Gift starts an orchard

An unexpected phone call from the Hawke’s Bay Foundation has started a new project at a tiny rural Central Hawke’s Bay school.

In early August, Linda Calder, development manager at Hawke’s Bay Foundation, contacted Sherwood School to tell them theywould receive a donation from the Barry Family Fund.

The grant will be used to establish an orchard on the grounds, which ties in with the school’s focus on sustainability and the environment.

In 2017, Andrea Barry and her family established a fund with Hawke’s Bay Foundation. Having raised their family and established the successful BEL Group business, the Barrys were keen to create a lasting legacy for their community.

“We loved the concept of creating a long-term, sustainable source of funding for Central Hawke’s Bay,” said Andrea Barry. “When you start a fund with Hawke’s Bay Foundation, the original donation is never spent. Instead it is invested forever, with the interest used to support the community for generations to come.”

The Barrys also liked the flexibility of Hawke’s Bay Foundation’s model, which allowed them to target specific areas.

“Our three children all attended Sherwood School and we feel strongly about the CHB community. We loved that we could tailor our fund to support areas that were meaningful to us.” Sherwood principal Christine Morrison says the fund is fantastic news for the school’s 24 pupils.

“It’s exciting to know that we have a guaranteed funding stream which over time will grow and keep giving back to our school forever.”

Linda Calder says the Barry Family Fund is a great example of how community foundations can help tailor charitable giving to meet the needs of individual donors.

“Our motto is “live here, give here,” says Linda. “This donation is the perfect example of our motto in action.”

Last Wednesday, students helped plant six bare-rooted apple trees, six pear trees and a plum tree to start the orchard on the school grounds.