A Helping Hand
Bell Gully’s Pro Bono & Community Report
Bell Gully has a long history and embedded culture of providing legal advice on a pro bono basis.
In 2009, we established our formal Pro Bono Programme, and appointed a senior associate to a dedicated role to manage it. Ambitious annual targets were soon met, and even exceeded. A few years later a formal Community Support Programme was put in place to complement the Pro Bono Programme.
Bell Gully promotes a firm culture in which pro bono and community work is a routine and valued part of every member of staff’s professional life, and everyone is encouraged to get involved, with full credit towards legal budgets.
Welcome,
Haere mai
In 2023 we exceeded our target, with a good proportion of our pro bono work going to three community law centres with regular lawyers seconded to provide support, and to many of our longstanding pro bono clients. We were also happy to welcome some inspiring new clients. In 2024, Aotearoa’s charitable entities navigated an increasingly challenging landscape in their support of vulnerable communities.
It has been fantastic to utilise our Pro Bono Programme to support some great initiatives aimed at tackling those challenges, a handful of which are highlighted in this issue of A Helping Hand.
Taskforce Kiwi is New Zealand’s first veteran-led not-for-profit disaster relief organisation. Its establishment in 2022 was timely, enabling it to mobilise experienced personnel to disaster zones both here in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. We played a small part by taking care of Taskforce Kiwi’s legal requirements, so they could get on with the real mahi.
A new charitable organisation – Tū Māia – has an inspirational mission to gift a bespoke carved pounamu to every tamariki in state care in Aotearoa, so they can stand strong, brave and confident in the knowledge that their taonga is filled and gifted with aroha. We were honoured to assist in establishing Tū Māia as a charitable entity to enable the carvers, Taonga by Timoti, to “do the mahi they are passionate about – supporting our tamariki and rangatahi as they journey through life.”
When education organisation
Te Hononga Akoranga COMET Auckland became independent from Auckland Council, we were there to assist with its transition to a charitable trust, and with the gifting and transfer of some of its educational programmes. COMET’s mahi lifts educational aspirations and unlocks awesome potential in the communities it serves. We are excited to see the new initiatives COMET develops as an independent organisation.
In addition to our usual schedule of donations, fundraising and volunteering which forms the basis of our Community Support Programme, the transition of Bell Gully’s Auckland office to new premises in the Deloitte
Centre gave us the opportunity to raise more funds for charity. As with our Wellington office move in 2022, we realised that downsizing our furniture and equipment could benefit both sustainability and community needs. Instead of consigning excess kit to landfill, staff purchased the surplus, and all proceeds went to some of our pro bono and community partners. In Wellington, over $18,000 went to the Wellington Free Ambulance, and in Auckland more than $25,000 was shared between KidsCan, Voices of Hope and Tū Māia.
In this issue, we showcase the Auckland City Mission’s thoughtfully and beautifully designed new premises, checking in on how the spaces are being utilised, and the impact it’s having on the community it supports. Bell Gully has supported the Auckland and Wellington City Missions for many years, with our staff and partnership contributing to their key annual winter food and Christmas gift and food appeals.
It's been another year of inspiration from our pro bono clients and community support recipients, all demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. We are proud to stand alongside them and share with you some of the great mahi they do.
Jennifer Coote CHAIRPERSON
BONO AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE
PRO
“A wish is not a fleeting gift - it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and to give them hope, strength and joy they need to keep fighting their illness.”
Alan Brame CEO
Make-A-Wish New Zealand creates life-changing wishes for critically ill Kiwi tamariki, replacing fear with excitement, sadness with fun, and anxiety with happiness.
These wishes range from building a bespoke bird aviary for a boy with a brain tumour, to tracking down the perfect Mini Lop bunnies for a girl recovering from a kidney transplant. A wish can help to add some colour back into the life of a young person whose childhood has been impacted by critical illness.
Following a 30-year career with KPMG in New Zealand, China and England, Alan Brame wanted to put his skills to good use in the charity and notfor-profit sector, and in early 2023 stepped down as chair of the Make-A-Wish New Zealand Board to take up a new position – that of CEO.
“I love being involved in the day-to-day affairs of the organisation and working with our talented staff, wonderful volunteers, partners and donors. It’s very rewarding to see the joy wishes bring to critically ill children and their families. They provide children with hope and some fun, a respite from the day-today grind of medication and hospital visits.”
Alan explains the Wish Journey – “A wish is not a fleeting gift – it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and to give them the hope, strength and joy they need to keep fighting their illness.”
The need is still great.
“We currently have 323 children waiting for their wish to be granted; the most we have ever had.”
