PATRON
Hon. Nicky WagnerNicky has a multifaceted career that combines politics and community. She has a BA & MBA and trained as a secondary school teacher. She has worked in education, health and on numerous community projects. For 15 years she was an MP in Christchurch and worked closely with not-for-profit groups especially in the disability sector. She was a Minister of the Crown, holding multiple portfolios including the Minister for Disability Issues and Associate Minister of Health. She is an Adjunct Fellow at Canterbury University and has recently moved to the Marlborough Sounds and is fully enjoying being part of the wider Picton community.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Sue Altoft - SecretaryMy involvement with Papatūānuku began in 2014 as a Trustee and although I knew a little about the Trust beforehand, I quickly became a strong supporter of this special place as I got to know the Residents and the purpose of the Papatūānuku community. Now retired, my working life was in education, the last 14 years teaching at Waikawa Bay School, for most of this time in the new entrant class. I am an active member of Picton Dawn Chorus. I regularly check trap lines and am involved with the project to see Picton and Waikawa townships predator free with enough working traps to effectively protect our wildlife. We have a yacht and appreciate the Sounds for sailing, holidays and exploring. Tuesday evenings through spring and summer are committed to the twilight racing programme, although now we choose to stay at home if the weather is wet. With the direct input as a Trustee I am able to more effectively support PIT and the wonderful folk who live and work there. I see this as another way I can support my community.
Megan Thomas - TreasurerKia Ora, I have lived in Picton for the past 25 years and have been involved in a number of projects and voluntary roles in the community. I joined the Board of Trustees in Sept 2022, so although only a recent member to the Trust I knew after the first visit to Papatūānuku that I wanted to be part of this very special place. The passion from Trust members and staff to provide a wonderful environment for the Residents of Papatūānuku is hard to miss. As a child my mother was employed by the IHC, so I was extremely fortunate to spend a large part of my childhood with the Residents of the Whangarei IHC Children’s Home. This positive experience has stayed with me, so I didn’t hesitate when approached about becoming a Trustee. I enjoy fishing, hunting and spending time with my large whanau.
Gavin HapetaKia Ora, My Name is Gavin Hapeta, I have been at Papatūānuku Trust for over 30 years. Originally, I was in Auckland with Sam and Philip we were the original Residents of the Trust. At the moment, I am the Resident’s Representative on the Board, and have been doing this for 3 years. I take this role very seriously. I enjoy informing the Board of anything the Residents want me to tell them. I also like being the role model to the other Residents. I work in the community doing peoples lawns and also at the Picton railway station. My job is to help people with their luggage and I enjoy this very much. I enjoy working with the Board of Papatūānuku and helping them make decisions for the Residents.
Christine WebbI have lived in Picton on and off for twenty five years and was a pharmacist in town before retiring in 2019. Over the years I have been involved in the establishment of the Picton Community Crèche (now the Picton Early Learning Centre, play centre, co opted school trustee at Waikawa Bay School, QCYC , Waikawa Boating Club and the Picton Drama Club. I became a Trustee of Papatūānuku three years ago and became chair in Sept 2021. I really enjoy my involvement with Papatūānuku and take great heart from the development of the residents. I have two adult children and three delightful grandchildren. I enjoy boating on the Sounds , spending time with my family and reading. Before COVID I enjoyed travelling overseas but now I am planning on doing more travelling in NZ!
Louisa PattersonKia Ora, my name is Louisa. I live here in Picton with my husband and our 2 boys. I'm very new to the Board of Trustees, having joined in January 2024. I didn't know anything about Papatūānuku before being approached to join the board but saw immediately what a special and also incredibly important place this is. Our younger son is severely autistic, so I appreciate how much support our disabled whānau need, and how vital a place like Papatūānuku is. The carers and management at the Trust do an amazing job of supporting our residents to live their best lives, and I hope that I can use my experiences to add to this wonderful environment that our residents call home.
Dave KelwayI was lucky enough to visit New Zealand for a month, for a wedding, and fell in love with the country. I promptly resigned from the navy on my return and came to NZ in 2005 to retire! I arrived in Blenheim two days after landing in Christchurch and within two hours had found my way to Waikawa and to a crewing spot on the Tuesday night race. I bought a boat before buying a house, (must get priorities right). Retirement lasted for two weeks before managing to get a job with a builder as a hammer hand. The land of opportunity allowed me to start my own little business which has grown to a workforce of 10 including my daughter and son in-law along with two grandsons who followed me to NZ some 7 years ago. In the early part of my time here I was also lucky enough to meet the lovely Tracey who became my wife and crewmate. Recently retired (or trying to) my daughter and son in law are now running the business so now I have time to give something back to the area. The Papatūānuku Trust (which I never knew existed until recently) seems to be doing such a wonderful job looking after those not as fortunate as many of us and it’s a pleasure to try and give a helping hand where I can to move it forward.
Sharee KnowlesTīheī Mauri Ora! Ko Piripiri tōku maunga. Ko Waitohi tōku awa. Ko Raukawakawa tōku moana. Ko Tokomaru tōku waka. Ko Waikawa tōku marae. Ko Puketapu tōku hapu. Ko Te Atiawa tōku iwi. Ko Sharee Knowles āhau Tīheī Mauri Ora! I have two adult children and have lived in beautiful Waitohi (Picton) all of my life. At present I am employed at Picton Medical Centre as a Healthcare Assistant, and previous to that I was a Dispensary Technician at our local pharmacies. I volunteer at Picton Heritage & Whaling Museum and am currently a board member for Kimi Hauora Wairau Primary Health Organisation. I have a passion for healthcare and the best outcomes of health for all of us.
ClaireTēnā koe, my name is Claire and I'm a newly elected Board member. I live in Picton with my partner, 3 young children, and friendly dog. I originally trained as a lawyer, but ten years ago I decided to retrain as a nurse which is a much better fit for me! I am a real people person and love connecting with people from all walks of life. I see serving on the board as an honour, and hope that my personal attributes and academic background are of benefit to the amazing people who call Papatūānuku home.
