Leading with heart The Kate Sheppard Memorial Fund works to celebrate greater Christchurch’s proud tradition of female leadership. Established by The Christchurch Foundation, the fund honours the incredible women making positive change in our community. Normally three grants are distributed each year, but due to the generosity of a local family-run Christchurch business, Evotek Technologies, this year they were able to award a fourth grant. Metropol gets to know the 2021 winners.
Emily Cormack
Regenerate, Cultivate Christchurch
Emily Cormack is the intern and community coordinator at Cultivate Christchurch, and has a background in working with young people in mental health areas. She is passionate about supporting and helping youth explore their strengths and find their purpose. Regenerate is a programme run by Cultivate Christchurch that supports families to grow their kai. Cultivate Christchurch combines urban farming with youth development and community engagement, and provides employment and skills to youth. Emily’s work with Regenerate is making a true difference for young people in Ōtautahi. “Though it might sound strange, growing kai can totally do wonders for our mental health! Not only do we get the benefits of fresh produce and sunshine (vitamin D), but we also get a sense of connection to whenua and a reminder that we are all part of the ecology that exists around us. It’s great that with the help of the Kate Sheppard Memorial Fund, Regenerate can support communities to access urban gardening spaces and their positive impact on wellbeing.”
12 11 November, 2021 Metropol
Heather Milne is the founder and manager of The Christchurch Aunties. The Christchurch Aunties provide practical donations for women and children who have experienced family violence or vulnerability and is run mostly on volunteer power. The growing community now has a network of over 4800 people donating money, goods and their time. Heather has a background in marketing and communications in the not-for-profit and community sectors. When she’s not on Christchurch Aunties duty, she is creating a similar programme for tāne at He Waka Tapu. “The acknowledgement of my work by the Christchurch Foundation means a lot to me as an individual and to my whanau. I get stuck in the dayto-day mahi of supporting others. This award has caused me to take a step back and look at my achievements with pride and made me think about how else I can use my skills and energy to make a positive impact on my community.”
Heather Milne
Christchurch Aunties