In October 2024 Alan retired from full time employment and Make-A-Wish announced its new CEO Anne Fitisemanu.
Bell Gully’s summer interns have volunteered their time at Make-A-Wish New Zealand. Dani ClementsLevi, a lawyer in the Auckland litigation team, said about the opportunity, “Spending the day at MakeA-Wish New Zealand was an incredibly rewarding experience. We learnt about the positive impact the organisation has on the children, their families and the wider community. The team at Make-AWish New Zealand are dedicated to granting every
eligible child their wish, and each Wish Journey is specifically tailored to the child’s needs and wants.”
“We spent a day wrapping Christmas packs for medical staff who the organisation had worked with throughout the year, and we had the opportunity to learn about some of the latest wishes that had been granted. There was a real variety - from trips around New Zealand, to attending musicals, meeting sporting legends, and even a sleepover at the zoo! The experience was so inspiring that I returned as a regular volunteer while I completed my last semester at university.”
The Bell Gully team provides legal advice to Make-A-Wish New Zealand on a pro bono basis. Most recently, our lawyers have been reviewing its privacy practices to ensure it is operating in line with best practice in New Zealand.
Just because you take off a uniform, doesn’t mean that you stop serving
Auckland Anniversary weekend, and Valentine’s Day 2023. Dates that should have been filled with celebration turned out to be the beginning of desperate times for many New Zealanders. These dates marked a tragic start to the year with lives lost and properties destroyed - when flash flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island in quick succession.
The need was great and Taskforce Kiwi - Aotearoa’s first veteran-led, not-for-profit, disaster relief organisation - quickly mobilised to assist.
Taskforce Kiwi (TFK) was born in 2022. Its mission is “to utilise the skills and experience of defence and emergency services veterans to help communities across New Zealand recover from natural disasters, and help them get back on their feet sooner”.
TFK provides help through impact and damage assessment, debris clearance and disposal, emergency construction and repair, volunteer management, plant operations and co-ordination, logistics support and distribution, water, sanitation and hygiene, first aid and medical support, mental health and psychological first aid, and evacuee and refuge co-ordination. In January 2023 TFK deployed 205 volunteers who completed over 5,000 hours of skilled labour in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay, the equivalent of over $275,000 worth of work. This included 50 international volunteers from similar organisations in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. TFK has also deployed 14 volunteers to assist with flood relief in Australia, and deployed a team to Canada to assist with wildfire relief in Nova Scotia.
Richard Adams is at the helm as national director, with a board of heavy weights including Bevan Killick, chair of the Defence Employment Support Council, Stephanie Rotarangi, deputy chief executive with Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and Brigadier Neville Reilly (retired), the former NZ Ambassador to Afghanistan.
Richard has observed that while the veterans are providing invaluable skills and support when it is needed the most, they themselves are getting something out of it as well – a sense of purpose.
It’s a sentiment that rings true for lawyers like Campbell Pentney, who are giving their time for Bell Gully’s Pro Bono Programme. Campbell assisted Taskforce Kiwi on its trust deed and charity registration.
“These guys are doing the hard yards helping in the most difficult of circumstances, like in the Hawkes Bay after the cyclone. We’ve helped them on the legal side, but honestly it is incredibly rewarding just playing a small part in supporting their efforts.”
THomeGround
AUCKLAND CITY MISSION'S NEW HOME
he Auckland City Mission has been serving the homeless community in Tāmaki Makaurau for 100 years.
The building that serviced the Mission and its clients for the last 40 years became unfit for purpose, and wasn’t adequate to support its aspiration to end chronic homelessness in the city centre.
Auckland City Mission’s Fundraising and Reputation Manager Deb Ward is passionate about social impact, and she couldn’t have been prouder as she guided our small tour group through the Mission’s thoughtfully and beautifully designed new premises on Hobson Street - HomeGround.
HomeGround has been a dream 15 years in the making, which was finally delivered following a COVID-interrupted three-year build. The results are truly inspiring.
The vision - integrated social, medical and detox services together with a supported living facility - was executed by Stevens Lawson architects, and the result is award winning.
“The architects undertook international research into what is best practice for similar facilities, and engaged with our staff and clients to understand how best to tailor to Auckland’s specific needs. The result is one of the most comprehensive facilities of its kind in the world, and such a beautiful place to work and to live,” says Deb.
Deb explains the design principles that informed the project. Firstly, trauma reduction. “Many of our homeless are dealing with mental distress, impairment or addiction issues. When you enter HomeGround you are met with wide hallways and high ceilings to reduce feelings of being trapped. Natural, muted colours are used for their calming effect. Natural light floods into the central laneway to help alleviate fear. There are doors at either end of the building (Hobson and Federal Streets) to provide an easy exit if things get overwhelming.”
