Staff
The Burn Support Group Charitable Trust staff are committed individuals who really care about the charity and upholding its values.
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Michele Henry - Office Administration/Events Manager
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My background is originally hairdressing and still today I enjoy picking up scissors and tending to the locks of friends and family. Hairdressing is what led to my passion for people, communication and general wellbeing.
For the past 7 years I have been associated with a non-profit organisation, working closely with the elderly community in East and South Auckland as a Field Officer, networking with supporting agencies, health workers and family members. A role which at times could be challenging, extremely rewarding and personally very fulfilling. From this experience I am very proud to be one of three which has opened ‘The Buddy Club Manurewa’, a centre set up for the elderly and disabled community members, weekly, to mix, mingle and form friendships. I have a 21 year old daughter and an 18 year old son and live in Dannemora and my general interests are travelling, sports, fishing, shopping!!, family and friends. |
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Trustees and Board Members
Priya Thurai - Charity Secretary
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Priya arrived in New Zealand as a refugee from Sri Lanka in 1984, an experience that has shaped a deep empathy for individuals facing adversity and displacement.
"This journey instilled in me a strong belief in the power of community support to help people navigate difficult times." With a diverse cultural perspective, Priya is committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring that people from all backgrounds feel heard and supported. She wants to give back to the community the support that helped their family call New Zealand their home. With a professional background in commercial, strategy, marketing, and customer experience, Priya brings valuable expertise in community engagement and outreach. She is passionate about using her skills to advance the mission of charitable organisations, particularly those like the Burns Support Charitable Trust, which work to improve the lives of individuals facing hardship. |
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Sam Barnes - Board Member
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I was staying in a motel in Gisborne on a working trip in July 2017. At 3 o'clock in the morning I heard, "Sam! Sam! Sam!", from my friend who was sleeping in the adjoining room, with the three single beds. I opened the door to find the bed beside his bed on fire and the room filling with toxic smoke.
Had he not woken up he would be dead today and I may not have been too far behind him as who is likely to see the smoke at 3 o'clock in the morning? Soon after this. a friend of mine who lives in Hawaii rang me and said I had to go to Dallas Texas and check out this company as they make the best fire detection in the world and the meeting was on my birthday. I felt somebody was telling me something, so I went. I immediately decided to join the company and start marketing their products in New Zealand. We started trading in January 2018 and decided to donate a small amount from each customer who purchased to the Burns Survivor's charity. The more I learnt about the Burns Survivor's charity the more I felt I needed to contribute and was recently asked to join the board, and hope I can do justice to the position. |
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Amanda Singleton - Board Member
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A visionary executive with a proven track record for enhancing customer experience and fostering stakeholder relationships, Amanda brings expertise in cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and aligning service objectives with organisational goals.
She is committed to leveraging these skills to amplify the impact of the Burns Support Group Charitable Trust and further its mission of supporting and empowering burn survivors. |
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Sabine Roberts - Board Member
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Originally from Germany, Sabine moved to New Zealand in 2014 and has happily settled with her Kiwi husband and their two primary-school-aged children.
Passionate about supporting young people, she has been actively involved in youth-focused initiatives. From 2014 to 2017, Sabine was a mentor with Project K, a 14-month program aimed at building confidence and life skills in Year 10 students. In her current role at Les Mills International, Sabine volunteered to be part of the Born to Move strategy team. This program is dedicated to promoting children's health and well-being through physical activity. While she doesn’t have direct experience with burns, Sabine is deeply committed to giving back to the community and is eager to make a positive and meaningful impact through her involvement with the Burns Support Group. Professionally, Sabine is an accomplished executive leader with a proven track record in building high-performing teams, forging strategic partnerships, and driving commercial excellence. Her experience spans various business areas, including Finance, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Operations. |
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Erik Molving - Board Member
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Hi, my name is Erik Molving. I am 70 years old and was on the board previously for 2 to 3 years about 6 to 8 years ago.
I became interested to rejoin after visiting the Whangaparaoa Burns Camp and being re-inspired by the children there. I was seriously burned in a speedway racing accident, in 2008, and not expected to live. I feel that I have something to offer because of this experience and with a mindset to overcome any such related obstacles. |
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Corinna Homer - Board Member
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Corinna Homer is a proven events and engagement specialist and has vast experience of using events for fundraising and engagement, for charities such as Cure Kids, Cancer Society of NZ, Big Buddy, and Melanoma NZ throughout her events production and radio career.
A widow, Corinna lost her husband at age 43, suddenly due to a heart attack. Navigating this trauma and the impact on her and her then young children brings a level of empathy for those of which, and their families, that have had to go through a huge life change suddenly. Corinna’s background entails a BA (Soc Sc) and a Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications; 10 years of radio promotions and marketing; 17 years of event and activation production - producing large scale events for charities such as Starship Foundation, Big Buddy, Chatterbox and the Milford Foundation; corporate responsibility and activations for charities such as Cure Kids, Fostering Kids, Melanoma NZ, The Cancer Society of NZ; and many events and activations for large corporates (Milford, Woolworths, Vodafone, Coca Cola, Yellow, Fonterra, AT, Warner Music - to name a few). She has also proudly worked with the Burnett Foundation for past four years, producing the Big Gay Out festival. Corinna is currently the Business Director for Because - an event and activations agency who are at the forefront of creating extraordinary brand activations, fostering relationships that drive brand growth to new heights. Corinna is deeply moved by the stories of the survivors, and is eager to help maximise the engagement and fundraising for this most crucial charity. |
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Joshua Sade-Inia - Board Member
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Joshua, a practicing lawyer in the social justice space and a burn survivor, brings a combination of professional expertise and lived experience.
Since their burn injury in 2011, Joshua has been connected with the Burn Support Group Charitable Trust and experienced the profound and positive impact of its work in the burn survivor community. Inspired by this, Joshua is dedicated to giving back by contributing their skills to the governance and direction of the Charitable Trust. With expertise in legal compliance, risk management, strategic planning, and problem-solving, Joshua is equipped to help the Charitable Trust fulfil its obligations. Their ability to simplify complex legal concepts, combined with strong advocacy and communication skills, ensures they are well-positioned to collaborate effectively with the rest of the Board in making sound decisions, and advancing the strategic direction, sustainability and objectives of the Charitable Trust. After experiencing the Charitable Trust’s support first hand, Joshua is committed to strengthening and expanding the Charitable Trust’s capacity to support burn survivors in recovery, rehabilitation, and community connection. They are equally passionate about advancing the Charitable Trust’s focus on burn prevention and awareness, and building meaningful relationships with internal and external stakeholders. |
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Burn support group charitable trust inc
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