Back to Blog

Meet our wonderful Trust Board Secretary, Brooke Gregory

Brooke Gregory is a young woman based in the Waikato, who has spent part of 2021 volunteering her time to the Braemar Charitable Trust.Brooke’s role involves taking the meeting minutes at BCT Board events and ensuring that any decisions made by Trustees are clearly noted down. The experience so far has increased Brooke’s knowledge about the roles and responsibilities involved in board governance and being a Trustee, and she has enjoyed the insight of watching firsthand how conversations prog...

Community Radio Podcast of interview with Trust Manager, Paula Baker

Click the link to listen to a radio interview given by Paula Baker, manager of the Braemar Charitable Trust, on Community Waikato Radio. https://www.accessradio.org/ProgrammePage.aspx......

Would you like to be part of our Charitable Surgery Programme?

In 2021, a young man named Michael required oral surgery to remove several painful and abscessed teeth. Due to a significant waiting list, Michael was unable to be seen in a timely way through the public health system and the pain and ongoing infection were impacting on Michael’s quality of life and his ability to work. Without the financial means to afford private treatment, Michael applied to the Braemar Charitable Trust for treatment under the Braemar Charitable Surgery Program. Having met ...

Introducing one of our charitable surgery anaesthetists-Kelly Byrne

Kelly Byrne has been a consultant anesthetist for 10 years and has been involved in several charitable surgery programs overseas, including in Fiji, Tonga, and Cambodia. As Kelly provides anesthesia services at Braemar Hospital as well as for the Waikato DHB, he was attracted to the Braemar Charitable Surgery program when looking for charitable surgery opportunities in New Zealand. Over the last two years as a medical associate assisting with the charitable surgery program, Kelly has assessed p...

Happy Birthday Braemar Charitable Trust!!

In 2021, the Braemar Charitable Trust celebrated its 50th birthday, a milestone that was highlighted by the completion of a book written about the Trust by Waikato journalist, Kingsley Field. Kingsley has had a long career in Waikato journalism and newspaper, having worked for the Waikato Times as chief subeditor. He was also the Waikato news-bureau chief for the New Zealand Herald for eight years. Later he went on to freelance work from 1999. He had been contacted before about writing books for...

Showcasing one of our valued Oral Surgeons-Simon Lou

Simon Lou is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon that has been working at the Braemar Hospital for the past 10 years. He has also spent a decade working at the Waikato Hospital as a consultant and was a Supervisor of Training at Waikato District Health Board. Simon has a history of donating his time and expertise to charitable surgeries and has been involved in the Islands of Smiles Charitable Trust, through which he volunteered his services on 2 trips to remote areas of Fiji. When he heard about...

Charitable Surgery Programme makes a positive difference to health outcomes in our community

When a young University student named Brooklyn noticed a toothache from his developing wisdom teeth in early 2021, he began to look for a dental solution. As a full-time student, Brooklyn was receiving student allowance through WINZ and worked a part time job at KFC. Despite these forms of income, Brooklyn had no way to fund the cost of removing his wisdom teeth, especially after it was discovered that he was also suffering from tooth decay. Fortunately, Brooklyn was able to be seen by a surgeo...

Needle Free Sedation Research funded by Braemar Charitable Trust

2021 marks the second financial year that Braemar Charitable Trust donated up to $30,000 per annum to the Waikato Medical Research Foundation as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organization, that is in place for the next three years. The Foundation funds research that mirrors Braemar Charitable Trust’s vision of improving health outcomes in the Waikato, and this partnership is an example of how more can be achieved when organizations work together. In this case, the colla...

Keen to work with us?

Working with the Braemar Charitable Trust is an opportunity that enables like-minded organizations in the Waikato who share our vision to come together and collaborate in the pursuit of improved community health outcomes.Please get in touch via email, Facebook, or LinkedIn, or through completing a funding application form which can be found on our website https://www.braemartrust.co.nz/ . We look forward to hearing how your mission aligns with the Braemar vision of improving health outcomes in o...