Secondly, te ao Māori design principles. "It's just the right thing to do in Aotearoa as a Te Tiriti partner, and many of our clients are Māori".
Māori design elements include each residential floor being named after an aspect of nature - including moana, titahi, whenua - right up to the top floor – rangi. This encompasses the overarching principle of the healing power of the natural world, and artworks and cultural symbols echo this throughout HomeGround.
A mauri (life force) stone is embedded in the entrance laneway, and a manea stone is situated above. Deb explains that these are acknowledged as symbols of healing, and help to create a “blanket of love around the building”. Meeting rooms are named after traditional medicinal plants, which are thriving in the stunning roof top garden.
There are 80 studio and one-bedroom apartments for clients, which are theirs for as long as they want them. There are also detox facilities, the busy Calder Medical Centre, and an onsite pharmacy.
Haeata (new dawn) is the kitchen and communal dining room, which serves nutritious meals to up to 300 people on site every day, as well as providing meals for people to take away.
The feeling that HomeGround evokes is that of a welcoming and healing community, for its staff and for its residents alike. There are several inviting communal spaces where people come together to share kai, learning, cultural and social activities. While Deb showed us around, we were fortunate enough to meet some of the residents who shared their stories. They said they felt lucky to be there, they felt safe, and they felt at home.
Bell Gully has supported the Auckland City Mission for many years with our people contributing to their key annual winter food and Christmas gift appeals.
F or more than 25 years, education organisation Te Hononga Akoranga COMET Auckland has been driving change for more equitable education and skills outcomes in south Auckland.
Chief Executive Katheren Leitner says, “COMET believes that everyone has the right to realise their dreams through lifelong learning. We identify where the biggest gaps and opportunities are, then bring together people across education, business, community and government, to design and implement educational programmes. We lead initiatives with new-borns and their parents - through to young people, educators and employers.”
COMET’s programmes include Talking Matters, which supports the creation of language-rich environments to improve brain development, particularly in a baby’s first 1,000 days.
COMET AUCKLAND
Another programme, SouthSci, shows young people the value of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills. COMET funds around 10 projects a year, with professionals and researchers working with young people to increase awareness and engagement so they can realise the career options available to them in the STEM fields.
The vision behind COMET’s Youth Employability programme is for every young person in New Zealand between the ages of 14 and 24 to be employable. The programme is made up of workshops, voluntary work, and 80 hours of hands-on work experience.
COMET became independent from Auckland Council at the end of 2023, and established itself as a charitable trust. Bell Gully advised COMET in connection with this transition, as well as the gifting and transfer of some of COMET’s programmes as it continues to expand and evolve.
Bell Gully advised on the gifting of COMET’s Youth Employability programme to Youthtown, by way of a Deed of Gift. Our team then advised on moving the Talking Matters programme out of COMET to operate under a new charitable entity, Talking Matters Charitable Trust. Decoupling the Talking Matters programme from COMET involved lawyers from our corporate and employment teams advising on the transfer of employees and assets, including benefits of various funding agreements.
Corporate partner Toby Sharpe says, “It’s a pleasure to assist Te Hononga Akoranga COMET Auckland and to see its mahi lift educational aspirations and unlock awesome potential. We are excited to see the education initiatives COMET brings into being as an independent organisation.”
THE GIFT OF GIVING Tū Māia
It was very special for Bell Gully to be thanked by a pro bono client in a unique and heartfelt way.
Taonga by Timoti is a pounamu carving studio located in Nelson. In 2023, it created a gifting programme - Tū Māia - aiming to ensure that every tamariki in state care in Aotearoa receives a bespoke gift of carved pounamu aroha.
Through the gifting of taonga pounamu, Tū Māia aims to give the gift of visibility and aroha to tamariki in care, so they can stand strong, brave and confident in the knowledge that their taonga is filled and gifted with aroha.
Campbell Pentney assisted with the formation and application for charitable trust status of Tū Māia, which was described by Taonga by Timoti’s founder as “Completely changing the game for us and allowing us to move into doing the mahi we are really passionate about - supporting our tamariki and rangatahi as they journey through life.”
Tū Māia gifted Bell Gully a beautiful pounamu to thank the firm for its mahi. This taonga, which is displayed on the reception desk of our Auckland office, is treasured by the firm. Staff and clients are invited to touch it, hold it and allow the pounamu to absorb their wairua (spirit).
