What is the phone number?

+64 6 769 9471 or 0800 769 9471

http://www.toifoundation.org.nz/

Toi Foundation, 121 Gill Street, New Plymouth (2026)

28/09/2026

FREE OUTCOMES WORKSHOP

Join us for a free Outcomes Workshop
Tuesday 13th October, 12.30pm – 2.00pm

Toi Foundation Community Hub
Davidson Street, New Plymouth

This free workshop is aimed at organisations who want to build their confidence in talking about the difference their mahi makes. If you have a grant this workshop will help you:

- Better understand what we mean by Outcomes and Evidence
- Identify and describe the outcomes your work creates — clearly
- See how outcomes and evidence sit within your funding application.

Delivered by the Toi Foundation team, this is a friendly, low-jargon introduction to a topic many people find tricky — with plenty of support, examples, and ways to apply the content to your work.

Spaces are limited and rsvp essential, [email protected]
Only 2 people per organisation.

27/09/2026

CREATING JOBS WHILE CUTTING WASTE

The Junction is a place for the Taranaki community to connect, collaborate and find new ways to reduce waste. Its Reuse Shop sells preloved goods at affordable prices.

In January, The Junction moved into a new, purpose-built facility on Colson Road. General Manager Petunia Twala says it has already made a huge difference for staff and customers.

“Previously we operated from a temporary container shelter with very limited display space. During winter it could be cold and exposed to the weather, making it challenging for both our team and customers.

"Now we can showcase our goods properly, and the feedback from the public has been fantastic. We've seen an increase in items being dropped off and in sales because people can easily see what we have."

The Junction is one of several enterprises operated by WISE — Waitara Initiatives Supporting Employment — a charitable trust that creates employment and training opportunities for people who may otherwise struggle to find work.

“We take on people who may not have qualifications, upskill them and give them valuable experience. They often come to us with a blank CV, and our goal is to help them build the skills and confidence to move on to bigger opportunities. Then we can open that same door for someone else. ” said Petunia.

Toi Foundation funding supports WISE initiatives that provide employment while helping to reduce the effects of poverty.

“We started with land care and cleaning services, and added home insulation in the early 2000s, helping Professor Phillippa Chapman who was conducting research into the effects of insulation in homes.

“Now, we also run a healthy homes initiative for eligible families, where we assess the home and help them strengthen its thermal envelope — reducing heat loss and dampness, insulating, removing mould and so on. It makes a massive difference to the health of those families.”

The Junction and WISE’s Healthy Homes initiative work hand in hand. Reusable building materials collected through The Junction are used for the home repairs, while its Curtain Bank refurbishes and double-lines donated curtains.

Items that might otherwise go to landfill are instead providing employment opportunities and helping to create warmer, healthier homes.

18/09/2026

MANNA HOME - BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE

Manna Home in Ōakura provides supported accommodation for young people who are transitioning out of the care system. It offers a wraparound system designed to help 18–21-year-olds who have faced significant challenges in their lives develop into healthy, resilient adults.

“People in care have often been moved multiple times, so to be able to land at Manna and stay feels really good.

"It's about belonging, a whānau to be part of and opportunities that extend their lives in ways they might not have experienced before,” said Manna Home’s manager, Angie Wiggins.

Up to six young people at a time live across Manna’s various homes. All are expected to be either in work or on an education pathway and typically stay for 6–12 months.

They learn foundational skills such as how to cook, clean, shop for food, cope with house inspections and communicate with their flatmates. Staff members work alongside residents and help them build independence, with support levels decreasing as their skills grow.

Manna staff also introduce activities the young people may not have had the chance to experience before, such as tramping, kayaking, snorkelling and fishing. The community regularly gathers together for meals and celebrations.

Angie says Toi Foundation funding allows Manna to provide much more than transitional accommodation for the 20-25 young people who have been through their programme in the past three years.

“What Toi allows us to do is offer all the extra support that makes a difference, addressing the whole of Te Whare Tapa Whā – the wellbeing and the sense of whānau and connection to the land that young people need to thrive. We can work on stabilisation, healing from trauma, building foundations, seeing the possibilities for their lives and setting goals."

