Cholmondeley Foundation
The Cholmondeley Children’s Foundation exists to ensure our children’s future forever. We support the vital work delivered by the Centre, by establishing a fund to ensure the Centre can be supported in perpetuity.
This fund provides sustainable and reliable financial support, allowing the Centre to achieve their long-term goals, and continue to deliver best possible care to families and children in need.
The Foundation was set up in 2005 by a group of passionate and skilled volunteers, to develop an endowment fund to help the Centre decrease its reliance on annual fundraising to meet its operational costs. Today, along with the Centre, the Foundation has a strategic focus on raising funds for five key areas that will support the Centre to protect and enhance the mana of every child who walks through their doors for generations to come.
Vision
Our Vision: Ensuring Our Children’s Future Forever.
Our Priority Areas
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When Hugh Heber Cholmondeley had the foresight to set aside land and the original homestead, he gave a gift to the future children of Canterbury, and donations ensure the facilities that make Cholmondeley a haven for whānau/families can be sustained, maintained, and grown.
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With 451 children staying at the Centre each year, across an age range of 5 to 13 years old, equipment and resources are thoroughly put to the test each day. Donations allow the Foundation to provide the Centre with the items they need for everyday life, making it easier for the staff to best look after the children in their care.
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Donations are essential to support those working or volunteering at the Centre, ensuring Cholmondeley is leading best practice in the field, and producing research-based evidence to support that. Prioritising the development and growth of staff will only benefit the children who use our facilities. Donating today ensures we can invest in the right people who believe deeply in this work.
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Donations ensure that the Centre can provide support for whānau/family units in a responsive way, that works for them. The work done and support given at the Centre has a positive effect on our children, but the time they spend at Cholmondeley is limited. Having funding to implement Whānau Support means that the Centre’s impact can extend beyond the children’s time in care, into the family home the child returns to.
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Founded in 2005, this Endowment is locked down, to be available in perpetuity, to ensure Cholmondeley is here to stay. It is the safety net to ensure our children’s future forever, immune to economic or social upheavals. Donations that are allocated to the Fund as a priority area enable the Foundation to maintain a safe space for generations of Cantabrian children and families to come.
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While the Centre and the Foundation work closely together to determine which areas of the Centre will need the most financial support, the day-to-day realities mean that there will always be needs over and above what has been expected. Donations to this area will support any unforeseen costs, on a case-by-case basis, as requested by the Centre.
The Foundation is managed by a dedicated Board of volunteers.
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Chairman
Member of the Cholmondeley Board from 2005 to 2020, initially as Treasurer and then President for 6 years. Kerry is a qualified accountant, a member of the Society of Accountants for Australia and New Zealand, and the Institute of Directors. He has served on Boards at private company, not-for-profit, and public company levels and has a particular interest in working with and adding value to not-for profits.
A desire to do something to help make children in crisis lives better led to his involvement with Cholmondeley. Kerry helped guide the organisation through a very difficult four years after the earthquake, and chaired the committee which raised the funds to rebuild Cholmondeley after the earthquakes, a project which was delivered on time, within budget and debt free, and is the highlight of Kerry's involvement in Cholmondeley.
Kerry considers the "new" Cholmondeley a special place, where he will continue to serve on the Foundation as long as he considers he is adding value, with a particular focus now on raising further funds within the Foundation to assist with the future financial stability of Cholmondeley in the years ahead.
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Trustee
Janine is one of New Zealand's leading children's television producers. She trained as a producer and director with TVNZ before spending seven years as Executive Producer of TVNZ's Children's Unit.
In 1998 Janine and husband, Jason Gunn, formed Christchurch based production company, WhitebaitMedia, which has actively supported Cholmondeley for over a decade.
During the Canterbury earthquakes, she established the charity Adopt a Christchurch Family which raised over $1million for Canterbury families in need. She is also a current Board Member of St Margaret's College.
In 2009, Janine was recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year by WIFT (Women in Film and TV) and was a finalist in Next Magazine's 2012 Woman of the Year.
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Trustee
Glenn Jones (LL.B; AAMINZ) is a barrister specialising in civil, commercial and employment dispute resolution. He is also professionally accredited as a mediator and is an associate member of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of NZ. Prior to practising as a barrister he was a partner in a leading Christchurch based law firm for over 20 years. Glenn served for nine years as a member of the board of Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, his last three years as Vice President. He was honoured to be appointed as a Trustee of the Foundation in April 2017 and applies his business and risk management skills to the essential work the Foundation does in support of the Centre.
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Trustee
Andrew is the New Zealand Business Development Manager for Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific, a division of the global packaging company headquartered in Switzerland. Andrew joined Amcor in 2015 and has held senior sales management and development roles within the Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific business. Prior to joining Amcor, Andrew spent 15 years at Lion working across Lion’s New Zealand and Australia business units in a variety of senior sales and commercial roles.
A qualified Chartered Accountant, Andrew has been a Trustee of the Cholmondeley Children’s Foundation since 2018. His desire to support the great work of the Cholmondeley Children’s Centre was sparked by a family member's exceptional fundraising support of the rebuild of the Centre after the Christchurch earthquake. As a born and bred Cantabrian, Andrew is excited to be able to bring his background in commercial finance and sales to his role as Trustee for the Foundation in supporting the wonderful work of Cholmondeley. -
Trustee
David is the Managing Director of Livingstone Realty Ltd, a Life Member of the Real Estate Institute of NZ, former Registered Valuer, and a previous Chairman of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. David is also a Charter Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand and a Trustee on the Rotary Club of Cashmere Charitable Trust. David has been a Cholmondeley Children’s Foundation Trustee since 2005 and was Chairman from 2005 to 2010. David agreed to become a Trustee for Cholmondeley Children’s Foundation because he sees Cholmondeley as a place which provides a positive helping hand and opportunity for children who need support. -
Trustee
Mark is a Senior Commercial Manager with Kiwibank, having joined in Oct 2022. He began his career in banking with another major provider in 1994, and had a brief stint in both a private practice as the GM for a broker company, and as a self-employed Financial Adviser. Mark’s experience with governance stems from his voluntary role as Chairman of the Christchurch Football Club from 2018-2021 – New Zealand’s oldest rugby club, incorporated in 1863 – and was a Board member for several years prior to that. Mark has previously worked with the Child Cancer Foundation in a voluntary capacity, and this experience led him to learn about Cholmondeley, and he values the opportunity to again contribute to a wonderful local charity. -
As the Director of Advancement at Christ's College, Claire takes care of marketing, communications, and community engagement. Her role also covers alumni engagement, event management, development, sponsorship and bequests, as well as domestic and international admissions and the front office.
Claire brings a wealth of expertise and experience, having run her own marketing consultancy and worked in notable companies across New Zealand and Australia, including Yellow Pages, Thrifty Car Rental, BOC Gas, and Ansett New Zealand.
Claire is also committed to the broader education community as the President of the Rangi Ruru Girls' School PTA since 2020. This role underscores her dedication to fostering connections and supporting educational initiatives beyond her primary professional responsibilities.
Claire's recent appointment to Cholmondeley’s Board reflects her enthusiasm for contributing to the wider community. By joining the board, Claire aims to leverage her skills and experience to make a positive impact within the Cholmondeley community, further demonstrating her commitment to community engagement and service.
