Based in Te Waipounamu, Pūruatia Trust aims to provide and encourage equitable te reo and te ao Māori akoranga and kaupapa for whānau Māori and their allies. This is reflected in our name, which speaks to the coming together of two bodies of water, flowing to join as a united channel.

Our origins began with an unmet need - it started from kōrero with the Reo Māori Mai team, dreaming up a kaupapa Māori holiday programme. After some research, it became clear that no such thing existed for our hapori/community in Ōtautahi. So, we decided to create it. Pūruatia Trust was soon formed as a Charitable Trust to bring this kaupapa to life.

The scope of Pūruatia Trust casts a wide net - as well as our out-of-school care kaupapa, we look to undertake different kinds of mahi that align with our vision: for whānau Māori and their allies to be engaged in akoranga Māori/Māori experiences of learning that support them to feel stronger and fulfilled in their identity as Māori.

Te Poari | The Board

Our board is comprised of tāngata whose values align with the vision and purpose of Pūruatia Trust. Each individual brings unique expertise, connections, and experiences to support the development and delivery of the Trust’s vision for our hapori.

Andrea Read - Trustee
(Ngāti Waewae) (she/her)

Brad Waldon-Gibbons - Trustee
(Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahungunu) (he/him)

Ariana Stevens - Trustee
(Ngāti Waewae) (she/her)

Lucy Denham - Secretary
(Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu) (she/her)

Meg Ryan - Trustee
(Tangata Tiriti) (she/her)

Ngā Kaimahi me Ngā Kaitautoko | The Team

Our team are from a range of different backgrounds and spaces, bringing their skills and passion to support the delivery of the Trust’s vision for our hapori on the ground.

Erin Hapi - Kaiwhakahaere, Give Us Your Kids (Kaupapa Māori Out Of School Programme) 
(Pākehā) (she/her)

Nic Hart - Administration support
(Pākehā) (she/her)

Me tū i te tū a te kahikatea. Stand as the kahikatea stand. 

This whakataukī references kahikatea, which cannot grow in isolation. Rather, they rely on their collective strength to weather the storm.

The whakataukī above references working as a collective in order to prosper - this is something we embody at Pūruatia Trust. Our collective includes some great humans, organisations and funders. We are grateful to them for their tautoko/support. Without external pūtea/funding, our Trust would be unable to carry out our mahi for our hapori/community. 

Ka nui te mihi ki:

  • Rātā Foundation
  • Wayne Francis Charitable Trust
  • Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua
  • Reo Māori Mai

If you would like to make a donation to support Pūruatia Trust in the continuation of our mahi, or provide support in an alternative way, please contact us.