Trust accused over rejections

AUCKLAND: A debtridden Auckland society is being accused of refusing membership applications from people who might question its plans.

It is widely speculated the Laura Fergusson Trust will sell its Greenlane site to recoup losses.

Those trying to save the site say membership applications are being rejected for suspect reasons.

Before its closure in August, Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation in Greenlane cared for thousands of Aucklanders with disabilities.

Many now want to join the incorporated society to help decide on the service’s future.

Financial records show the trust has between 30 and 50 paying members.

Following a board meeting last month, some membership applications were rejected without explanation.

Independent disability advocate Jane Carrigan filed applications on behalf of three disabled people.

Ms Carrigan said the board secretary emailed late the night before wanting more information before a board decision the next day.

She was not told the meeting, and therefore the deadline, was before breakfast.

‘‘It turned out their meeting started . . . [at] 7am. I didn’t get my email into them until 7.36am — 36 minutes late. Then I received another email saying we had failed to get the material to the board and so the memberships have not been advanced.’’

But the email she received at 9.15pm the night before did not mention the board meeting started at 7am, she said.

Company director Victoria Carter and her husband, John Carter, a qualified lawyer, were another two rejected.

Mrs Carter said the trust had never scrutinised new members like this before.

‘‘The faceless trustees, chairman Chris O’Brien; businessmen Richard Glenn, Simon Barclay, John Magness of Magness Benrow, former parks director Rob Small and massage therapist Shelly [Moana] Hiha — the directors — are all deciding who can be part of this charity for the disabled.’’

It made her wonder what they were hiding.

‘‘Why don’t they want some new blood to energise the charity? Is it because they’ve got plans to sell this asset that frankly belongs to the disabled of Auckland?’’ she said.

Another who applied is Sophia Malthus, who is paralysed from the neck down.

In 2017, she spent nine months at Laura Fergusson and was surprised to receive an email wanting to discuss her application in person.

She said the trust knew exactly who she was.

‘‘I took a man who was in a very senior position for a tour of the grounds in my spare wheelchair so that he could see for himself how badly the paths were for wheelchair users. So I definitely had quite an audible presence during my stay, so they definitely know who I am.’’

Until the first lockdown, John Mitchell visited the gym every week day after suffering a stroke several years ago.

Impressed with the care he received, he tried to join earlier this year. But his annual $30 membership fee was returned, because the trust was too busy dealing with Covid.

His wife Jan is at a loss to explain why their latest applications were not accepted, saying she was surprised and disappointed by the rejection.

In a statement, the board secretary said it only approved applications that were in the best interests of the trust. The secretary said many questionnaires were not completed and invitations to meet the board were ignored, although it did give less than a week’s notice.

It said closing the Greenlane site was not the end of the service and it would look for new ways to enrich the lives of disabled people. — RNZ