Introducing our incoming Chairperson Peter Verstappen

Tena koutou katoa

Ko Waiau te awa

Ko Takitimu te maunga

Ko Murihiku taku turangawaewae

Ko Hōrana te wa whakapapa

Ko Whakatū te kainga

Ko Verstappen toku whānau

Ko Peter toku ingoa

Ko te tumuaki ahau

O te kura o Wakefield

‘E tu kahikatea’

My name is Peter Verstappen and I am privileged to step into the role of chair of the Fifeshire Foundation for the next two years, taking over from Don Everitt.  Thanks to Don’s energy and vision the Foundation is in excellent shape.

My family originates from the Netherlands, I grew up in Tuatapere, Western Southland, was educated at Otago and Canterbury Universities and, after starting my working life in theatre and broadcasting, have been a primary school teacher and principal for 20+ years, mainly in Christchurch and Mid-Canterbury.

I moved to Nelson in 2013 to become principal of Wakefield School, a job and community that I greatly enjoy.  My wife, Sylvia Huxtable, and I live in Wakefield and immerse ourselves in village life in a variety of ways.  We have two adult daughters, Cordelia and Marjan, who both reside in Toronto, Canada.

I joined the Fifeshire Foundation as a trustee in 2018 and became deputy chair in 2020.  I believe the Foundation is a rare, if not unique, model of community-generated support.  Our vision of ‘locals helping locals’ embodies the kiwi spirit of rolling up our sleeves and getting on with the job, a quality dear to my values.

Nobody wishes families and individuals to experience crisis or hardship but, sadly, unexpected challenges and longstanding inequities, coupled with over-stretched or inadequate support services, cause gaps in the safety net through which a growing number of people are falling.  The Fifeshire Foundation exists solely to support these vulnerable members of our community, and we are fortunate to have a large and loyal base of sponsors and donors through whose generosity the Foundation is able to give a hand up to hundreds of people every year in the Nelson Tasman region. 

Recent rises in both needs and donations has prompted us this year to review the Foundation’s strategy and operations.  In the coming months we will make important improvements to the way the Foundation operates, which include creating a Kaiwhakahaere/Executive Officer role to lead the organisation, developing a Programme Coordinator role to manage day-to-day business, setting up an endowment fund and seeking additional trustees.  We will work hard to make sure you - our supporters and stakeholders – are informed of the changes and share the success of making the Foundation better able to fulfill its mission. 

I am grateful to our hardworking trustees for their commitment to the Foundation and honoured to be leading our work at this crucial time.  I look forward to having contact with sponsors, donors, support agencies and applicants, who make up the Fifeshire family.

 No reira, tena koutou katoa.

Peter Verstappen

Chairperson