Arts for Health Community Trust-a key partner

The Arts for Health Community Trust is a Waikato-based non-profit organization that serves the community by accessible art studios for any person who wants to use the creative arts as a medium through which to achieve wellness. The Trust was established by Rosemary Biland, wife of a practicing doctor at Waikato Hospital who saw an opportunity for hospital patients to engage in meaningful activity to distract them from an often very difficult health-related experience or accident. 34 years later...

Showcasing one of our team- Katie Ayers

Katie Ayers has been a valued member of “Braemar family” since 2003, when she began working at Braemar Hospital as a Paedeatric Dentist. She expanded her involvement, by joining the Braemar Charitable Trust as a Medical Trustee in 2014 for a term of 3 years. Needing to step down as a Trustee for a period to focus on her governance role with the Dental Association, Katie was reappointed to the Trust in 2020 and then in 2021, to the Braemar Hospital Board. Katie was originally attracted to Bra...

We love sharing good news stories from our Charitable Surgery Programme

Sometimes special events occur which give members of the Braemar Charitable Trust the certainty that what they are doing to improve the health of the community really is making a difference. The trust along with Braemar Hospital medical specialists, perform a growing number of charitable surgeries each year. These surgeries are greatly appreciated by patients and can be life changing. Here is just one example. For reasons of privacy, the name of the patient and their family member has been chang...

André Becker is 2021/2022’s second recipient of a Summer Research Scholarship funded by the Braemar Trust

André Becker is 2021/2022’s second recipient of a Summer Research Scholarship funded by the Braemar Trust. The question André is posing, and will aim to answer by the end of the summer, is “What are the unmet needs in Waikato children with Otitis Media?” Otitis Media is a medical condition involving infection and/or inflammation in the middle ear. Serious cases can result in the use of grommets or surgical interventions, though fortunately these measures can often be avoided. André’s...

Karen Turanga, Bachelor of Health and Population Studies and recipient of the 2021 Braemar Charitable Trust Bachelor of Health Scholarship and Summer Research Scholarship

Braemar Charitable Trust believes in building capacity and capability within the wider health sector. Not only do we provide funding for ongoing medical practitioner professional development, we are also committed to supporting the next generation of health professionals, recognizing that they are key to improving health outcomes in our community. An example of this support is found through Braemar’s funding of tertiary scholarships at the University of Waikato. Karen Turanga, Ngāi Tahu, is ...

Congratulations to Fiona Michel- Finalist in the 2021 Women of Influence Awards

The Braemar Charitable Trust would like to acknowledge and congratulate Fiona Michel on being named as a finalist in 2021’s Women of Influence Awards. A very significant achievement and testament to Fiona's career and reputation for excellence. Fiona has recently been appointed as the new CEO of Braemar Hospital and will be starting in her new leadership role at Braemar next week. We are very excited to have a leader of Fiona's caliber joining the Braemar family and look forward to w...

Be the first see our new Video

Click the link to be the first to view the Braemar Charitable Trust’s official ‘About Us’ video.  https://lnkd.in/e5stcVMc Filmed and edited by Nimbus Media, the clips that comprise this video are mere introductions to the work that is done by Braemar Charitable Trust, and how this work contributes to achieving better health outcomes for communities throughout the Waikato.Thanks to our wonderful supporters, partners and current and past Trustees who are showcased in this video, w...

Proud to support the great work of Arts for Health Community Trust as they go virtual during lockdown

The Braemar Trust has partnered with Arts for Health Community Trust for the last 4 years. Firstly with the sponsorship of the "Braemar Studio" at their community arts space in Seddon Road, and then through workshops at the Stroke and Rehabilitation and Older Persons Rehabilitation Wards at Waikato Hospital. As part of the 2020 Waikato Community COVID Response Fund, we provided funding to enable Arts for Health to connect virtually with the community and continue their workshops via zoom and fac...

