Our Trustees are people who have strong connections to Clutha. Coming from all over the District, between them they have a good overview of many of the different communities within the region. You can meet them below.
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE
The Clutha Foundation is a registered Charitable Trust set up to inspire and enable generosity in the Clutha District. We receive gifts and bequests from generous people, businesses and organisations and invest responsibly to generate income that is then distributed locally to community causes.
A SMARTER GIVING MODEL
Community Foundations are independent, non-profit organisations located in most regions across Aotearoa New Zealand. They focus on a place and its people, running a lean model and governed entirely by super passionate and skilled local volunteer Boards.
Community Foundations build long-term, reliable funding streams for their local communities by investing and growing the donations they receive. So, you’re not really giving to a Community Foundation, but through it. And it means your generosity will have benefits forever. Plus, Community Foundations are not about one single cause, they're about the place and the causes, projects or initiatives you choose to support.
Established in 2018, the Clutha Foundation is one of the youngest of the many Community Foundations around New Zealand. You can read more about Community Foundations and what they can achieve in their local communities here.
OUR PEOPLE
OUR PATRON: Sir Bill English
Clutha Foundation's patron is former prime minister, and long-serving Clutha-Southland MP, Sir William (Bill) English. Bill is happy to support the Clutha Foundation, saying, "Giving to the Clutha foundation is a great way to support our community now and for the next generation. The long term investments are controlled by the local foundation and the decisions about where the funds are spent are made locally."
Bill Thomson
Chair
Bill Thomson is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand and was a Partner in Shand Thomson Chartered Accountants, Balclutha from 1978 to 2014. He has now retired and lives in Wanaka, but continues to be a strong supporter of the Clutha District.
Hamish Anderson
Deputy Chair
Hamish has his own farm in Stirling, and works as a Project Manager, assisting farmers with resource consents for activities in waterways. Hamish is very involved in community and governance roles both locally and nationally.
Peter McNab
Trustee
Peter was born and raised in the Owaka district. Following ten years away for education, sport and travel he returned to farm in the district for 40 years. He and his wife Nellie raised three boys on the family farm, Lochindorb. Peter was heavily involved with the Veterinary industry in New Zealand, and also the elimination of Bovine Tb from Otago. Peter believes the Clutha Foundation is a marvellous vehicle to manage locally sourced funds for the benefit of the community.
Fiona Hancox
Trustee
Fiona and her husband are sheep and beef farmers near Tapanui in West Otago, they have 4 grown up children. Fiona is a very active member of her community and is particularly enthusiastic about the West Otago Community Endowment fund.
Susie Johnstone
Trustee
Susie is a chartered accountant in public practice in Balclutha. She has governance experience across the health, education, tourism, and IT sectors with a focus on finance, audit and risk. Time as a trustee of the Otago Community Trust exposed Susie to NZ’s vibrant philanthropy community and provided increased insight into the real difference well managed, philanthropic, funders can make to communities.
Kerry Seymour
Trustee
Kerry has been a resident of the Clutha District since 1983. She is a secondary school teacher and taught for 20 years at The Catlins Area School. Kerry has been actively involved in a wide range off community sporting and educational organisations including governance roles with Sport Otago, Telford Rural Polytechnic, Netball South and the Heartland Life Education Trust.
Will Clarke
Trustee
Will is a dairy and beef farmer from Clinton where his family have farmed for over 130 years. Prior to returning to the farm Will practiced as a Chartered Accountant and is a strong supporter of the community through his involvement in other community organisations, including being the Deputy Chair of Clutha Development.
Noel O'Malley
Trustee
Noel practiced law in the Clutha District from offices based in Balclutha and Milton for over 40 years. Noel and his wife Kate, have six children, and have resided in the village of Benhar, adjacent to Balclutha, for most of that time. Noel personally supports the objective of the Clutha Foundation to provide a vehicle for generous people to make a difference in their community by applying their philanthropy here.
Gaynor Finch
Trustee
Gaynor lives on a sheep farm with husband Geoff just north of Milton. Gaynor worked at Clutha Vets Milton for 30 years as a Vet Nurse and has been Bruce Ward Councillor for the Clutha District for the past 17 years. Gaynor represents Council on the Clutha Foundation. Gaynor is also a Council representative at the Otago Museum and is very involved in many Milton community organisations.
Avis Rishworth ONZM
Trustee
Avis has lived in the Clutha District all her life, attending Stirling Primary and South Otago High schools.
Avis is extensively involved in her community and the wider South Otago area. Avis was involved for ten years at National level for the New Zealand Federation of Women’s Institute holding the position of National President for four years. Avis has also been a Trustee on the Otago Rural Support Trust for a number of years and Secretary of New Zealand Century Farms.
Ruth Baldwin
Trustee
Ruth has recently retired from teaching in Clutha for 30 years and has been the Secretary for the Waikoua Ngai Tahu (South Otago) Runanga since 2001.
The value of manaakitanga is very important to Ruth and she considers that the Clutha Foundation is a way of expressing manaakitanga in our local community.
Ruth is interested in our people, our shared history and promoting healthy communities through support and encouragement and looks forward to seeing our communities strengthened through the generosity of others.
Thank you to our Sponsors.
Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated.
