Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust re-activated

Hawke’s Bay Mayors have today reactivated the regional Disaster Relief Trust, making it easy for people from anywhere in New Zealand to donate to the region’s Cyclone Gabrielle recovery effort.

Set up for the same purpose during the 2020 droughts, Hawke’s Bay’s Mayors and Regional Council Chair have reactivated the Trust so that people can give knowing their donations will be spent on the most urgently needed support for the people and communities who need it most.

Speaking on behalf of Mayors Alex Walker (Central Hawke’s Bay District), Sandra Hazlehurst (Hastings District), Kirsten Wise (Napier City) and Craig Little (Wairoa District), Hinewai Ormsby, Chair of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council says the region’s leaders are aware Kiwis across the motu are keen to support the relief effort and want to know how they can help.

“The scale of the devastation and destruction across Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay is, quite frankly, apocalyptic. Lives have been lost and livelihoods have been literally swept away. Whole communities have been destroyed and many people have been left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when they were rescued from rooftops as the floodwaters struck.

“New Zealanders are incredibly generous, and we know they will want to do what they can to help. The Trust is the easiest and most effective way for people to lend a hand. It means people can donate to one single, centralised fund and know their financial support will be spent on the most urgent needs and directed where it is needed most.” says Ms Ormsby.

She says as Trustees, she and Mayors will agree a needs-based criteria for funds distribution in the next day or two and as soon as funds build, they will be distributed.

“Right now, we wanted to reactivate the trust as quickly as we could, knowing people are keen to support our communities in whatever way they can.”

People wanting to donate can do so to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust is 02-0700-0010824-002.

18 February 2023

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