When you walk into reception at Bayleys Canterbury your eyes are drawn to the whakatauki on the wall. “He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.” It is the people. And people are at the heart of everything Bayleys do, from finding families a home, to giving back to the communities in which they operate. Their community commitment is about long-term social change and wide-ranging support – contributing time, resources and funds across Canterbury.
“The momentum is care about community, equality and wellbeing for all. We don’t have all the answers, but we are passionate that our community partners survive and thrive,” says Pete Whalan, CEO Bayleys Canterbury.
“We believe in the power of business to adopt positive change and the best way to drive transformative change is to make sure everyone has a seat at the table. By working together, we can create opportunities that are otherwise unavailable to all children – the impacts of which benefit the entire community.”
One of Bayleys’ major partnerships is with the Christchurch City Mission, an organisation that provides an emergency food bank, accommodation, addiction counselling and a Back to School programme.
“We help people who have a need,” says Matthew Mark, CEO, Christchurch City Mission. “Our work each year sees us positively impacting the lives of more than 70,000 people across Canterbury when they are facing challenging times. We have a wide variety of services that combine compassion and care with expert knowledge.”
The collaboration between Bayleys and the Christchurch City Mission started three years ago when Bayleys proactively approached Christchurch City Mission with an idea around collecting cans of food for their food bank.
“Bayleys have a strong belief in community good and being connected. As our relationship has grown, the bene t to the community has also grown,” says Mark. Bayleys are now the major financial supporter of the Back to School Programme through Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose; they’re also a significant Major Business Partner.
The perfect pairing
Whalan says of the collaboration with the Christchurch City Mission, “We have always been committed to our community, however Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose and Bayleys on a Mission are sustainable efforts and thinking that we as a company are fronting up. What is innovating is the inclusivity these projects deliver. Anyone in our community can take part and together, large and small contributions make a powerful impact.”
To date, Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose has raised $345,000 in support of the Christchurch City Mission’s Back to School Programme. This year Bayleys has worked with local craftspeople
to create a themed Pear & Brown Sugar candle, tea towel and jigsaw puzzle to raise additional funds for the Christchurch City Mission. “2020-21 was relentless, throwing up challenges for businesses everywhere. It also made the perfect opportunity to have a conversation about social change – that’s where the future lies,” says Whalan. “It is important to us that we work closely with the Christchurch City Mission so they can go about being change- makers in our community.”
A helping hands for kids
And what does the collaboration mean to the Christchurch City Mission? “Bayleys has underpinned our Back to School Programme through Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose and now, Bayleys on a Mission – this means that every year, hundreds of children are given their best practical start at school, something they wouldn’t otherwise have had,” says Mark. “Bayleys have contributed to generating greater awareness of our work and continue to seek ways to enhance the profile of the Christchurch City Mission in our community, which enables us to be more effective. Vulnerable people are being helped thanks to the partnership between Bayleys and the Christchurch City Mission, and that is the best achievement of all.”
Celebrated Christchurch chef Richard Hingston created the signature recipe for Pear & Brown Sugar Tart – as the centrepiece for Bayleys’ latest fundraising campaign. Hingston became involved with Bayleys through the Christchurch City Mission and Bayleys collaboration Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose. He explains that being part of the Christchurch City Mission campaign is important to him because it’s “my chance to give something back to those a little less fortunate than myself, a chance to utilise my skills in a way that can reach out to people that can help fundraise for the cause.”
Want to get involved? Visit bayleysonamission.co.nz to purchase a tea towel or a jigsaw puzzle – profits are delivered back to the Christchurch City Mission.
MiNDFOOD Promotion
