Celebrating our people

Eleanor Cater
CFNZ
21st December 2020

Fresh from our national conference last month I had been reflecting on this year and the stellar people working in our sector, when I saw that one of our new managers to the network, Josh Hickford, has just won a ‘Kiwibank Local Hero’ award.

I can’t say I was at all surprised, Josh is in exceptional young man. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 27, and since then, he has invested much of his life helping other New Zealanders impacted by cancer. Once in remission, he raised $32,000 in seed money for an app called Ripple, a cancer support platform, where people can ask questions, anonymously if they wish, or track down existing forums.

Josh is also a chartered accountant and has recently been appointed CEO with Te Karaka Foundation in Taranaki. He says he read the job advertisement to his wife, Alex, who commented that it sounded like he’d written it and that he simply had to apply! Josh says, reflectively, that he is excited about being a part of creating something not just for the community now, but for his “children’s children”.

And he is right on the button there; Community Foundations work with generous people who are considering the legacy they are going to leave for the world, whether it be a personal legacy, or through their business, showing genuine corporate social responsibility. We help them to explore the possibilities and how they can truly make a difference in this world, leaving a lasting legacy in an area of their choice.

We also connect people and channel resources to where they are needed, so our managers across the network need to be strategic in their outlook and real facilitators and connectors of community-led change.

It’s a great sector to be a part of, so warmest congratulations Josh, you join a stellar group of people, and a truly collaborative network that, together with generous locals, is steadily working to strengthen the communities of Aotearoa NZ.

Thank you to you all - managers, staff, volunteer Boards and of course the wonderful, generous local people we work with who make it all possible.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Meri Kirihimete, thank you from the team at CFNZ.