Media Release

April 14, 2016

Payroll Giving Support For The I Have A Dream Foundation

A chance to make a difference to the lives of local children was the impetus for Northland DHB adopting the I Have A Dream Foundation along with Health Fund Plus through payroll giving this coming year.

“The commitment to three high needs communities in Whangarei was why Northland DHB felt that we should get behind this and the support that we can provide from our staff and through payroll giving just may make a difference for a few more children”, offered chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain.

I Have a Dream’s launch of the Ngātahi Education Initiative (Ngātahi means together, in unison, as one) to the four schools in the Tikipunga/Otangarei communities in Whangarei will inspire the dreams and enable the futures of 1,500 children growing up in material hardship.

The initial intake of the 600 pupils in Years 1 to 8 at Tikipunga Primary School, Totara Grove School, Te Kura o Otangarei and Tikipunga High School saw five "navigators" start in classrooms in February, working alongside teachers and installing wraparound service for all the students.

Navigators bridge the gap between the world of family and school to help students succeed, with intensive tutoring and mentorship, working alongside them from the first day of school, two years into tertiary education or employment.

“The concept of mentorship and support and a long term support of many years was compelling and the infrastructure and talent that is supporting the whole project gave us confidence as well”, Dr Chamberlain said.

The I Have A Dream Foundation started its life in Auckland in 2003 with a smaller-scale pilot and now chief executive Ant Backhouse acting as navigator for 53 pupils.

Eighty per cent of these students went on to university, compared with 30 per cent of those from similar backgrounds who were not in the programme.

“We were impressed by the I Have a Dream pilot that showed some superb evidence of educational achievement and improvement in a population that are significantly under privileged and that result was inspirational”, said Dr Chamberlain.

“The advocates and champions were young people that have succeeded and have developed a vision for their lives that they would never have had on their own.”

Mr Backhouse and I Have A Dream Trust founder Scott Gilmour worked for more than two years to raise money for the Whangarei programme, which costs about $1000 per student per year. They joined forces with the Ngātahi Education Initiative with a mission statement that: "Education is a proven social investment able to break inter-generational cycles of poverty."

Payroll Giving enables Northland DHB to pass employees’ donations on to their chosen donee organisations. The scheme gives employees the opportunity to donate to an approved donee organisation from their pay and will qualify for a 33.3% tax credit for payroll donations.

Northland DHB’s Executive Leadership Team selects two donee organisations each year to which employees may donate giving through the payroll giving scheme. The two donee organisations for 2016 – 2017 are Health Fund Plus (Northland Foundation) and I Have a Dream Foundation.

Health Fund Plus has been set up by Northland Foundation and Northland DHB to provide a way for people to give back to the DHB by way of donations or endowments to get the “optional extras” in equipment and services for the DHB that can make all the difference in providing the best quality healthcare possible.

ends

© Scoop Media