Our Vision
Koru Care Christchurch provides special experiences for NZ children with serious and often on going medical conditions and or disabilities by providing opportunities which are educational, fun, personally empowering and a means of further developing their social and life skills set.
Our Background
About Koru Care Christchurch:
Koru Care Christchurch, which is a registered Charitable Trust has been active since 1985 and its hardworking passionate committee devote much of their spare time to fundraising and organising events and trips.
Koru Care Christchurch have taken away over 860 deserving young people on our trips.
Such an experience is educational, fun, personally empowering and a means of further developing their social and life skills set. It enables them to forget for a short time their own serious medical problems and enjoy themselves as children should.
It costs $6,000 per child with Air New Zealand sponsoring a seat for each child. In addition to the carer support on the trips, two nurses and a doctor accompany the children, and everyone is required to have travel insurance and fortunately this has never needed to be claimed.
For children unable to travel Air New Zealand has put on special local flights over the past two years on a Dreamliner for the children and their carers.
The experiences we give:
On our trip to America we take the children to visit Seaworld, Universal Studios, Knottsberry Farm, California Adventureland, and DISNEYLAND.
Koru Care also work with local businesses to offer special local experiences which have included meeting the Crusaders and an up-close experience at the Air New Zealand Hangar open day. The children get to hang out amongst some cool aircraft, view static displays and participate in fun activities including fire engines, bouncy castles and visit the engine workshop.
Our coverage area:
The Koru Care Christchurch region covers from Waimate in the south, the West Coast of the South Island, Nelson and Marlborough and of course Canterbury.
Meet Our Committee
Chairperson and Secretary
Chris & Pauline joined Koru Care in 1996 and for the most part Chris has been Chairperson & Pauline Secretary.
As carers we have had the privilege of creating magical and lifetime memories for in excess of 100 very special children with varying medical conditions. We too have experienced magical, emotional, fulfilling memories with our buddies and had so much fun sharing these along the way. We have loved our travel buddies as our own and kept in touch with many of our families from over the years and It has been such a privilege and incredibly rewarding to see how the Koru Care experience has shaped their lives
Ambassador
Gary Endacott boasts a sporting CV most could only dream of, but despite turning 50 in September 2018 the inspirational Cantabrian celebrated by volunteering as a carer on our 2018 trip to Disneyland.
I personally couldn’t think of another charity of which I would rather be part of. The cause is great the people are great and the outcomes are nothing short of life changing.
Treasurer
As an accountant it is not very often you answer the phone and walk away with something so much more rewarding than money! That phone call in 2014 began my involvement with Koru Care Chch. As a mother of 3 boys I could not believe the schedule that was planned for the LA trips – little did I know that the special young people that we take away have more energy than an energiser bunny. I can only hope that those I have been lucky enough to look after have found it as enjoyable, rewarding and life changing as I have.
Trip Co-ordinator
Has been with Koru Care Christchurch since 2004 and have loved every minute of it. It is fantastic to see the trip through the eyes of each and every child I look after and it is great to see them develop and grow. I joined because I wanted to help bring a bit of magic to these children on their two week trip away. It is certainly an experience they never forget. I currently have the role of co secretary and trip coordinator.
I personally couldn’t think of another charity of which I would rather be part of. The cause is great the people are great and the outcomes are nothing short of life changing.
I have been with Koru Care Christchurch since 2019 and although I have not been on any trip thus far I have enjoyed fundraising and doing my part for the trip of a lifetime for these children. My family has supported this cause for many years and I have witnessed the amazing work that Koru Care Christchurch has done and I am so glad that I am now a part of a charity that gives amazing experiences that the children will never forget.
Aircraft Engineer with Air NZ joined Koru Care 2008 and that year was my first trip with the children to Disneyland. In my spare time I ski, mountain bike and get outside to play. I love the opportunity to bring some fun, laughter and lasting memories to children who have had to overcome so much in their lives.
I have been volunteering for Koru Care Christchurch since approximately 2006. I am a big kid at heart, and think there is nothing more rewarding than being able to share the Koru Care experience with groups of very deserving kids. I really enjoy meeting and interacting with kids of all ages and there is no rollercoaster I will not go on! Being able to watch the children have so much fun and watching their confidence grow is the best part of the trip. The committee is like a big family, one which I am so pleased to be a part of!
As a bit of a “Big Kid” myself, I have enjoyed being a part of an amazing charity and being able to contribute to so many kids journeys during my years involved with KC Christchurch. Seeing the kids grow in confidence and the enjoyment they get from these trips of a lifetime is truly rewarding and extremely humbling experience.
Became a Koru Care CHC Committee member early 2014 after several years previously supporting the charity.
I really love what I do as a carer/fundraiser for the many children so that they can experience their chance of a lifetime. Seeing the evidence of all our hard work fundraising is incredibly rewarding, the children’s smiles truly say it all!.
It is so very humbling too, to be able to follow a child throughout their life after a trip, and to see them full of newfound confidence. It is the most rewarding feeling ever.
After surviving a battle with bone cancer in 2013, I was selected along with 23 other young people to experience a magical & memorable trip to Disneyland California that I will never forget.
Being the oldest kid on the trip I almost felt like being big brother in this huge family for 2 weeks! I was inspired by the other children and the amazing volunteers. After the trip I said to the team I will be back as a Caregiver one day
After 9 years of growing up (questionable) and being re-introduced through my current employer’s (Tunnel Wash) Koru Care Christchurch sponsorship, I have been given a heartfelt opportunity to rejoin my second family. I look forward for my chance to help and make other children have their magical trip and create lifetime memories.
Our Medical Team
Medical Co-Ordinator
Janetta and Larry Skiba are the medical team for Koru Care Christchurch, they have been supporting the health of the koru Care children since 1998. Both have extensive backgrounds in health care and thoroughly enjoy their role in Koru Care. Janetta does all the vetting of the children, this includes working with the children’s specialist teams and the insurance company. Larry is a GP and Janetta is the Director of Nursing at Waitaha Primary Health, both have lots of experience working with children needing health support. We both consider it a privilege and an honour to work with these fabulous Koru Care children and their families. Whatever treat that Koru Care is able to provide for children is a wonderful opportunity and we both so enjoy supporting the children and seeing and experiencing it through their eyes.
Nurse
I have been involved with Koru Care behind the scenes for about 14 years since one of my daughters went on a Koru Care trip. It was a life changing experience for her! I’ve been on the committee for several years and have been on a trip to the States so I’ve seen the first hand the positive impact these trips can have on a young person’s life.
“Mental Well Being is such a hugely important part of anyone’s life and I suppose what Koru Care ultimately provides is a huge dose of well being delivered through an awesome once in a lifetime trip”.