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Governance
Board of Trustees
The Board of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust New Zealand (“GRG”) is made up of up to eight committed professional volunteers who have a diverse range of life, parenting, cultural, legal, business, management and commercial skills and experience. They meet once a month and set the strategic direction of the Trust which is to promote a community of grandparents raising grandchildren as full-time caregivers in New Zealand where they are empowered to provide a safe, secure and nurturing home for their grandchildren and an environment that protects and promotes their long-term wellbeing and development.
Diane Vivian | Founding TrusteeDiane Vivian founded GRG in 1999 after she received a life-changing knock on the door in 1997 and was presented with two traumatised grandchildren needing a home; the children of her fostered daughter. As she grappled with the challenges their particular needs presented on a daily basis she looked for help. There was none. After placing a notice in the local paper to sound out others in her position she was inundated with calls from similarly stressed grandparent caregivers. A public meeting was held and the first support group formed in 1999 with the establishment of the Trust in 2001. Diane has steered the organisation from the start with drive, determination and a deep compassion and understanding of the needs of grandparent caregivers and their grandchildren. She has spoken to thousands of people and hundreds of organisations over the years educating them from politicians and lawmakers to community groups and professionals, helping to bring about many positive changes in law and policy for the benefit of grandparent and kin caregivers. In 2013 she was both a category finalist in the Women of Influence awards and appointed to the Ministry of Social Development’s Ministerial Reference Group set up to provide expert advice to the Minister on the $35M funding budgeted over four years to extended family members caring for children. She married in 1967 and along with her husband raised three children, two foster children and two foster grandchildren. Today she has 8 grandchildren. |
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Jo-Anne Thomas | Chair and TrusteeJo-Anne is a family law specialist and associate at Schnauer & Co with over eight years experience in family law litigation, relationship property and elder law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Occupational Therapy. Before joining Schnauer & Co in 2011 she worked for Minter Ellison Rudd Watts for three years. In addition to her work as a Board member for the trust she is a Volunteer legal adviser to the North Shore Women’s Centre. |
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Sharon Richardson | TrusteeSharon has been a long time member of GRG and is thrilled to contribute her skills and experience to GRG. Sharon’s experience includes fostering children for 30 years, running a day care for 40 years and she is also a respite carer for Child Youth and Family caregivers. Sharon loves volunteer work and also visits local rest homes for Age Concern and the Salvation Army. Married to Gary since 1968, they are raising a grandchild together. Sharon is also a fabulous cook and loves to share her baking with the elderly in care. David White | TrusteeDavid and his wife Pam became “grandparents raising grandchildren” one morning in 2009 when he collected them from their schools and told them their mother had died. Like too many others, becoming the children's full-time care givers was an enormous hurdle, and for a time, felt like an impossible one. A stabilising influence was a call to Di Vivian and joining GRG. Knowing they weren't alone, and that there are others who were already walking down this path, gave them the confidence to continue raising a new generation. Having accepted help from others, David got to the point of then being able to help others in turn. |
 
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Judith McKay | TrusteeJudith McKay recently retired from her position as the General Manager Finance and Estates for AUT University where she had responsibility for the Finance and Property portfolios. Prior to joining AUT, Judith was Finance and Administration Manager for the Union Shipping Group of companies, company accountant for a number of manufacturing companies, and an auditor at Price Waterhouse and a Cobol programmer. Judith is a Chartered Accountant and is a member of the Institute of Directors. She has been married to Ross for 43 years, has two adult daughters and three young grand-daughters |
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Consultant to the GRG BoardJill Worrall, MNZMJill Worrall is the mother of three sons and grandmother to six grandchildren. With her late husband John, the family cared for several foster children over a period of twenty years. Jill was raised by extended family for the first half of her childhood. She has been a nurse, a social worker and a senior lecturer in social work at Massey University. She has had the privilege of writing the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Handbook and undertaking the GRG research on Grandparent and other kin caregivers 2005 and 2009. Life Members: Debbie Gillies, Jill Neherny, Miriama Paraone-Davies, Samina Corbett |
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Mitre 10 Community of the Year 2013 
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