Anonymous gift a leg-up for DHB staff
An anonymous donation of $50,000 has enabled Northland District Health Board to offer scholarships to four staff to further their education. The donation was lodged with the DHB’s Health Fund Plus which was set up with Northland Foundation to provide a way for people to make donations or endowments.
The general fund can be used for Northland’s public hospitals or services to provide “optional extras” in equipment and services, or extra training.
The $50,000 will be distributed to the four successful applicants — Auriole Cook, Amanda House, Glenys Epiha and Daryn Thompson, who were chosen from an original 40 — to help pay tertiary study costs.
Cook, an auxiliary worker in the Mental Health and Addictions Depart- ment, will put her grant toward parttime study for an applied diploma of mental health and addictions, level 6.
Her team leader Daniel Manihera said Cook stood out as always positive, striving to implement new strategies or ideas that would benefit the service while keeping everyone safe.
House works in administration in medicine, health of older people and clinical support and is working toward a diploma in business studies from Massey University.
Business and project analyst Amanda Gentil recommended House for the scholarship, saying that while further study would extend her knowledge and skill base, the DHB would, in turn, benefit.
Epiha is a healthcare assistant in the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre. She is studying for a NZ certificate in study and career prepar- ation level 4 so she can go on to become a registered nurse.
Clinical nurse manager Dee Telfer said Epiha had exceptional skills and life experiences to use to the benefit of people she cares for.
“This [grant] will make the transition seamless for her. Glenys will make a fantastic nurse.”
Thompson is a community support worker whose scholarship will be put toward his bachelor of nursing studies at Northtec.
Service manager Adrian Hatton said Thompson was already a highly regarded mental health worker.
“He has all the qualities we look for when appointing registered nurses – humanity, honesty, advanced communication skills, intellect, calmness, motivation, engagement and problem-solving skills. Daryn . . . has excelled.” A Whanga¯rei woman sentenced to home detention this month for a faketicket scam is behind bars after allegedly breaching the sentence.
Lulu Amberlee Pou was sentenced to four months’ home detention on October 5 after she pleaded guilty to 49 charges of obtaining by deception relating to a fake-ticket scam that netted her almost $17,000 between August 2017 and June 2018.
The 23-year-old created a number of fake Facebook identities including Bells Pou, Lulu Amberlee, Abby Knight, Lydia Mark and Hannah Johnson and, using Messenger, promised people tickets to Rhythm and Vines, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Macklemore concerts.
At least 49 victims paid $16,870 into Pou’s account.
Pou failed to deliver on her promise and left the keen concert-goers out of pocket with no tickets.
Pou, a Raumanga mother of two children aged 5 and 3, was given the sentence by Judge Deidre Orchard.
However, within days of getting the sentence it’s alleged Pou breached it.
She appeared in the Whanga¯rei District Court on Monday charged with breaching home detention and was remanded in custody until October 29.
Before sentencing on October 5, Pou had served seven weeks in jail. For pleading guilty she was given a 25 per cent discount on the sentence, leaving her with four months’ home detention.
Pou was ordered to pay $5000 reparation to be distributed between the victims, at $20 per week.
The first payment was to be made on November 2.
Judge Orchard said Pou was not employed and did not expect to get a job so the reparation amount was fair.
At least 49 victims paid $16,870 into Pou’s account. Pou failed to deliver and left the keen concert-goers out of pocket.