Inspire Foundation

12/06/2026

So awesome to see our grantee E Wen Wong give the student address at the Australian National University's Law Prizes ceremony, where she was also awarded the Sir Kenneth Bailey Prize for Human Rights.

E Wen is currently finishing an honours dissertation on environmental law within the European Court of Human Rights.

Congratulations E Wen, we're so proud. 🤍

10/06/2026

1% better today doesn't feel like much. Neither does tomorrow. But stack it day after day, and in a year you're not 365% better, you're nearly 38 times better.

That's why the athletes, performers, and high achievers who go furthest aren't chasing big leaps. They're quietly stacking small reps. Sleep. Recovery. The extra hour of training. The feedback read one more time.

A grant can be one of those small reps. The training fees that let you keep showing up. The equipment that lets you train properly. The travel that puts you in the room where you grow.

If you're a young person in Canterbury or Marlborough doing the work, in sport, the arts, academia, music, dance, or voluntary work, we'd love to hear from you.

Grant applications are open at the link in our bio.

05/06/2026

Last month we gathered at The Piano in Christchurch for one of our grantee award evenings, our first time hosting at this beautiful venue. 🤍

It was so good to celebrate the talented young people we support across Canterbury, from sport and music through to dance, academia and volunteering, and to share their achievements with the supporters who make it all possible.

Here are a few snaps from the evening. To everyone who came along, and to our grantees doing extraordinary things in our community, thank you.

03/06/2026

Three genuine beliefs that keep good people from giving...

If you've been waiting for the right moment to back a young person in our community, this is a fine one.

Visit the link in our bio to find out about how you can get involved. ❤️

29/05/2026

Catching up on some brilliant results from Inspire grantee Phoebe Hunt.

At Orienteering Nationals recently, Phoebe took 3rd in the W20 Elite sprint and middle distance events. Then went and won the long and the relay.

We love seeing it, Phoebe. Keep going.

Link in bio to find out more about the Inspire Foundation grant programme.

27/05/2026

Inspire Marlborough have a wonderful event you may be untested in attending.

We can’t believe our Annual Fundraising Dinner is nearly here and we are so excited to welcome Dame Valerie Adams to Marlborough!

It’s going to be such a special night celebrating our new grantees, hearing inspiring stories, enjoying amazing food and coming together as a community to support the future of youth in Marlborough.

If you’ve been thinking about coming, this is your sign to grab your ticket!

Thursday 4 June | Marlborough Convention Centre
Email [email protected] for tickets and enquiries.

27/05/2026

Behind every extraordinary young person is a community that believed in them.

When you support the Inspire Foundation, you're not just contributing to a grant. You're recognising a talented young person at a moment that matters. You're telling them their community sees what they're capable of, and wants to back them.

Since 2011, supporters like you have helped us grant more than $2 million to over 652 young people across Canterbury and Marlborough – in sport, arts, academia, music, dance, voluntary work, and more.

The impact is real. The people are real. And the fulfilment of being part of that? Ask anyone who's been in the room at our events.

If you're interested in finding out how your business or family trust can get involved, we'd love to hear from you.

Link in bio to learn more about becoming a supporter.

22/05/2026

One of our grantee's Felix Hunt has had a tough few months with a knee injury, but he's come out the other side with two world championship selections to his name.

After spending the summer cross training, Felix had just weeks to prepare for Sprint Oceanias near Sydney. He finished 5th – enough to earn selection for the New Zealand Senior World Championships team heading to Italy later this year. His first ever Sprint World Champs.

He's also qualified for the World University Championships in Portugal.

Felix is now building his training back up and heading into the Orienteering National Championships in Wellington this weekend. We'll be cheering him on.

An extraordinary turnaround from a talented young person who refused to let a setback define his season.

Link in bio to find out more about the Inspire Foundation grant programme.

20/05/2026

Earlier this year we shared some exciting news, and now it's official...

Our Chairman Paul Wright has received his Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit insignia in person, recognised for his services to real estate and philanthropy.

Anyone who knows Paul knows how much he cares about giving back to the community. This honour says it all.

Congratulations Paul, so well deserved! 🤍

15/05/2026

Our Inspire grantee Amélie MacKay has been busy recently...

Four races in 10 days in Australia, an Elite Oceania Championship podium, and an Elite Australian national race win.

Amélie took 3rd and 4th across the Continental Series double header, then backed it up the following weekend with 2nd at Elite Oceania Champs and 1st in an Elite Australian national race.

A bit of sickness meant she couldn't quite fight for the national title she was striving for, but she still took 2nd in the short course the following day.

And now she's off to South Korea for her first Elite World Cup. The first Asian World Cup in 25 years.

We couldn't be more proud Amélie. Link in bio to find out more about the Inspire Foundation grant programme. 🤍