Red Shield Appeal launches in Wellington

Fundraisers and supporters dug deep to help New Zealand’s most vulnerable ahead of this year’s public street appeal from 2-8 May.

Over recent years, The Salvation Army Public Relations Department has arranged a series of corporate breakfasts as launch events for the annual Red Shield Appeal. These give an opportunity for the business sector to get behind the Army’s good work. The theme of this year’s breakfasts is ‘Hope in the City’.

The Wellington breakfast, held at the Hotel Intercontinental on Friday 11 March, was attended by 170 people and has already raised over $35,000 for the Red Shield Appeal.

The Christchurch earthquake was foremost in people’s minds. Master of Ceremonies Simon Marsh, from MediaWorks) said, ‘The needs of Christchurch are immense and The Salvation Army is committed to working with Cantabrians for as long as it takes; however, we can’t forget the needs of other parts of the country. Most of us don’t go out into society to find those who are in need—The Salvation Army does that for us.’

Commissioner Don Bell (Territorial Commander) and Lieut-Colonel Lyndon Buckingham (Secretary for Programme) were among those who thanked the business community for its strong support of The Salvation Army’s relief efforts in Christchurch.

‘I am humbly proud of what we are doing in Christchurch,’ said Lieut-Colonel Buckingham. ‘If the true measure of the maturity of a nation is seen in our treatment of the most vulnerable, then we are perhaps seeing a new measure of maturity in Christchurch. We have seen in Christchurch a vision for a new New Zealand, where the needs of the vulnerable are most important.

‘The Salvation Army’s mission is one of caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society—and to do that in a meaningful way, we need your help. Not just to respond in Christchurch, but to meet the needs of the vulnerable up and down the country … to build an ever-stronger New Zealand.’

An emotional Major Robbie Ross, Public Relations Secretary, showed a DVD of the Army’s response to the Christchurch earthquake, calling this a ‘further chapter in a nightmare that began in September 2010’. ‘The Salvation Army has been humbled in serving those who will never be the same again,’ he said. ‘We are in this for the long haul, and have been well supported by businesses and individuals around the country and around the world.’

Richard Jarrett, head of private banking for Westpac Bank, said the partnership that the bank shared with The Salvation Army was helping Westpac deliver on its desire to make a difference in the community. Bank staff helped prepare care packages alongside Salvation Army workers after last September’s Canterbury earthquake and the bank has provided strong financial support after the 22 February quake.

Governor-General the Rt Hon Sir Annand Satyanand, who was unable to attend the breakfast, sent a message that put on record his admiration of and thanks to The Salvation Army for its work on behalf of all New Zealanders. The Canterbury Earthquake was a good example of the Army’s community services, he said, as well as a reminder that ‘earthquakes do not discriminate on social lines’.

‘More than 125 years [after arriving in New Zealand], The Salvation Army … continues to answer the call of those in need, combining spiritual renewal with a hands-on approach to caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society,’ said the Governor-General.
He noted that ‘the ability of The Salvation Army to meet growing community needs has been made possible by the unfailing generosity of New Zealanders through fundraising events, such as the Red Shield Appeal’.

Phillip Mills, owner of Les Mills International, was the breakfast’s keynote speaker. He said The Salvation Army was his mother’s favourite charity when she was mayoress of Auckland from 1990-1998.

Phillip shared some of his business experiences, which included a number of significant setbacks, and talked about his strong commitment to improving people’s health and wellbeing. In the 1990s, this led him to develop a new business model, licensing Les Mills fitness classes around the world. They key to his success was a very strong sense of purpose, he said. ‘We want to help people be happier and healthier. The more you can connect with your sense of purpose, the better you will be.’

Philip said ‘green growth’ should be seen as ‘an economic necessity’ for businesses and for nations. Commenting on discussion around the rebuilding of Christchurch, he said he would like to see the city be rebuilt as a ‘healthy, sustainable city that people would want to come back to, even from overseas’. He believed Christchurch could be rebuilt as ‘one of the world’s great cities’.

A further Red Shield Appeal corporate breakfast is scheduled for 29 March in Auckland . The Christchurch breakfast was cancelled due to the earthquake.

The Salvation Army is grateful for the support of Red Shield Appeal breakfast sponsors Westpac Bank, Advice First, Trustee Executors, Rabobank and First NZ Capital.