interest in charitable giving.

Closing Date 9 March for Working Together More Fund

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:49:37 +1300

The Working Together More Fund's next closing date for applications is 9 March. The Fund aims to support and encourage community groups to collaborate more.

Applications will be considered from organisations that meet the aims and objectives of the Working Together More Fund – He Putea Mahi Tahi. This would include:

New collaborative ventures or arrangements that increase the effectiveness of participating organisations to make a positive difference for people and the communities they serve.
Collaborative ventures that create sector or across-sector relationships and which strengthen the communities they serve.
Organisations wishing to consider working with other groups, and which would like some assistance to begin or develop the process.

For more information, take a look at their website:

www.workingtogether.org.nz/the-fund/

Staff Updates

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:20:25 +1300

We regret to announce that Zarleen Blakeley, Projects & Information Manager, is leaving at the end of February to explore new opportunities in Melbourne, Australia.

During her six years with the Foundation, Zarleen managed communications, including the website and annual report, and analysed outcomes of funded initiatives. We will miss Zarleen at the Foundation as she has been a core member of our small team. We wish her all the very best for the future.

Zarleen’s departure has coincided with the arrival of Kate Tindall, who will be our new Donations & Communications Advisor. We are pleased to welcome Kate, who previously worked at The Tindall Foundation from 2006 until early 2008. Kate has since acquired valuable work and study experience in grant-making in the UK, at Trust for London and City University London.

Please email kate.tindall@tindall.org.nz if you have any website or general communications queries.

2011 Annual Report & 2012 Calendar

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:44:51 +1300

The 2011 Tindall Foundation Annual Report is now published and available to download here. Again in a calendar format, it includes 12 stories about organisations that received Tindall Foundation donations last year. The main themes in this year's report are the Christchurch earthquake and planting, early childhood and youth initiatives.

We have a limited number of spare calendars available if you would like to be sent a copy. Please contact us or email zarleen.blakeley@tindall.org.nz to request copies.

Christchurch-based Project Manager

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:15:11 +1200

The Tindall Foundation and Todd Foundation have jointly contracted Bede Martin as a Christchurch-based Project Manager to assist with their contributions to earthquake recovery in Christchurch. Along with helping the Todd Foundation with its dedicated Earthquake Fund, Bede will work with The Tindall Foundation on:

Information for assessment of earthquake-related applications
Identifying suitable initiatives/developments for our support
Liaison with other funders
Liaison with Funding Managers
Liaison with key contacts and supported initiatives

Bede comes from a background of community development in Christchurch, including senior positions at Community Energy Action, Open Home Foundation and Community Law Canterbury.

The Tindall Foundation has committed $5 million towards the recovery process in Christchurch over the next few years. Bede will help us identify the best use of these resources.

For other Christchurch news stories, please go to the News archive page.

Living Legends

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:05:14 +1200

Living Legends, a community conservation initiative uniting rugby and conservation, will run 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011. Each project is managed in partnership with New Zealand provincial rugby unions and will be dedicated to a regional 'Rugby Legend' selected by the unions.

"Living Legends is a fantastic opportunity for New Zealanders and visitors to contribute to enhancing New Zealand's environment, and leave a lasting treasure in some of our most iconic natural areas," says Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson. "We want to see 5,000 trees planted at each of the 17 sites this year, with plans to increase that to 10,000 each site by the end of the project in 2015."

The Rugby Legends are:

Northland – Richie Guy

North Harbour – Wayne Shelford

Auckland – Bryan Williams

Waikato – Duane Monkley

Bay of Plenty – Hika Reid

King Country – Sir Colin Meads

Taranaki/Wanganui – Ian Eliason

Hawke’s Bay – Ian MacRae

Manawatu – Sam Strahan

Horowhenua/Kapiti – Christian Cullen

Wellington/Wairarapa – Sir Brian Lochore

Tasman – Todd Blackadder

Buller/West Coast – John Sturgeon

Canterbury – Tane Norton

Mid Canterbury/South Canterbury – Jock Ross

North Otago/Otago – Kees Meeuws

Southland – Kevin Laidlaw

These Rugby Legends were selected for their significant contribution to New Zealand rugby, either as a player or administrator for their region.

