Media release

23 February 2016

Mayoral Fund poised to assist after Cyclone Winston

Mayor Len Brown has expressed his condolences to the people of Fiji and Tonga in the wake of Cyclone Winston and has activated the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific on the advice of the fund’s advisory committee.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Cyclone Winston, and particularly the people of Fiji who have sustained loss of life and widespread damage. Our staff and Mayoral Fund committee members are working closely with our local Pacific communities and aid agencies on how best to help.”

Mayor Len Brown is urging Aucklanders keen to help Fijian communities hit by Cyclone Winston to donate to the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific, which is geared up and ready to help.

The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific Committee met last night. It agreed to launch an appeal and formed a taskforce to work with the community and coordinate the community response in Auckland.

The committee approved logistical support for the community response, involving the provision of containers to transport community donated goods to Fiji and Tonga.

“The community in Auckland is already mobilising to help those in need, and the Mayoral Fund will assist in this,” says Mr Brown. The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific was originally set up in the wake of the devastation caused in Samoa by 2012’s Cyclone Evan.

“If Aucklanders would like to contribute to the Fund, to help these communities, they can do so through the following channels. Cash is king, the most versatile way of helping immediately, and tax deductible donations to the Fund can be made at any time.”

The Fund is managed by Auckland Communities Foundation (ACF) and donations should be made through ACF as follows:

Via the ‘donate now’ function on the ACF website www.aucklandcf.org.nz
Via direct payment to the ACF bank account (with reference ‘MFP’ to ASB Bank account 12-3028-0714703-00)
Via cheque made payable to ‘Auckland Communities Foundation Mayoral Fund for the Pacific’ and sent to PO Box 26087, Epsom 1334
“We know people are keen to help, particularly our Pacific communities in Auckland, and donations to the Fund will help with immediate relief,” says Len Brown.

John Kotoisuva, chair of the committee and the committee’s representative for the Fijian community, and Jenny Salesa, MP, representative for the Tongan community, will be working closely with communities in Auckland.

They will hold public meetings with the Fijian and Tongan communities in the coming days. Details of these meetings are listed below.

ENDS

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