HOPE Foundation Newsletter March 2014

Posted by on 3 March 2014

Anniversaries encourage reflection. It’s good to look back and ponder over where you have come from and how.

They offer a chance for celebration of the here and now. And they’re also a stimulus for renewing vision; trying to get the future a little more into focus and thinking about new directions.

2014 is the 20th anniversary year of the HOPE Foundation. I’m not going to try to recap our history. Many of you long-time associates know most of the story anyway. What I will highlight is that we are where we are today only because of the support of many wonderful people. I include funding organisations as well as individuals of goodwill, because all funding decisions private or commercial are made by people. There is a certain risk in funding a new organisation that not everyone is willing to take.

We have achievements worthy of celebration. As of 2014 we have supported 25 summer students at the University of Auckland and 36 postgraduate research students at Auckland, Waikato, Massey Victoria and Otago universities. Many of the latter have been supported for up to three years, hence the number of scholarships actually awarded is much higher than these figures indicate. In addition we have funded some contract research independent of the universities, and organised approximately one community seminar or workshop each year.

Often wondered how all this research data actually affects the real world? Well, it’s all reported: in scientific journals, in scientific meetings, sometimes in the media. As various investigators share their results, important issues become clearer until a “breakthrough” as the media love to call it occurs, and a new approach to some burning issue becomes available.

What of the future? Our alliance with the Selwyn Foundation has given us a great platform from which to plan the future. The Board does have dreams of new initiatives made in partnership with the Selwyn Foundation. Time will tell. We would like to position ourselves as a major force in encouraging research into ageing in N.Z.

As for me, I have decided that 20 years as Board Chair is enough and that it’s time for a change. New ideas, new emphases. So this will be my final letter in this capacity. I take the opportunity of extending my deepest thanks to all of you who have supported and encouraged the Foundation over these 20 years and I trust that you will continue to support it. I can report to you that I leave the running of the Foundation in excellent hands.

Thank you.

David E. Richmond

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