Chairperson’s Report
Tēnā Koutou,
As always, I’d like to begin by expressing a huge thank you to every one of our awesome staff, volunteers and management for their dedication and commitment to Visionwest and the communities we serve. The team at Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga continues to work diligently to execute the Trust’s values and mission, and its vision to serve our communities with whanaungatanga, aroha, mana, and manaakitanga.
It’s been a busy year with lots happening and much achieved as we continue to work towards the objectives within our Five-Year Strategic Plan while serving whānau in need of support. Highlights for me are listed below.
Whata Manaaki. Our food support service had been under increasing pressure due to lack of space. Whata Manaaki – our food warehouse and the hub for storage and distribution of food and other essential items – will enable this service to operate more effectively. We also appreciate Glen Eden Baptist Church (GEBC) who have supported Visionwest by providing auditorium space during our Christmas From The Heart events.
Manaaki Kai. I’m very pleased and excited about the opening of the social supermarket. This has been a vision of the Board for some time and it’s good to see that it’s serving our community well. I’d like to express my thanks to Foodstuffs North Island and our local donors, providers and businesses who made this possible and continue to support this amazing service.
Koru Paihere is our new office building where many of our back-office staff now work. Following its fitout, the building was officially opened on 27 April 2023. Staff have now moved in and are enjoying the new workspace which enables greater collaboration between teams and has created space for our future Glendale Road development.
Glendale Road Development. As per my last report, we are progressing with the development of the Glendale Road site which will include apartments for whānau and a community hub. This is an exciting project as we continue to work with Glen Eden Baptist Church, our architects, Council, and other stakeholders to bring it into being.
Canterbury Office. It was a pleasure to be able to attend the official opening of our new office facility in Ōtautahi Christchurch on 4 May 2023 in partnership with Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. This new facility provides staff with a great working environment.
Towards Tomorrow – Flexibility and benefits. The Board and management continue the commitment to invest in our people with great working conditions and a focus on wellbeing. We believe this will lead to an even more engaged and committed workforce.
Towards Tomorrow – HHC. The Board and management also continue to invest in our Home Healthcare service with the implementation of operating system improvements which will enable us to provide an even more effective service to our clients.
As we reflect on the above, we can see it’s been a busy yet exciting year. I’d like to say a special thank you to our CEO Lisa Woolley who completed her 25th year serving Visionwest. On behalf of the Board and staff, we thank Lisa for her commitment to Visionwest and for serving our local community and communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
I’d like to thank my fellow Trustees who, as a team, have guided Visionwest through another successful year. Thank you for your strategic planning, governance, direction, guidance, and oversight, and for your passion to see transformation within our communities.
Finally, thank you GEBC for your continued support as we work together to create transformed lives and healthy communities.
“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:10 ESV.
Ngā mihi
Arvind Dayal, Board Chair