Kia ora Koutou
My name is Paul Grundy. My wife and I have lived in Hawkes Bay for 27 years. Our three daughters who grew up here are all living away from home now, two in London and one in Christchurch.
I'm very pleased to be given the opportunity to take on the role of Chair for Volunteering Hawkes Bay. I've been part of this Board since the start of 2025.
I'm enjoying working with a Board team with diverse skills and experiences. Our Operations team are skilled and highly motivated.
My background is education; I was involved in Primary and Special education for 40 years, and retired from my work as a Principal in 2017. As a Principal for 26 years, I've been a member of Boards of Trustees, so have a sound understanding of governance. In my semi retirement I've been self employed as a gardener. This work is now part time, so I have the opportunity to take on more voluntary work.
I was part of the Napier Foodbank Board for two years prior to taking on the trustee role with Volunteering Hawkes Bay. Recently, I have started working as a volunteer with Predator Free Taradale. I'm hoping that this will extend to working with other conservation groups in Hawkes Bay.
The work of our Board is to support and promote volunteers and voluntary organisations in their important mahi in Hawkes Bay. We do this through supporting the work of our Operations team in providing information, training and referral service to volunteers and voluntary groups.
I've been part of some of the professional development our team offers and have seen the real value of volunteers working with others doing similar work in our community. The celebration of volunteering and networking is a crucial part of our team's work. We value the work of these volunteers and the difference they make.