True Colours Children's Health Trust

True Colours Children's Health Trust True Colours Children’s Health Trust supports Waikato families impacted by their childs serious health condition. This number continues to grow each year.

True Colours Children’s Health Trust is a Waikato based, entirely community-funded organisation committed to supporting children with serious illness, their whānau and community during their time of need through counselling, nursing care and education. These three elements are part of a holistic approach to care, unique to True Colours, known as the Integrated Model of Care. This was developed by Cynthia Ward as a result of findings in her postgraduate research, “Children Matter: What is important to the child living with a life-threatening illness” and in response to a perceived gap in services. This model of care ensures children with serious illness and their family members can access support services and a continuum of care from the time of diagnosis through to cure, bereavement or on-going adjustment to living with a life-limiting illness. Support can commence from as early as a 20-week pregnancy scan and can continue right through to late teenage years. Since 2004, more than 1,000 families in the greater Waikato region have utilised the free service that True Colours provides. True Colours provides children with serious illness, their siblings and family members with the opportunity to engage in creative therapies including art, play and music, along with workshops, presentations and support groups facilitated by our committed staff. A key worker dedicated to the oversight of each child and family’s needs helps to ensure a seamless continuum of care. The Trust also works collaboratively with health professionals, schools and other community groups to promote further education and understanding of the many challenges a child with serious illness and their family may be facing. To provide this free support service for children with serious illness and their families in the community, True Colours has been entirely dependent on funds distributed by community trusts and grants, fundraising activities held by the community, and the generous support and commitment of its sponsors, donors and volunteers.

Just sharing this ❤A community event.
30/09/2026

Just sharing this ❤
A community event.

Happy Father's Day. Fatherhood is not measured by circumstances, but by the love and support you give. We see you, whe...
05/09/2026

Happy Father's Day. Fatherhood is not measured by circumstances, but by the love and support you give. We see you, wherever you are in your fatherhood journey.

Today is Show your True Colours Day. And as much as we'd love you to scan the QR code and fire us a donation, what we'd...
04/09/2026

Today is Show your True Colours Day. And as much as we'd love you to scan the QR code and fire us a donation, what we'd also love you to do, is talk about True Colours - share our mahi so that no child or family who needs our support has to go without it.

03/09/2026

This is what Walton School did for Show your True Colours Day. They got in early! What will you do tomorrow to support True Colours?

Thanks to Amanda & Shannon, and the team at Mills Collision Repair Centre Ltd - Panel Be**er Hamilton. A wee ding is no...
17/08/2026

Thanks to Amanda & Shannon, and the team at Mills Collision Repair Centre Ltd - Panel Be**er Hamilton. A wee ding is now sorted and looking professional on the road once more! We appreciate the support - so if you need a repair done, make sure you support the team who supports us!

Lugtons Round the Bridges is one of NZ's oldest and most loved annually contested events. And this year if you're takin...
17/08/2026

Lugtons Round the Bridges is one of NZ's oldest and most loved annually contested events. And this year if you're taking part, you can also support us! Register to raise funds while you have fun!

Lugtons Round the Bridges is a proud Hamilton event that continues to grow and evolve while remaining firmly grounded in the community it serves. Each year, thousands of people come together to celebrate movement, connection and wellbeing through one of the Waikato’s most inclusive, enduring and a...

We're doing it again! Show Your True Colours Day is back on Friday 4th September. What will you do to Show Your True C...
06/08/2026

We're doing it again! Show Your True Colours Day is back on Friday 4th September. What will you do to Show Your True Colours and help support us to support the children and whānau we walk alongside?

Hancox Limited have already confirmed their support through a bake sale at Union Square! We challenge your business to come up with a way to show your support too.

Lucy always has such practical advice on navigating grief. Life doesn't always go to plan, and it certainly isn't alway...
29/07/2026

Lucy always has such practical advice on navigating grief. Life doesn't always go to plan, and it certainly isn't always fair. But it's good to remember these few things, and to be easy on yourself when you're grieving or be easy on someone else who is grieving.

13/07/2026

For more than twenty-two years, Dr Cynthia Ward has quietly stood beside families experiencing every parent's worst fear.
As the founder of True Colours Children's Health Trust, she has built one of New Zealand's most respected children's support organisations, providing counselling, nursing care and education for children living with life-limiting illness and the families who love them. Remarkably, she built it without government funding through community generosity, unwavering determination and a belief that every child deserves to be heard.
In this deeply moving conversation, Annah and Cynthia explore the moments that shaped Cynthia's extraordinary journey, from a twelve-year-old boy who changed the way she understood childhood and dying, to walking through a gang guard at the gate to reach a critically ill child, and the story behind the name True Colours, gifted by Tim Finn.

Listen to the full story on our latest Stretton Unfiltered episode, out now: linktr.ee/strettonunfiltered

13/07/2026

Children have a way of cutting straight through the noise.
They don't dress things up. They don't soften the truth to make everyone else feel better. They just say it how it is.
Cynthia's time caring for Adam taught her so much. He was twelve. He had a brain tumour. And he taught her more about honesty than most adults ever will.

Listen to Cynthia's inspiring journey and the story behind True Colours Children's Health Trust in our latest episode of Stretton Unfiltered, out now

linktr.ee/strettonunfiltered

Address

16 Joffre Street, Frankton
Hamilton
3204

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+6478394800

Website

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