Sir Colin Meads to open new IHC office in Waikato

Media Release
17 November 2011

Sir Colin Meads will be opening IHC’s new fundraising office in Otorohanga at 12.30pm today (Friday 18 November).

IHC is shifting the North Island home of its successful rural fundraising scheme into the heart of New Zealand’s dairy country with a new base opening. And at the opening the base will be renamed Cashmore Cottage, in honour of the late Norm Cashmore from Taranaki.

It was Norm Cashmore who dreamed up the early beginnings of the IHC calf and rural scheme when he offered a pair of gumboots to every farmer donating a calf to the Taranaki branch of IHC.

Now in its 27th year, the PGG Wrightson IHC Calf & Rural Scheme raises over $1.4 million every year mainly from dairy farmers to make lives better for people with intellectual disabilities.

Rugby great and former sheep and beef farmer Sir Colin Meads is closely associated with the scheme and serves as patron. He says the scheme makes him very proud to be a farmer and to be a New Zealander.

His association with IHC began more than 30 years ago. In that time he has been Chairman of the King Country Branch of IHC, and Chair of IHC’s National Fundraising Committee.

IHC National Manager Fundraising Kate Monks says that Otorohanga is the perfect place for the scheme. “It’s only an hour in any direction to Waikato’s important farming centres. We are moving closer to many of our very loyal farmers, who have been donating calves to us for many years.”

“Of course, we are looking forward to meeting many new farmers, including sheep and beef farmers, to seek their support for people with disabilities in rural communities.”

The scheme has also been successful in catching the imagination of rural-based companies, such as PGG Wrightson, who have been long-time sponsors. Livestock identification company Allflex New Zealand provides ear tags for the stock and sponsors the Top Pen competition for farmers who get the highest prices at the sales. Volkswagen New Zealand is IHC’s newest partner, providing two vehicles for use by IHC’s fundraising coordinators.

The scheme, a critical IHC fundraiser, helps to pay for services that are not funded by the Government. These includes a team of advocates who will go into bat whenever people’s rights are being ignored; and a whole range of programmes designed to include people with disabilities in the lives of their communities. The scheme also helps to fund a comprehensive library of resources that will help parents find out what they need to know about their child’s disability.

Under the scheme, which was expanded in 2008 to include other kinds of stock, farmers raise a calf or other animal for sale through the PGG Wrightson livestock trading network. All proceeds go directly towards assisting people with an intellectual disability.

“IHC is very grateful to the farmers who donate to the PGG Wrightson IHC Calf & Rural Scheme.  Their generous donations allow us to do so many good things for people with intellectual disability,” said Kate.

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For more information please contact:
Philippa Sellens IHC Communications Manager
04 495 2771, 027 490 4925 or philippa.sellens@ihc.org.nz

Kate Monks IHC National Fundraising Manager
04 439 4787, 021 284 6873 or kate.monks@ihc.org.nz

To find out more about the PGG IHC Calf & Rural Scheme, call IHC Fundraising toll free on 0800 442 886 or email national.fundraising@ihc.org.nz

Media are invited to the launch at 12.30pm at 25 Te Kanawa Street, Otorohanga.