Our Stories

Passionate about farming and rugby and with a strong ethos for giving back, the Harvey Symes Trust was established in 1981 to support charities in South Taranaki and Patea in particular. In July 2021 the Harvey Symes Fund was transferred to the Taranaki Foundation for management.

In June 2021 the Rudi Milesi Estate was transferred to the Taranaki Foundation to provide scholarship assistance for the education and development of young people from South Taranaki in the fields of dramatic theatre and veterinary science.

Taranaki Foundation is delighted to announce this new partnership which will create numerous opportunities to raise awareness of the work we do through multiple media channels and to reach a broad audience.

Twenty-five Taranaki charities or community groups received a well-deserved funding boost from Taranaki Foundation’s 2020 Distributions. (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021)

Robyn and Phil Hinton believe that through investing in Taranaki’s future through the Foundation, there is a real potential to enhance, change and foster the things that make a difference to everybody that lives here.

On behalf of the Craigs New Plymouth branch Giving Committee, the Foundation is pleased to distribute $5,500 to the Taranaki community organisations: Taranaki Health Foundation, Taranaki Retreat, Little Fighters Charitable Trust and New Plymouth Riding for the Disabled.

Your Foundation has a new name and brand identity that emphasizes its mission to be a renowned foundation for giving that provides an inter-generational legacy for the Taranaki community.

The Taranaki Foundation is fortunate to have generous support from our funders, sponsors, organisations, individuals and donors investing their time, resources or expertise, they enable us to grow our reach and to build a prosperous Taranaki for all.

On Friday 30 April, our glass was full as we had the amazing opportunity to briefly introduce the Taranaki Foundation - what we do, our vision and how to get involved to nearly 200 Taranaki Business Professionals over a breakfast and a lunch session with Economist Cameron Bagrie.

The memory of a Taranaki sporting legend Steve 'Coach' McKean will live on through a fund created in his name, supporting a cause close to his heart.

When Kelvin Squire joined our foundation as a Trustee in 2016 he never dreamt that two years later he and his wife Carolyn would be establishing the Taranaki Hauora Fund in memory of their son Leon who died, aged 43, in 2017.

The Foundation’s ninth Named Fund was set up in memory of Valerie Webber. Valerie was a life-long resident of Taranaki and a dedicated participant in and supporter of local voluntary organisations and sporting associations.

Our foundation’s second Named Fund was set up in memory of Dr Basil Clarke by his niece and former Te Karaka Foundation CEO Vicki Haylock. Dr Clarke was a prominent diabetes specialist who worked in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Ken and Jennifer Horner are a well-known Hāwera couple with a family history of supporting the community reaching back generations. As part of their commitment to Taranaki, they have created a Named Fund with Taranaki Foundation.

Founding donors Helen and Harry Bayliss are both from rural backgrounds and met while studying Agricultural Science at Massey University. Armed with degrees, determination and no fear of hard work, they managed to buy their first farm in Taranaki.

Terry and Angela Boon feel strongly about giving back. Terry is a fourth generation Taranaki resident, while his wife Angela moved to the region in 1970.

In 2015 the Winifred Knight Trust was transferred to Taranaki Foundation (then Te Karaka Foundation) becoming our first Named Fund. For 25 years, the Winifred Knight Trust has helped meet educational, community, cultural and recreational needs in Taranaki.

Taranaki Foundation Official Charity Partner of Taranaki Rugby.

Hawera High School graduate Elyssa Urgino is the most recent recipient of the Ohangai Centennial Teaching Scholarship from the Winifred Knight Trust.