Painted in vivid orange and surrounded by the hum of friendly chatter, Orange Sky’s eye-catching vans provide a hub for practical support and connection for people doing it tough.

We were delighted to give out the first grant from the Nikau Wairarapa Fund to Yellow Brick Road; a wonderful organisation doing great mahi to provide local families with the support, tools and resources to help their loved ones on their road to recovery.

With a kaupapa to ensure that Māori language, knowledge and traditions stay alive, Te Rito o te Kura Charitable Trust has been conceptualising Ngāhere Kai (or 'Food Forest') for a while. As it grows, the Food Forest will offer many learning opportunities and will become a space where we can retain, practice and pass on knowledge from the land which embodies a Māori worldview

 Māori and Pasifika youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than Pākehā. Faced with this statistic, youth development organisation, ZEAL launched an in-school culture and identity mentoring programme with an emphasis on suicide prevention.  

Propelled by the collective passion of locals, volunteers and partners, Kāpiti-based not-for-profit, Energise Ōtaki Charitable Trust is helping locals to reduce their energy use, save money and decrease dependency on imported energy.   

The result of many years of hard mahi, Le Malaga o Moanaroa hub has been opened in Porirua to support, inspire and connect youth. Nikau Foundation was delighted to collaborate with Wellington Community Trust and the Porirua Council to co-fund this incredible project.

By helping women to know their rights, achieve job and economic security, and ensure they can determine the course of their lives, we are taking small steps towards achieving gender equality in New Zealand. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate Hutt Valley-based organisation, Women of Worth, who are doing just that.

In response to global environmental threats, education organisation Mountains to Sea Wellington (MTSW) is taking things local to address human impacts on oceans and waterways. Through the implementation of four freshwater and marine education programmes, MTSW aim to inspire a sense of kaitiakitanga amonst the next generation.

Cycle Safe Porirua was launched to foster connectedness within the community while supporting health and wellbeing and creating a warm, welcoming environment for cycling.

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pukenga Whakaata is not only a space to encounter impressive works of art but a place to encounter the people and stories of our nation, past and present. With the help of Nikau Foundation funding, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery secured their lease at Shed 11.

The brainchild of former Tauranga Girls High School Head of Science, House of Science was established to build scientific literacy in primary school students and empower teachers to deliver engaging science programmes.  

The Wellington City Mission is delivering mana-enhancing services to preserve dignity and arm their visitors with the power of choice.

Founded almost by accident, Kaibosh is a food rescue service working towards alleviating food poverty while minimising the environmental implications of excess food going to landfill.

Classed as ‘severely endangered’ by UNESCO, there are only 4500 Tokelauan language speakers worldwide. Atafu Tokelau Community Group is working to safeguard Tokelauan culture through educational initiatives aimed at keeping the Tokelauan language alive.

Established to create a safe space to strengthen emotional wellbeing in the wake of loss, Seasons of Growth Wairarapa delivers life-changing coaching through the seasons of grief.

Acknowledging a trend of late breast cancer diagnosis among Pacific women, Pinikilicious aims to create safe, comfortable spaces for difficult conversations while encouraging referrals for breast cancer screenings.

The brainchild of KiwiClass Board Member, Afnan Al-Rubayee, Storytelling through Photography offers the opportunity for young people to learn valuable technical photography skills while shifting the narrative on refugee and migrant experiences.

Creating opportunities for competition and inclusivity, Special Olympics Kāpiti enriches the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through sport. Nikau Foundation was delighted to provide a grant to support travel and accommodation costs for the National Summer Games.

Established in the 70s, the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve has established a successful breed-for-release programme and a beautiful location to educate, inspire and connect people with native flora and fauna.

For 2020 Warren Douglas Scholarship winner, Laura Saxon Jones, dance is not only a discipline for which she has had a lifelong love but a vehicle to influence positive social change.