Ann Bain Gives Tirelessly to Koru Care

Ann Bain who has been the Chairperson of Koru Care Charitable Trust for 15 years has been named in the New Years Honours List and will receive her QSM for Services to Children at a formal function to be held at Government House later in the year.

After steering Koru Care Charitable Trust for so many years with little acknowledgement or fanfare we are pleased to see that she has been recognised in the New Years Honours List for her tireless work in helping ensure that the children who take part in the annual Koru Care trips to Disneyland and Brisbane are the success they are.

Ann was one of the founding members of Koru Care Charitable Trust when it was started by a group of Air New Zealand staff back in 1983, who wanted to contribute something to children in our community that face challenges in their lives and to help them forget about their troubles and ongoing medical treatments for a while at least.

For many children the trip to see and experience sites such as Disneyland and Universal Studios in California and Movie World and DreamWorld in Brisbane, gives them the opportunity to experience some of the normalities of life that they would not have had the opportunity to experience had it not been for the support and efforts of volunteers like Ann Bain.

To hear the passion in which Ann talks of the children who have been on Koru Care trips, one would get the feeling that these were ‘her children’, she puts so much enthusiasm into making sure that every trip is a success and that her “children” get the most out of this once in a lifetime experience. This experience changes so many young childrens lives.

Ann uses her annual leave and airline staff travel entitlements to travel with the children, this in itself is a true testament to her commitment to the children.

It would be safe to say that Ann would shy away from any limelight; however her true dedication to Koru Care for the past 25 years deserves the recognition she has received in the New Years Honours List.