08/05/2026
Health Fund PLUS is a partnership between Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau and Northland Community Foundation which supports research, training and patient comfort initiatives. The Foundation was invited to a recent event where Child Health teams from across Northland came together to celebrate the research, innovation, and quality improvement projects led by staff across Northland.
The session was hosted at the Child Health Centre at Whangārei Hospital and was a chance for staff to share their research and learn from each other. The event highlighted the depth of expertise across the workforce and the strong commitment to equity, early intervention, and better long‑term outcomes for tamariki and their whānau.
Northland Community Foundation (NCF) manages the Child Health Advancement Research Trust (CHART) Fund. The Fund is invested, with the interest being returned to the Child Health Centre as an annual grant.
Each year the grant is available to support innovative child health research and service improvements across Te Tai Tokerau. The Trust Fund was established by clinicians at the Northland DHB and was known as the ‘New Zealand-Pacific Child Health Advancement Research Trust’ until it wound up and was transferred to the Foundation in 2007.
After being transferred with a balance of around $11,000, it has since grown to around $25,000. The Fund is managed by the Foundation as part of Health Fund PLUS partnership.
In total, eight different Child Health teams presented an overview of their work, and how a grant from the CHART Fund could help progress their project. Many of the teams carry out these projects in addition to their daily roles, highlighting the strong commitment they have towards improving health outcomes for our Northland tamariki. The projects reflect the creativity, dedication, and equity‑focused innovation happening across Child Health in Te Tai Tokerau.
Sophie Lane, CE of Northland Community Foundation, was there on the day to learn about the projects and spoke about the power of investing in children. Sophie said, “It was inspiring to hear about the initiatives that are happening behind the scenes across all aspects of child health that will make a real difference to the lives of children with health issues and their whānau.”
“The CHART Fund has enormous potential — potential that we haven't yet fully realised. To put it in perspective, a $100,000 fund can deliver up to $5000 in funding per year towards initiatives like these. At $200,000 we could deliver up to $10,000 per year. But to get there, the fund needs to grow.”
If you’re interested in helping grow this fund, reach out to Northland Community Foundation, or donate through our website. You can donate today and receive a 33% tax credit on your gift. You can also include the fund in your Will. Even a small bequest, five or ten percent of your estate, compounds into something extraordinary over time. And every gift, no matter the size, genuinely matters.
Read more about the great staff initiatives: https://www.northlandcommunityfoundation.org.nz/news/celebrating-child-health-research-and-innovation-across-northland
