When Harry the therapy horse trots into the arena at New Plymouth Riding for the Disabled, it’s unlikely any of his young riders know they have Dr George Mason to thank.

Dr George Mason passed away in 2024 at the age of 94. He spent decades climbing Mount Taranaki, building a crop-protection business, and giving back to the causes he was passionate about, including education, the arts and the environment. In February 2025, the George Mason Charitable Trust (GMCT) transferred $2 million to Taranaki Foundation, establishing a named fund to carry that work on.

A year on, Taranaki Foundation has completed its first full year of managing the fund. In July, the second round of grants was distributed to this year’s designated recipients.

A horse named Harry, and the quiet power of showing up

For over a decade, GMCT support has helped fund a therapy horse at New Plymouth RDA.  First Marley, now retired, and today Harry, known for his easy-going nature with intermediate riders.

The riders who benefit come to RDA for all kinds of reasons. Some are managing long-term physical conditions and find that the movement of a horse loosens muscles and eases pain in ways little else can. Others are rebuilding strength and confidence after serious illness, relearning how to weight-bear, regaining fitness and rediscovering an outdoor activity they love as part of their recovery. Along the way, riders develop balance, coordination and muscle strength, while also forming meaningful connections with the horses, volunteers and one another.

   

For more than a decade, support from GMCT has helped fund a therapy horse at New Plymouth RDA. First it was Marley, pictured on the right with Kevin Nielsen, who is now retired. Today, that support helps fund Harry (pictured on the left).

As New Plymouth RDA President Kevin Nielsen puts it, “RDA is a goal-based programme where every rider has something to work towards. While there are often physical benefits, such as improved posture that enhances mobility, it is about so much more than that. It is the spark in a child’s eye, the boost in self-esteem, and the growth in confidence.”

Often, riders who start out needing significant support grow in independence, with some even returning as volunteers themselves. Progress at RDA does not happen overnight. Instead, it is built one session, one goal and one achievement at a time.

A scholarship built on personal experience

Beyond RDA, the fund’s first year of distribution through Taranaki Foundation reached a wide range of other initiatives, including through the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery (GBAG) and the Taranaki Science and Technology Fair.

Spotswood College student Hannah Postlethwaite received the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery (GBAG) Visual Art Scholarship ($3,300), recognising her creativity, vision and contribution to visual arts in Taranaki. Her sculptural work explores what she describes as the personification of mental stress, informed by personal experience and the impact of trauma. Hannah is now studying Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury, focused on work that is impactful, political and thought-provoking.

Backing the next generation of scientists and engineers

GMCT also supported scholarship prizes at the 2025 Taranaki Science and Technology Fair ($1,200), recognising outstanding student projects demonstrating innovative applications of science or engineering. Taranaki Foundation Trustee Maree Schumacher presented awards to Year 11–13 students Monique Camden and Natalie Bailey (NPGHS) for their project “Can it heat?”, and Sienna Asi (SHGC) for “Vitamin C, is it all it’s cracked up to be?”

The scholarships have already helped set these students on their next steps. Monique is studying a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Canterbury, Natalie is undertaking Health Sciences at the University of Otago, and Sienna is studying Health Sciences at the University of Auckland.

   

Picture on the left: Hannah Postlethwaite, recipient of the GBAG Visual Art Scholarship. Picture on the right: Award winners at the 2025 Taranaki Science and Technology Fair, with Maree Schumacher, Trustee at Taranaki Foundation.

These are just a handful of the fund’s 26 designated beneficiaries, which together receive $85,000 annually, with individual grants ranging from $450 to $16,500 each year.

A model that works, in perpetuity

George was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2020 for his contributions to science, conservation and philanthropy. “I haven’t married. I don’t need flash motor cars, I don’t need motorbikes. I’d rather use my skill to assist people,” he said at the time. “I think it gives you a lot of satisfaction, seeing the benefit of your contribution.”

George’s wealth, built through his Taranaki business Zelam Limited, is continuing to do exactly what he always intended it to do and contributing back to people who need it, giving back year on year, in perpetuity.

Taranaki Foundation CE Josh Hickford says the George Mason Charitable Trust Endowment Fund demonstrates exactly what community foundations are designed to do.

“George wanted his generosity to keep making a difference long after he was gone. Through the George Mason Fund at Taranaki Foundation, his legacy continues to support the causes he cared about, year after year, ensuring those funds remain here in Taranaki for future generations.”

Barry Upson, Chair of the George Mason Charitable Trust, says the trustees marked the milestone at their most recent meeting, noting that Taranaki Foundation has now been managing the GMCT fund for over a year.

“The annual grants process Taranaki Foundation has put in place has made the giving more streamlined, while keeping us connected to the organisations we’re supporting,” he says. “The annual giving report, with its stories of impact, makes it clear George’s practical approach is still making a real difference.”

Barry says George was never one for recognition. “He was passionate about science, the arts, young people, the Taranaki community and the outdoors. He wasn’t interested in recognition; he was guided by common sense, generosity, and a genuine desire to make a difference. He chose causes that would have a lasting impact. That’s the legacy we hope people remember.”

A year on from the transfer, that satisfaction is showing up in a horse called Harry, a scholarship helping a young artist process her own story, and dozens of small grants doing exactly what George intended. One grant at a time.