Media Release April 2011

Guardian Trust Distributes $60,000 to Te Waipuna Puawai Mercy Oasis

A Glen Innes community development organisation has received a valuable boost in the form of a $60,000 distribution from a charitable trust set up to support women in need. The Strathlachlan Fund, which is managed by Guardian Trust, has made the distribution to Te Waipuna Puawai Mercy Oasis in support of its family support services.

Te Waipuna Puawai, a Sisters of Mercy New Zealand initiative established in 1999, works with women and children living on the margins of society. Its Glen Innes centre provides whanau services including crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, referral and extensive case-work. It runs a fully licensed early childhood care and education unit, Nga Purapura Puawai, and in collaboration with other agencies provides for tertiary education and personal development programmes and many other support services.

It also serves teenage mothers, providing a tailored programme of childbirth learning classes, mentoring, play group and walking groups, and robust evaluation.

The distribution to Te Waipuna Puawai is one of the largest single distributions from a $903,000 overall charitable distribution made this year by the Strathlachlan Fund and a related trust, the John M McLachlan Charitable Trust, to women’s causes. In the past five years, the two trusts have distributed more than $2.8 million to New Zealand charitable organizations.

Guardian Trust’s Head of Personal Client Services, Philip Morgan-Rees, said the distribution highlighted how enduring giving is possible when facilitated with a charitable trust.

“We are delighted to make this distribution from the Strathlachlan Fund managed by Guardian Trust. This will help Te Waipuna Puawai move towards greater self-sustainability in supporting families in crisis and delivering educational and development programmes for women and children.”

Guardian Trust Client Manager Chris Jardine said, “We are privileged that we can discharge the philanthropic desire of the McLachlan family by supporting Te Waipuna Puawai’s long-term strategic plan to deliver sustainable high-quality services to women and families in need.”

Te Waipuna Puawai manager Puamiria Maaka said, “The money will serve as seed funding to open a new charity store, to make ourselves more self-sufficient. Like many NGOs we exist through the support of philanthropists, which leaves us vulnerable, and to generate our own income stream we’re planning to open a second store selling high-end homeware, footwear and clothing for the entire family, at affordable prices.”

The new store, the location of which is to be confirmed, will complement Te Waipuna Puawai’s existing store in Botany Junction.

The Strathlachlan Fund was established in 2007 according to the wishes of the late Susannah McLachlan, and the J M McLachlan Trust by her daughter, Isabella McLachlan, in 1984. Both trusts were established with similar charitable objectives, for the benefit and support of women in New Zealand, with particular focus on the needs of women in poverty or in reduced circumstances.

Of the $903,000 distribution made by the two trusts this year, other recipients include Challenge Trust for its Well Woman programme; Western Refuge; Auckland City Mission; and WONS. The Salvation Army and Auckland Women’s Refuge also benefit from support provided by the Strathlachlan Fund.

Guardian Trust is New Zealand’s pre-eminent provider of philanthropy services, with more charitable trusts and more funds under management than any other New Zealand trustee company. In the year to June 2010 Guardian Trust distributed almost $26 million to worthy causes in New Zealand.

ENDS

About Guardian Trust

Guardian Trust, established in 1882, has been serving New Zealanders for generations and is the pre-eminent provider of philanthropy services with more charitable trusts and more assets under management than any other trustee company. As one of New Zealand’s foremost trustee companies with 13 offices nationwide, it specialises in asset management and protection, providing wide-ranging advice and expertise in areas including philanthropy, estate planning and administration, financial planning, and personal and corporate trusts.

Guardian Trust is owned by The Trust Company, one of Australia’s longest-serving financial services companies with over 125 years of experience. The Trust Company has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Perth and Singapore, with over 230 employees and a market capitalisation of approximately AUD202 million.

For more information visit www.guardiantrust.co.nz and www.thetrustcompany.com.au.

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