Tooth Fairy flies in to support the Braemar Charitable Surgery Programme

Got to love that feel good factor and just had to share. We do some pretty neat things here at the Braemar Charitable Trust. It is stories like this that really reinforces how lucky we are to be part of an amazing team working together to improve health outcomes in our community. Recently Paedeatric Dentist Katie Ayers, saw a very upset mum and her wee girl who was suffering from severe dental pain and required several teeth to be removed under general anesthetic. Tiraha was unable to get a time...

New CEO Appointed at Braemar Hospital

We are excited to share the news that a new Braemar Hospital Chief Executive Officer has been appointed. After an extensive search process led by Braemar Hospital Board Chair Graeme Milne,  Fiona Michel will start her new role at the beginning of December. Fiona joins Braemar after an impressive career in executive leadership and senior management, not only in the health sector but also in insurance, banking and the New Zealand Police. Fiona is currently seconded from her role as Chief Peop...

Medical Trustee Katie Ayers appointed to the Braemar Hospital Board

The Braemar Charitable Trust sole shareholder of Braemar Hospital Limited, is delighted to announce the appointment of Katie Ayers as a Director on the Braemar Hospital Board. Katie took up this new appointment on 1 October and now sits on both the Braemar Hospital and Braemar Trust Boards.  Katie joined the Braemar Charitable Trust Board in 2020 (after serving one 3-year term on the Trust in 2014), has been a a Medical Associate at Braemar Hospital since 2004 and is Specialist Paediatric D...

Proud to support the University of Waikato 3MT event, which puts PhD research centre-stage in the Waikato

Braemar Charitable Trust Medical Trustee Alan Goodey, was a member of the judging panel for this significant event on the Waikato's research calendar. Alan commented that he "really enjoyed the evening . It was great to hear the enthusiasm and quality of the contestants". The Braemar Charitable Trust was excited and grateful for the opportunity to be involved and learn more about impactful research happening in our region. We look forward to being involved in the future and wish Isaac all the ve...

Congratulations to Braemar Charitable Trust Chair, Victoria Ashplant

A huge congratulations to our Chair, Victoria Ashplant for her new role as Director PwC Global Reporting, ESG Reporting and Assurance - Strategy and Embedding. Very fortunate to have someone of Victoria's caliber leading the Braemar Charitable Trust team. Learn more about Victoria's new role below. Reporting is often described as telling a story. Starting a journey on ESG reporting is confronting, unveils hard truths or uncertain futures. Those conversations are equally enlightening. If done wit...

2021 Braemar Charitable Trust/Waikato Medical Research Foundation Medical Research Grant-Needle Free Injection of Sedative Pain Relief

The Braemar Charitable Trust funds one research proposal up to the value of $25,000 as part of its relationship with the Waikato Medical Research Foundation. In 2021, the Braemar Charitable Trust has agreed to fund important research into the needle free injection of sedative pain relief. The research will be undertaken at Waikato Hospital over the next year. The research team of Dr Nicola Whittle and Professor Jamie Sleigh noted that "Everyone knows someone who is scared to go to the doctor or ...

Braemar Charitable Trust- committed to growing great governance

Health sector training, professional development and capability building is one of the Braemar Charitable Trust's core charitable pillars. We are committed to growing health sector capacity and capability in our region through investing in health sector related secondary, tertiary and post graduate education and ongoing clinician professional development.  This capability building also includes striving for best practice clinical and organisational governance. To best position ourselves for...

Using Her Voice to Empower Communities

Check out this great profile of Braemar Hospital Limited Independent Director Bella Takiari-Brame, recently featured in the University of Waikato Alumni and Friends Newsletter. In it's role as shareholder of Braemar Hospital, the Braemar Charitable Trust appointed Bella to the Braemar Hospital Board in April last year. Tēnā rawa atu koe Bella, we are very fortunate to have you as part of the Braemar whānau and value your contribution to improving health outcomes in our region. Bella Taki...