FCANZ Members Raise $15,000 For Charity

Fencing industry body Fencing Contractors Association NZ (FCANZ) recently presented the Whatever With Wiggy charitable trust with a $15,000 donation from its members. The funds were raised at an impromptu auction held at the recent FCANZ annual Conference, with Association Partners and some members donating the items to be auctioned.

“We were astounded by the generosity of not only our members for bidding on auction items but also for the support shown for this Charity by Association Partners who continued to donate items throughout the evening.” says Phil Cornelius, President of FCANZ.

Auction items ranged from tools, augers, wire, netting and Y-posts to white water rafting trips and even the shirt from the back of auctioneer Stephen Caunter. “The willingness for people to donate and bid shows just how highly they value the work that Wiggy is doing” said Cornelius.

Whatever With Wiggy founder Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins is an advocate for rural mental and physical health and champions Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate. Receiving news during COVID that a friend had taken his life, lead to the creation of the lean-on-a-gate movement. Wiggins says “Taking five minutes to check in with a mate, or young worker can reduce those feelings of isolation and could save a life. You never know – you just might help someone out.”

Wiggy also works closely with the Carr Family Foundation Rural Health and Wellness Van, which provides free health checks at rural events across the country. The van attended the FCANZ National Fencing Field Day in Mosgiel this year and saw almost 60 people across the day – of which over a quarter were referred to their GP for follow-up.

Phil went on to add, “The value of the work that Wiggy and his colleagues do can’t be underestimated and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve with the Charity Auction at our August 2023 Conference in New Plymouth. It is humbling to see how big the hearts are in the fencing industry.”

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