The Rotary Club of Hāwera was established on 27 January 1925, the first Rotary club in Taranaki and one of the earliest in New Zealand. From its earliest days, the Club’s purpose was simple: service to the community. For more than 100 years, its members raised money, rolled up their sleeves and showed up for their community in ways large and small, meeting needs as they arose.

Malcolm Greenhill first walked into a Rotary meeting in 1972, when membership was in the 70s. He stayed for 41 years. “It was about meeting people who shared the same values and a desire to do good in the local community,” he says. “Rotary was a perfect way to give back, whether that was through fundraising initiatives or being ready to extend a helping hand.”

In more recent years, as membership numbers declined and the demands of managing the Trust grew, it became clear that a new approach was needed. It was Preston Bulfin at Halliwells, himself a former Hāwera Rotary member, who suggested Taranaki Foundation as a way to safeguard the Trust’s assets while continuing to honour its original purpose.

In May 2023, remaining trustees signed a memorandum of understanding with Taranaki Foundation, establishing the Hāwera Rotary Fund. The fund retains its identity and intent, while the responsibilities of governance, compliance, investment and distribution shift to the Foundation.

For Malcolm, it was a relief as much as anything.

“I hadn’t heard of Taranaki Foundation before, but after meeting with Phil Hinton and Josh Hickford a few times, it was a real relief that the efforts of so many people over so many years would continue to support our local community.”

From Fundraising to Foundation

In the Fund’s first full year under the Foundation, the Fund distributed 14 grants totalling $74,000, reaching organisations including Hāwera Budget Advisory Service, Taranaki Kiwi Trust, Ōpunakē Community Baths, the Rural Medical Immersion Programme and Hāwera Foodbank. These grants formed a substantial part of the nearly $140,000 that flowed back to South Taranaki through Taranaki Foundation’s 2025 Annual Funding Round, itself part of $263,433 distributed to 71 organisations and individuals across the region.

For Josh Hickford, Chief Executive of Taranaki Foundation, being part of this work is something to be proud of.

“We are honoured to steward the Hāwera Rotary Fund and to help carry forward such a meaningful legacy. The Hāwera Rotary Club has given so much to this community over the years. Through the Fund, that generosity doesn’t end, it compounds. We look forward to continuing to honour the spirit and purpose of what the Club has built, for South Taranaki for generations to come.”

For Hāwera Rotary Club members Malcolm Greenhill and Peter Shore, who have been closely involved in reviewing applications and visiting recipients, seeing these grants go out into the community is rewarding.

“It is rewarding to be involved in the annual distribution process and to see first-hand the impact these grants are making across our community. There is real comfort in knowing this support will continue for generations. Taranaki Foundation, to us, is a safe pair of hands.” – Malcolm Greenhill.

The People Behind the Grants

On 17 April, Theresa Cayley and Suki Bishop from Taranaki Foundation joined Malcolm and Peter for a day of visits in Hāwera, a chance to put faces to applications and hear directly from the people these grants are reaching.

At the Hāwera Budget Advisory Service, Erica Strand talked about the pressure many families are under right now. The service sees around 20 people a week, helping them build practical skills and breathing room, and the $2,000 grant has gone towards reaching further into surrounding areas such as Patea, Ōpunakē and Stratford, where isolation makes everything harder.

The service also carries a quiet historical link back to the Club. In 1960, responding to local economic pressures, Rotarians helped establish a Hāwera branch of the Home Budget Advisory Service, with members volunteering each year to support families navigating financial challenges. More than sixty years later, that same spirit of practical help continues through today’s service.

“People often come to us feeling overwhelmed and under pressure. Our role is to help clients understand their financial situation, set realistic goals, and build practical skills so they can move forward with more confidence.” – Erica Strand, Hāwera Budget Advisory Services.

Image: Erica Strand, Theresa Cayley, Peter Shore, Malcolm Greenhill, Suki Bishop

Not far away, Jody Thomas was equally thankful for what the $5,000 grant means to Hāwera Brass Incorporated a community of 30-plus members aged 13 to late 70s. The band offers affordable tuition and instrument loans to learners of all ages.  The grant went toward repairing and purchasing instruments and contributed to the wages of their director, who gives significant time and passion to lead and develop the band.

“Having these funds to repair our instruments means we can finally offer players the best possible instrument and create a quality sound for the South Taranaki community at events like Anzac Day and Christmas. We are so grateful to the Hāwera Rotary Fund and Taranaki Foundation for their support.” – Jody Thomas, Musical Director, Hāwera Brass Band.

Image on left: Jody Thomas (Musical Director HB) Theresa Cayley, Malcolm Greenhill, Peter Shore. 

At the Hāwera Foodbank, the welcome was just as warm, but the weight of the work was impossible to miss. Volunteer Hazel Robinson has been there since the beginning, 45 years ago, when the idea was a simple overnight food parcel for a family in crisis. Barbara Hurcomb, who has been alongside her for 15 of those years, described families now queuing around the block every Monday. A $5,000 grant, the Foodbank’s first from the Hāwera Rotary Fund, helps keep the doors open.

“More whānau are reaching out for support, and the cost of keeping services running continues to climb.” – Barbara Hurcomb, Hāwera Foodbank.

Barbara shared a moving story about two young boys who arrived at the Foodbank on their bikes one day, carrying a $50 Pak ‘n Save voucher as a donation. One of the boys had saved up and bought it himself, working after school to save the money. It turned out his family had once relied on the Foodbank. He had not forgotten. He just wanted to pay it forward.

Hazel, said that one small act of kindness made her cry.

       

Image on left: Malcolm, Hazel Robinson, Barbara Hurcomb, Theresa Cayley, Suki Bishop, Peter Shore. Image on right: Barbara Hurcomb.

The Rural Medical Immersion Programme, now in its second year in Hāwera was also among this year’s funding recipients, receiving a $10,000 grant. This support continues the Hāwera Rotary Club’s long-standing commitment to local healthcare initiatives.

A few days later, came something altogether different when Theresa Cayley and Josh Hickford joined Taranaki Kiwi Trust, one of this year’s funding recipients, for a kiwi release on Taranaki Mounga. Conservation Manager Sian Potier and kiwi handler Levi Christie were there to guide the release and to explain the careful, ongoing work happening across the region to relocate and protect kiwi.

The Trust received a $5,000 grant through the Hāwera Rotary Fund, supporting dog avoidance training and wider community conservation work.

Image on left: RMIP medical students Emily Dennis, Samantha Watson and Lucy McKay. Image on right: Levi Christie, Theresa Cayley, Josh Hickford, joined by RMIP medical students Emily Dennis, Samantha Watson and Lucy McKay at kiwi release.

“A huge thank you to Taranaki Kiwi Trust for inviting us to be part of a special kiwi release event at Taranaki Mounga. It was a truly memorable experience; we absolutely loved being part of something so meaningful. We especially enjoyed the opportunity to see the kiwi up close and hear more about all the work being done.” –  Theresa Cayley, Taranaki Foundation.

Continuing What Was Started

Over its history, The Hāwera Rotary Club spent decades raising money, showing up and investing in the place they call home. That kind of commitment deserves to last.

Through the Hāwera Rotary Fund, held in perpetuity with Taranaki Foundation, it will. The faces, the stories and the needs may change over time, but the generosity that drives this Fund does not.

South Taranaki will feel its impact for generations to come.

 

Click here for the Hāwera Rotary Fund page.