Beatrice Faumuina Joins the Spark Foundation Board

Thursday, 18 September 2014, 2:51 pm
Press Release: Spark NZ

Beatrice Faumuina Joins the Spark Foundation Board

The Spark Foundation has today announced the appointment of New Zealand sporting legend Beatrice Faumuina ONZM to the organisation’s Board of Trustees.

Beatrice has been widely involved in community initiatives since her retirement from top-level competitive athletics in 2011. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer for BEST Pasifika Leadership Academy, an organisation that offers a Diploma in Pasifika leadership, personal development, understanding organisation culture, change, influence and business mentoring for future leaders. She has also worked as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador focusing on world hunger.

In 2005, the four time Olympian and Halberg Award winner became an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to athletics.

Sir Bob Harvey, Chair of the Spark Foundation says Beatrice is a great addition to the board: “She’s a New Zealand icon and has a strong background in community involvement. She will be an absolute asset to our board as we progress the important work we are doing to encourage generosity and improve digital enablement in communities throughout the country.”

Beatrice says she is thrilled to join the Spark Foundation: “I am passionate about youth, leadership and creating a better New Zealand and I’m looking forward to working with Sir Bob and the entire team to encourage positive outcomes and spread the word about the fantastic programmes and initiatives that the Spark Foundation makes possible.”

Beatrice is the fifth external Trustee to join the board, joining Chair Sir Bob Harvey, Mayor of Porirua City Nick Leggett, Former Children’s Commissioner John Angus and Canterbury University Senior Lecturer Dr Bronwyn Hayward.

Spark Foundation

The Spark Foundation (formally Telecom Foundation) is a charitable trust funded by Spark New Zealand. Key activities of the Foundation include:

• Owning and operating online crowdfunding platform Givealittle.co.nz as New Zealand’s only zero fees fundraising platform, enabling generous New Zealanders to donate around a million dollars each month for deserving causes with the confidence every dollar will get through.

• Powering pledge-based crowdfunding programme Spark My Potential (www.sparkmypotential.co.nz) to help talented New Zealanders achieve their ambitions – with selected projects receiving top up funding from Spark New Zealand.

• A key funding partner of the Manaiakalani Education Trust, which is focused on using revolutionary digital learning methods to improve learning outcomes and student engagement in economically-challenged communities. The Manaiakalani programme began in East Tamaki, Auckland, and is now being extended into other communities across the country.

• Operating a best practice payroll giving programme that has benefited schools and charities with donations totalling over $2 million, through the generosity of Spark employees and donation matching by Spark New Zealand.

• Organising volunteering programmes under which thousands of Spark New Zealand employees spend a workday helping in the community each year.

ENDS

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