From the desk of our General Manager, Mike Williams

By Anglican Family Care | Posted: Thursday October 29, 2020

You may have heard already that there are changes happening with the Anglican Family Care Centre Board of Trustees. After 6 years at the helm, our Chairperson Jim Hawker has decided the time is right for succession. The Board have subsequently elected Ruth Zeinert to assume the role of Chairperson effective from the next Board meeting on 26 November 2020.

Ruth is a current Trustee having served on the Board since December 2018.

Ruth is very much looking forward to continuing on from Jim in adding some real strategic value to the agency through her new role. Ruth will be supported by Diana Hudson, who was elected Deputy Chair (See our current Board members here).

Jim has contributed immeasurably in his time in the Chair. It is a role that demands a significant investment of time, and requires a more detailed knowledge of the operational and strategic priorities of the agency. I have personally benefitted enormously from Jim’s support and considerable managerial and financial acumen while I have found my feet in the GM role, and I am incredibly grateful to him for being so giving of his time and knowledge. Jim has at all times demonstrated a genuine care for the agency, our mission and most importantly our people. Fortunately, we’re not losing him altogether - Jim has agreed to serve another term on the Board as a Trustee.

So - my sincere thanks to you, Jim, and I’m certain this would be echoed by all at Anglican Family Care. The agency owes you a huge debt of gratitude for your strong but considered stewardship over these past 6 years and we hope you will reflect with pride on your time in the Chair. And to Ruth - a very warm welcome to your new role, and we’re very much looking forward to the next chapter!

Half a Century….

And speaking of next chapters planning for the upcoming 50th anniversary of our inauguration in 1971 has begun. We think this is a milestone that is definitely deserving of celebration, so our Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Manager Donna is busy planning events to be held throughout 2021, culminating with a Gala Dinner in October. Much more to come on this.

We will also be publishing a book to mark the occasion. Wellington historian and author Julia Stuart has painstakingly retraced the history of our agency from our inception as what was then Anglican Methodist Family Care through to the current day. We owe Julia our sincerest thanks for what I am sure will prove an interesting read for anybody who has been connected to the agency throughout the past 50 years. It has certainly reminded me of the very privileged responsibility of leadership I have been entrusted with.

To the Current Day

With the pressures and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact on our communities, we are very pleased to have been offered an opportunity to play a direct role in the recovery. We will soon be commencing a Community Connector role in the Clutha District to help individuals and whānau manage the anticipated psycho-social and employment impacts related to the pandemic. The Community Connection Service is one part of the New Zealand Government response to the crisis, and you can read more on the MSD website. We will be purposefully promoting this new service in the district over the coming weeks.

Finally, it has been a year like no other, certainly in my own living memory, but Anglican Family Care still remains firmly focused on our vision of strong, connected and thriving whānau and tamariki. As always we are hugely humbled and grateful for the wonderful support we continue to receive from our communities. It reaffirms our purpose and drives us in our mission to deliver better outcomes for those we serve. Thank you.

Noho ora mai

Mike