Living Legends is a venture of environmental charity Project Crimson, with funding from The Tindall Foundation to kickstart the project. You can find all of the information about their events at www.livinglegends.co.nz and take a look at their video.

Solar Promise

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:20:40 +1200

'The Solar Promise' nationwide campaign is encouraging New Zealand councils to consider solar energy options, as their communities face rising electricity costs and continuing oil depletion.

Nelson City Council, Nelson Environment Centre and SolarCity launched The Solar Promise in July, calling for regional councils, as well as central government, individuals and businesses, to do what they can to make solar energy more affordable.

Nelson City Council has resolved to waive solar resource consents to help reduce the cost barriers. "The Solar Saver Scheme has been a huge success for Nelson," says Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio. "In the scheme's first year, Nelson families put more solar systems on their roofs than the whole of Auckland City, immediately getting up to one week's free power every month."

Nelson City Council's pledge to The Solar Promise is "to continue to waive resource consent fees for solar installation, retain the Solar Saver Scheme, and encourage all councils to consider a number of key policies in their upcoming Long Term Plan".

Other Mayors - from Hastings, Wellington, Marlborough, Tasman, Dunedin, Invercargill and Whanganui - have also pledged their support to The Solar Promise.

The Tindall Foundation has helped fund research around wider adoption of solar energy programmes and would like to encourage all councils to support implementation.

For more information about The Solar Promise, or to make a promise, go to www.solarpromise.org.nz

Funder collaboration in Christchurch

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:47:19 +1200

The Tindall Foundation is looking at ways to work with other funders in response to the Christchurch earthquakes. This includes attendance at the recent Funders' Forum in Christchurch, and plans to contract a Christchurch-based project manager in partnership with the Todd Foundation. The Tindall Foundation has made a substantial commitment to short, medium and long-term earthquake related needs over the next 3-5 years. We are distributing funds to agencies helping those affected by the Christchurch earthquakes, particularly the carers.

Christchurch earthquake response

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 +1200

The Tindall Foundation is taking a considered response to the Christchurch earthquake on February 22, after wide consultation about the best ways to help. Although our primary focus will be on medium and longer term support for the people of Christchurch, The Tindall Foundation is already funding some urgent winter goods and has provided immediate discretionary donations to its front-line social service partners. Over the next 3-5 years the Foundation will look to help social services agencies and selected initiatives to rebuild lives and communities.

Toolkit for Safer Schools

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:08:19 +1300

Over 100 schools in Christchurch are using an innovative new toolkit designed to help staff recognise signs of family violence and bullying.

The 'Toolkit for Safer Children – Schools and Communities', launched by Christchurch Methodist Mission in August, is aimed at staff working with children in early childhood centres and schools. The toolkit was recently distributed to city-wide Christchurch schools.

Methodist Mission Aotearoa funded the development of the toolkit with their funding allocation as a Tindall Foundation Funding Manager.

Ninon Kirchner, a Christchurch Methodist Mission advocate for children and young people experiencing family violence, says "Schools found it to be a great resource when the earthquake hit, as they were able to utilise the agencies listed in the toolkit to get help and support."

Packed full of information and resources, the toolkit gives practical advice and step-by-step guidance to help those working with children and young people.

It includes information on the following:

Policy and legislation to help schools create or update health and safety policies.
Information and guidelines about responding to child abuse - how to identify and respond to child abuse; the process around child, youth and family notifications; and information on the effects of family violence and childhood trauma.
Age-appropriate sexual play and behaviour in children aged 0-12 years.
Statistics and information from the 'It’s Not OK' Campaign, the Family Violence Clearinghouse and 'What’s Up' children’s helpline.
Training opportunities for teachers and school staff, provided by both statutory agencies and non-government organisations.
Information on legal and curriculum requirements and tips for parents around bullying.

The toolkit also includes teaching materials and resources for students, parents, teachers and schools around the topic of family violence and child abuse. All materials are aligned with the NZ curriculum and can therefore be used as part of official curriculum planning.

