The David Webber Taranaki Endowment Fund continues David Webber’s long-standing commitment to education, opportunity and giving back to Taranaki.

Born and raised in New Plymouth, David attended Central School, Highlands Intermediate and New Plymouth Boys’ High School. He credits the teachers, coaches and community members who supported him with helping shape his future.  “Without their knowledge and help, it is most unlikely that I would have gone on to have success and enjoyment in my further studies, professional activities and sporting interests.”

David’s connection with the Taranaki Foundation began through the Valerie Webber Fund, established in honour of his mother. The David Webber Taranaki Endowment Fund continues this family legacy of giving and supporting future generations.

Supporting education, sport and the next generation

The David Webber Taranaki Endowment Fund will support education and sport and recreation in Taranaki, with available funds allocated equally between the two areas. A portion of the Fund’s investment returns will provide ongoing support for the Bertrand-Webber Economics Scholarship, with the remaining funds distributed through the Taranaki Foundation’s Annual Funding Round.

David has chosen to allocate 50% of the Fund’s distributions to education and 50% to sport and recreation, with the Taranaki Foundation helping guide where the funding can have the greatest impact.

Bertrand-Webber Economics Scholarship

A key purpose of the David Webber Taranaki Endowment Fund is to provide an ongoing contribution towards the Bertrand-Webber Economics Scholarship. Each year, a portion of the Fund’s available investment returns will support the scholarship.

The Bertrand-Webber Economics Scholarship was established in 2000 by David, an old boy of New Plymouth Boys’ High School and an international expert in economic and financial management.

The scholarship honours the legacy of David’s grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel George Frederick Bertrand, a distinguished serviceman and educator who taught at New Plymouth Boys’ High School and served with distinction in both World Wars, including as Second-in-Command of the 28th Māori Battalion.

David established the scholarship after his own experience studying economics at NPBHS. He began studying the subject in Year 13, the first-year economics was taught in New Zealand high schools, and says it set the direction for his future career.

The scholarship was created to promote educational excellence and recognise outstanding achievement in economics.

Since 2000, the scholarship has supported 25 NPBHS students with the costs of their tertiary studies, “For a young person entering university, being recognised as a ‘scholar’ can be an important first step up.”

In 2026, the Bertrand-Webber Economics Scholarship Fund was transferred to the Taranaki Foundation to be invested and managed locally, supporting the long-term future of the scholarship. The first recipient under the Foundation will be selected this year (December 2026), marking a new chapter in a scholarship that has supported young people for more than 25 years.

The scholarship is awarded annually to the highest-achieving Year 13 Economics student at New Plymouth Boys’ High School who is pursuing tertiary study in New Zealand. The recipient receives $1,500 per annum for up to three years, with the scholarship awarded at the school’s senior prizegiving.

For David, the hope is that his giving will make a small but useful contribution to the future of Taranaki, while encouraging others to do the same “My belief is that we should all do what we can to assist others to succeed.”