Joanna's Message

It was an absolute honour to represent Board members past and present, and in particular my predecessor Bishop Jim White, at the official opening of HomeGround in September 2022, just a few months after the building had welcomed people in for service after more than a decade of planning.  After more than a decade of planning, the opening ceremony marked the realisation of long-held dream.  It was a proud day in the history of the Mission and to acknowledge our commitment to a new future: where those in greatest need, those with the least, are offered a place to heal and transform their lives with dignity and respect.  

The visionary design and build of HomeGround has been widely recognised, winning the Supreme Award at the 2022 Property Industry Awards, the 2022 NZIA New Zealand Award for Architecture in both the Public Architecture and the Multi-unit Housing categories, and being highly commended at the 2023 World Architecture Festival.  Alongside these accolades it is the work within the award winning building that will make a positive difference to people in greatest need across our city. 

In August 2022, we had the pleasure of welcoming Paul Gilberd, Arend Merrie and Erica Whineray-Kelly to the board.  They have brought with them a wealth of experience in the housing and healthcare sectors, as well as governance. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions made by Dr Elana Curtis and the Venerable Dr Lyndon Drake, who left the Board this year and to thank them both for all thier work. 

I am hugely grateful to all the staff at the Mission for their outstanding work, their care and dedication to making Auckland a better place for all.  In particular, I would like to recognise the Māori leaders from across the organisation who have stepped up this year to be part of the newly established Manurau, to guide us on our journey to becoming good Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner. 

Finally, to our supporters, thank you for everything you are doing to make the Mission’s work possible.  

It is a privilege to be part of the Mission community.