“The mahi Taonga by Timoti are doing through their Tū Māia programme is incredibly meaningful for the tamariki receiving these gifts, which shows they have been seen, heard and loved. As recipients ourselves, we know just how special these pounamu are as a tangible expression of care. We are truly grateful.”, Campbell says.
It is estimated there are around 6,000 tamariki in state care, and Tū Māia receives no official funding. Carver and founder, Timoti, has also been assisted by rangitahi who have left state care and are helping with the carving. Other carvers have offered to help and students from Tai Poutini Polytech on the West Coast are also contributing to the mahi.
How else do we help?
Each year we fill the Bell Gully calendar with annual charitable events close to our hearts.
City Missions – Auckland and Wellington
We welcomed Deb Ward from Auckland City Mission and Catherine Short from Wellington City Mission to tell us more about their wonderful work, and how our donations to annual appeals each year go to where it is most needed.
Spirit to Cure
A Bell Gully team participates annually in Suncorp's Spirit to Cure Step Up Challenge raising funds for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ and Cancer Research Trust NZ.
Shine – Light it Orange
Shine’s Light it Orange annual appeal brings much needed awareness to the issue of domestic violence and raises vital funds for a charity we are proud to support each year.
Pink Ribbon
We are tickled pink to support long term pro bono partner Breast Cancer Foundation NZ with annual morning tea events in Auckland and Wellington.
Mental Health
We support the Mental Health Foundation in a variety of ways, including with a hotly contested quiz as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Diversity
As a workplace we are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment for the LGBTQI+ community. Bell Gully is Rainbow Tick accredited, and each year we mark Red Friday (World AIDS Day) and Pink Shirt Day, and celebrate Auckland and Wellington Pride festivals.
When Sustainability meets community need
Surplus furniture and equipment
Both Bell Gully’s offices, in Auckland and Wellington, have moved to new premises in the past few years. A flow on effect from these moves was the downsizing of our office furniture and equipment. We saw the opportunity to save them from landfill while benefitting our people by selling items with all proceeds going to pro bono community and charity partners of the firm.
As a result, the Wellington office donated an incredible $18,260 to the Wellington Free Ambulance from their office move.
In Auckland, our people voted on three wonderful pro bono clients to split the proceeds of almost $25,000 - KidsCan, Voices of Hope and Tū Māia.
It was a win-win with our staff thrilled that the proceeds went to such worthwhile organisations (and their purchases!) while the charities were very grateful to receive these donations.
In addition, the remaininig unsold furniture was gifted to deserving organisations such as the Sexual Assault Service in Auckland.
We cannot thank you enough for this incredibly generous donation! We are truly so grateful for all the support Bell Gully has given us so far and this donation will truly make a huge difference for our little charity and the community who benefit from our work.”
Green lease on IT
In another step we have taken to benefit the community, Bell Gully has its IT equipment - including laptops and screens - on a green lease. This means that at the end of our equipment lease (approximately 3-4 years) our provider, Quadrent, either repurposes the equipment to those in need in the community or recycles it in an environmentally responsible way.
Not only were we blessed with Bell Gully gifting us all the work that was involved with setting up Tū Māia as a trust, we now get this amazing koha. This gift is not only to us but to all the tamariki in Aotearoa. I truly do thank you all with the utmost gratitude and aroha for your most generous hearts.
Aroha Tino Nui.
Moran Tū
Māia
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for your donation to KidsCan. It was such a wonderful surprise to receive such a generous donation and we are super grateful! Thank you for your donation and the extensive pro bono work you do.
Monique Jackson KidsCan
Natasha Garvan, head of the BG Sustainability Committee, commented, “It’s a no brainer for the firm to be part of this initiative. While a green lease costs us slightly more, we see the benefits as far outweighing the costs. It’s just the right thing to do. We were delighted when Quadrent approached us with this opportunity and it's great to be part of a scheme which helps reduce our waste and benefits the community."
Abilities Group
For all other electronic waste and equipment (including staff personal e-waste) we partner with recycling charity Abilities Group. This organisation provides fulfilling work opportunities to people with disabilities and responsibly breaks down and recycles e-waste.
Timoti
Genevieve Mora Voices of Hope
16 years of
giving back*
2009 - 2024 facts and figures
23 per annum
Partners
99 per annum
Lawyers
2,312
Projects we advised on
NZ$15,000,000+
Fee Value
39,907
Hours
+NZ$1,735,000
Benefitted local community law centres
* Since we formalised our programme and started collecting data, and averaged per annum where appropriate.
Some of the organisations we support
PRO BONO
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
EMAIL rachel.gowing@bellgully.com
DDI +64 9 916 8825