Te Āti Hau Trust: 'We're here to support'

A review of Te Āti Hau Trust’s strategic plan shows a clear focus on uri and what is important to them, says Trust chair Dr Rāwiri Tinirau.

“I think what uri will see within our revised strategy is that we’re very clear and a lot more overt around things like strengthening our connections with our people and our place, reinvigorating the ways in which we can be good custodians of our lands. I think that’s really clear now,” he says.

“We want to make it clear that we’re here to support the aspirations of our marae, and of our hapū and our uri.”

To help with the review, the Trust engaged Selwyn Hayes, an uri of Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation and Whanganui iwi. He was assisted by Jade Newton. Both work for Tahi at Ernest Young and had completed previous work with the Incorporation on its strategic priorities.

They engaged with Trust members and staff at a hui in March, followed by a workshop at the end of that month. “What was wonderful about our hui was that very early on in that session, we were able to align our vision, our mission, our values and our goals with our parent, the Incorporation.”

The Trust also held a separate session with staff to try to understand what some of the implications might be at an operational level.

Over the past 12 months, the Trust made a one-off payment to 36 marae in the rohe, something it has not done in the past.

The Trust has tended to focus on capital or infrastructure grants. “We’ve still got those, but this was a way of being able to make sure all of our marae received something in that first year.”

• Total Grant Distribution $437,127

• 452 TOTAL GRANTS General Grants $333,527

• 287 TOTAL GRANTS Education Grants $103,600

• 165 TOTAL GRANTS

Going forward, the Trust will be providing regular payments to marae on a cyclical basis, but it can’t afford to do that every year. “Every three years, our marae know they will get an injection of funding, and there are the capital and infrastructure grants as well.”

To support marae, the Trust is also working closely with other tribal organisations, especially Te Whawhaki Trust, which is part of the Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui group, and other funders.

“From an operational perspective, having those relationships, those partnerships with others, we are starting to see the fruit of that work now.”

An example is the Trust’s relationships with the Māori Education Trust and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. They match what the Trust pays students through grants and scholarships.

In the financial year that ended in June, the Trust awarded 287 general grants, which included cultural, sports and arts, community, marae, kaumātua wellbeing and tangihanga grants. It also gave out 165 education scholarships.

Last year, the Trust paid out $261,000 worth of grants, and this financial year just ended it gave $436,000. “So, a huge uplift in terms of the amount and number of grants, and to our marae and to the people and places we want to support,” Rāwiri says.

“That’s a decent amount of grantgiving and we know that these grants make a difference in the lives of our uri.”