Manna’s care extends beyond the original transitional period, too, offering its young people up to 12 months of mentorship after they leave the home and opportunities to reconnect whenever they need to.

“Once you’re part of Manna whānau you’re always Manna whānau,” said Angie.

“We couldn't do all that without Toi Foundation, and we're seeing far better results for young people than if it was just a straight accommodation service.”

16/09/2026

FREE DROP-IN INFO SESSIONS

Toi Foundation has the following drop-in sessions available for anyone who wants to learn more about our funding or needs help registering, applying for a grant, or completing reports.

Stratford
Tues 29 Sep 2026
10am – 4pm
Stratford Community House, 52 Juliet Street, Stratford
Bookings essential – register [email protected] for a 15 - 30 minute slot

Ōpunakē
Wed 30 Sep 2026
10am – 4pm
Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Event Centre, 156 Tasman Street, Ōpunakē
Bookings essential – register [email protected] for a 15 - 30 minute slot

Hāwera
Wed 30 Sept, Wed 7 Oct, Wed 14 Oct, Wed 21 Oct, Wed 28 Oct 2026
11am – 3pm
Hāwera Library, 121 High Street, Hāwera
No booking required - simply drop in

Pātea
Wed 7 Oct 2026
12pm – 2pm
Pātea Library, 128 Egmont Street, Pātea
No booking required - simply drop in

New Plymouth
Thu 8 Oct 2026
10am – 3pm
Toi Foundation - Toitū Te Huatahi, access Davidson Street, New Plymouth
Bookings essential – register [email protected] for a 15 - 30 minute slot

13/09/2026

BACKING TARANAKI'S BIGGEST FESTIVALS
The Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) was established in 1991 and has partnered with Toi Foundation since its beginnings.

TAFT CEO Suzanne Porter says Toi Foundation support was crucial when the Trust made the brave decision to bid for WOMAD: “Toi Foundation has supported us across all festivals, not just in the year to year delivery, but in our growth and when times have got really tough.”

The Trust currently delivers four Taranaki festivals, including WOMAD, the Taranaki Garden Festival and two arts festivals, and aims to direct most of its spending to Taranaki businesses and organisations.

01/09/2026

NGĀ MOTU MARINE SOCIETY

The Ngā Motu Marine Society is a volunteer-led Taranaki group that advocates for the marine environment and aims to make marine science accessible to all.

To do this, the society runs several projects including the Kororā Kōrero Project which monitors the population, nesting, and fledging success of little blue penguins (kororā) in Taranaki.

Another successful programme is Experiencing Marine Reserves, snorkel-based education for school children connecting them with the underwater world so they are inspired to care for and protect it.

As a voluntary organisation, funding is one of the society's biggest challenges. Consecutive funding from the Toi Foundation over the last two years has allowed the society to invest in training and delivery capacity, helping ensure long-term program continuity into the future

19/08/2026

FREE OUTCOMES WORKSHOP

Join us for a free Outcomes Workshop
Tuesday 22nd September, 12.30pm – 2.00pm

Stratford War Memorial Centre
55 Miranda Street, Stratford

This free workshop is aimed at beginners and community groups looking to apply for funding through Toi Foundation.

If you want to build your confidence in talking about the difference your mahi makes, this session will help you:

Better understand what we mean by Outcomes and Evidence
Clearly identify and describe the outcomes your work creates
See how outcomes and evidence sit within your funding application
Delivered by the Toi Foundation team, this is a friendly, low-jargon introduction to a topic many people find tricky — with plenty of support, examples and ways to apply the content to your work.

Spaces are limited and rsvp is essential, [email protected]
Only 2 people per organisation.

22/07/2026

SWIMSAFE TARANAKI MAKING A SPLASH

Swimsafe Taranaki is a not-for-profit company delivering high-quality swimming and water safety education to primary and intermediate schools.

“In Taranaki, we’ve got 84 primary and intermediate schools and 53 of them still have their own school pools. They can swim every day in summer, which is fabulous,” said Swimsafe Director Cecilie Elliott.