Margaret Coleman, Principal at Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Christchurch, says the toolkit is a "godsend" for school principals. "It provides vital information for both experienced and inexperienced classroom teachers who have to make decisions based on either disclosures or their own observations. I think it is a brilliant resource and a copy should be in every New Zealand school."

To view The 'Toolkit for Safer Children – Schools and Communities' visit http://www.mmsi.org.nz/images/stories/toolkit.pdf

You can also order a hard copy on the Christchurch Methodist Mission's website.

De Paul House hosts discussion on debt

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:56:08 +1300

De Paul House, in Northcote on Auckland’s North Shore, is a provider of emergency housing which offers not only shelter, food, and clothing to families, but also helps them to up-skill so that they can live independently in the community.

Acknowledging that the issue of debt is a real concern for so many Kiwis, De Paul House recently hosted a morning tea and panel discussion on the topic of “the new phenomenon of easy debt and its impact on today’s society”.

Three professionals who discussed the issue included: Mary Holm, NZ Herald columnist and senior lecturer in financial literacy at the University of Auckland; Nettie Cullen, a psychologist with experience in public mental health, educational institutes, NGOs and private practice; and Rob Collins, General Manager of Credit Union Auckland - a membership organisation providing a co-operative savings facility to form a loan fund.

The panel all agreed that there is a great need to educate people from an early age that saving is the way forward.

Mary Holm spoke about the issues students face due to debt, including the increase in debt for students aged 16-18. In her financial literacy course, she teaches students how to budget and manage their income, and what to do if they get in trouble.

Nettie Cullen discussed how ‘easy money’ and credit can lead to overwhelming debt for many individuals. She spoke of the underlying emotional issues that need to be addressed through communication and support.

Rob Collins also highlighted how debt is crippling individuals and families. He reported statistics show that every adult and child in New Zealand has a debt of $36,000. Rob believes that we have created a ‘bad debt’ society because of easy access to so-called ‘interest free’ packages. He said that often people don’t realise until it is too late, and have to face high interest payments and hidden fees.

The Tindall Foundation has given De Paul House a 3-year donation to implement an education enhancement programme for Pacific families.

Tindall Foundation Visits Day

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:05:39 +1300

The Tindall Foundation staff and trustees recently visited two organisations – The Pacific Peoples Advancement Trust and Christians Against Poverty – to learn more about the innovative approaches they have adopted to support their community.

The Pacific Peoples Advancement Trust in Manukau is an umbrella organisation working to increase the skills and employment prospects of Pacific people. The leadership and commitment of the whole team was inspiring.

Three organisations are working under the umbrella to improve the long-term employment prospects for the Pacific community: The Village Trust, the Pacific Business Trust and the Pasifika Education Trust. They have seen some outstanding results in the last six months, educating people and helping them into jobs.

Ex-All Black Michael Jones and The Village Trust are running a sports academy for 16 to 24-year-olds. Many of these young people left school with no qualifications. Through sports, tutors are preparing them for higher education, employment and, in some cases, providing a pathway to a career in sport. 44 students will graduate in November, and it is hoped the entire class will either enter formal education or get jobs.

Pasifika Education Centre is running computing and English language courses for Pacific Island adults. These foundation courses prepare people for other education, training and employment opportunities. 95 people graduated in the first intake.

The Pacific Business Trust offers business development services, coaching and mentoring to Pacific people. It runs courses for those who want to achieve formal qualifications, find work and explore self-employment options. In the past two years, the Trust has supported 136 start-up businesses and helped to get 326 Pacific people into employment. Currently over 100 people take part in formal training courses. With funds from The Tindall Foundation, the Trust has recently opened a purpose-built training centre and computer lab with 26 work stations.

In the afternoon, we visited Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which is helping those who have been pushed into financial crisis by the economic recession.

CAP is turning people's lives around so they become debt-free. Through its in-depth debt counselling service, the organisation offers programmes, services and personalised support. The team demonstrated how CAP Account works like a bank account for people to manage their money. CAP pays bills on their clients' behalf and encourages saving.

Visiting the Pasifika Education Centre