Retirement for Te Aroha Noa CEO
When Bruce Maden relinquishes his role in charge of Highbury’s Te Aroha Noa, he will have spent 27 years in the job.
‘‘Twenty-seven years was not my intention. Te Aroha Noa was set up by a Central Baptist Church community pastor who asked would I commit to seven years.’’
Maden had not long been back in the city.
The fledgling Te Aroha Noa, meaning ‘‘Grace’’, was the result of a community vision by church members to be more than just a ‘‘Sunday club’’, using their professional and practical skills to benefit one of the city’s poorer suburbs.
‘‘There was no money and no buildings. A playgroup was set up with a box of donated toys on a donated rug in a church hall once a week.’’
He remembered that no-one turned up to that first playgroup session. Now Te Aroha Noa operates two early childhood centres that annually engage more than 100 children. Maden started as a volunteer. ‘‘A trust was set up in 1990. The church dug really deep to buy its first house on Brentwood Ave, and renovated it... They also dug deep to provide my salary. I was employed on February 1, 1991.’’
Since then the trust has purchased 10 more properties on the street.
‘‘I’m an adventurer, really, and why I’ve stayed here is because there was always room for one more dream.’’
Growing up in Palmerston North, attending Trinity Methodist on Cuba St, Maden was greatly influenced by the social justice ethos practised by the late Merv Hancock and Bertha Zurcher.
With a science degree from Massey and his masters in applied social work from Victoria University, Maden cut his social working teeth on the mean streets of Porirua East.
He finishes as chief executive on February 24.
Maden will still be at Te Aroha Noa, but in the background and only two days a week, taking over ‘‘innovative projects and funding’’, while helping the transition of his replacement Rene Aish, who has moved from Auckland for the role.
‘‘It’s been very satisfying, and while I’d like to reduce the stress of the job, packing up and going fishing for the rest of my life wasn’t that attractive.’’