“Swimsafe Taranaki upskills and trains schoolteachers to give them the confidence in teaching both swimming skills and survival skills to their students. Schoolteachers are often teaching a class of 25, which is very different from a swim school where you might have only five children in a lesson.”

Cecilie has taught swimming for more than 30 years and is passionate about aquatic education. When Swimming New Zealand stopped working in schools, she established Swimsafe Taranaki in 2024 to fill the gap.

With support from Toi Foundation, Cecilie and her two contractors offer schools throughout Taranaki free teacher training, poolside support and interactive classroom sessions covering beach, river and boating safety.

“In the classroom sessions we teach children about rips and currents, how to recognise an emergency and what they can do to survive.

“They learn how to go down a river feet first if you’re caught, what hypothermia is and how to deal with it, safe boating skills and fitting life jackets. Then the children go and practise what they have learnt in the classroom in their pool sessions.”

Cecilie says feedback from Taranaki school principals reinforces the need for Swimsafe Taranaki’s services, with schools describing the sessions as incredibly valuable and well organised.

“In the 2025/26 season Swimsafe Taranaki trained 608 teachers, reaching 10,860 students in 63 primary and intermediate schools.

“Swimsafe also supported two schools in EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) events, worked with swim clubs, delivered a session to a Home Educators group and volunteered at the Weetbix Kids TRYathlon.

“We’re extremely appreciative of Toi Foundation support. We wouldn’t be able to do all this each year without them.”

15/07/2026

THE HEAD OFFICE: SUPPORTING TARANAKI'S NEURODIVERSE LEARNERS

The Head Office Taranaki supports neurodiverse children in Taranaki through two programmes: Head Office for gifted, advanced thinkers and Project D, a strengths-based programme for learners with dyslexia.

“We know through our mahi here at The Head Office, that 'gifted' fails to really reflect what it means to be a gifted learner,” said Kim Gillanders, CEO.

“Our community celebrates exceptional minds. They are big thinkers, curious learners, problem solvers, creative with strong interests. They are also sensitive, complex learners and have a learning style that can look different.

“These differences are needed in our world. Just as the biodiversity of the forest is nurtured and championed as a need in our world, so we nurture and champion the neurodiversity of the incredible learners with whom we get the pleasure to work.”

Kim says the weekly strengths-based programmes focus strongly on the emotional, social and learning needs of neurodiverse students, providing a space where they feel they have found like-minded peers.

“We recognise the importance of being surrounded by other learners who think the same way and have shared deep interests. Each of our classes can represent up to nine schools from around our region, meaning that our learners can make connections with people they would not usually have the opportunity to work alongside.”

Toi Foundation's continued support helps run seven classes a week for 125 students, with more on the waiting list.

Feedback from families and students shows that spending a day each week at The Head Office or Project D strengthens students’ attendance back at their mainstream schools, as their confidence and understanding of themselves as learners grows.

Kim says their work ripples far beyond the students attending The Head Office programmes.

“Through the funding from Toi, we are able to have a reaching impact throughout Taranaki through parent information evenings, support in schools, hosting many visits to our classrooms and professional development opportunities with educators throughout the Taranaki region.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to Toi Foundation for the support they’ve shown us and their belief in the work that we do.”

14/07/2026

COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

Today we have confirmed the closing date for written submissions is midnight, Wednesday 12 August 2026.

Updated FAQs are now available on our website, alongside the information already available from the first submissions period.

All submissions are welcome and we're particularly keen to hear about any perspectives we may not yet have considered.

Submissions can be made in English, Te Reo Māori, or both. There is no word limit. If you've already made a submission, it's been retained and will be considered. You are welcome to update or supplement your submission, but you don’t need to resend your original submission.

Read the updated information and have your say at: www.toifoundation.org.nz

All submissions received will be considered by Trustees before any final decision is made on whether to proceed with the proposal.

Feedback must be submitted through the official consultation channels to be formally considered therefore comments on this post are disabled.

Toi Foundation

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