Home Birth Aotearoa Trust

2019 Trustee Elections

by | May 26, 2022 | Conference-Hui

Trustee Elections 2019.

By Home Birth Aotearoa
Jun 2018
Nominations are open for trustees to Home Birth Aotearoa Trust. We welcome nominations from all members of our home birth community. Trusteeship is a voluntary position, strategically managing the activities of the trust in collaboration with our existing trustees and employees. Becoming a trustee is a valuable and honouring opportunity, where you can utilise your passion, knowledge, and skills, whilst meeting new people and gaining new skills.

Home Birth Aotearoa is the national organisation representing the regional home birth groups throughout Aotearoa. Home Birth Aotearoa would not exist without the regional associations whom it represents and who help deliver our key activities on a regional level.

Currently there are around 25 regional groups, ranging from legal entities to informal groups. All are actively involved in supporting home birth in their regions.

Home Birth Aotearoa Trust is a charitable trust which was formed on 26 July 2007. The Trust was formed to enable collective accountability and sustainability of a national home birth organisation via a legally recognised entity. National Hui is convened annually with members of all regional groups invited. The AGM is held at the same time. Regional groups are invited and supported to arrange local pod hui on an annual basis also. A conference is hosted biennially (every two years) by a regional association.

We welcome your application to the board.

Our Goals:

  1. That home birth is recognised and promoted as an option for the place of birth for the majority of NZ women and their whanau
  2. To increase the number of New Zealand women and their whanau choosing to birth at home
  3. To have a strong and flourishing network of active home birth groups throughout Aotearoa
  4. To have input into maternity strategy and policy- making to enable empowering birth experiences and outcomes, and healthy, thriving families
  5. To uphold the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi

How we work:

The structure of Home Birth Aotearoa has the trust at the core – regional home birth groups contributing to each other and the trust and vice versa. The trust holds the contract for national delivery of home birth coordination and collectively the HBA community has input into the planning and delivery. We use collaborative, consensus decision making to operate.

What does trusteeship involve?

Trustees are responsible for the governance of Home Birth Aotearoa Trust. They are accountable to the national network of home birth associations and support groups (Home Birth Aotearoa) to set and facilitate activities which support the goals of the Trust. This includes accountability for financial transactions (including funding, expenditure, and assets) and legislative and compliance issues relating to the provision of any services.

Trustees will need to be able to commit to:

  • timely participation in the online agenda of board business
  • regular meetings (4-6 weekly) by teleconference
  • attendance at national Hui
  • some trustees have specific accountability e.g.: Treasurer, Facilitator, and/or contributing to initiatives
  • thinking at a national level, providing guidance, clarity and direction for long and short-term goals
  • nurturing of one pod area (group of regional associations). This involves regular seasonal contact and supporting connectedness.
    Trustees will have:
  • a passion for home birth, accompanied by 5-10 hrs of investable time per month
  • a commitment to supporting and empowering women, their whanau and their communities in their choice to birth at home
  • a commitment to Home Birth Aotearoa
  • an ability and commitment to expressing their own opinions and perspectives
  • an ability and commitment to working constructively with others, sometimes from diverse backgrounds and points of view
  • the support of their families in undertaking a trusteeship
  • the support and endorsement of their regional home birth association or support group

Anyone who is a member (or the equivalent) of and is endorsed by a Home Birth Association or Home Birth Support Group in Aotearoa.

Previous governance or committee experience is helpful but not essential.

An annual honorarium is not currently paid to trustees, however reimbursement for Hui travel is.

The Existing Trust Board:

The trust board is governed by up to 8 trustees, with a quorum of 5, under a trustee deed established in 2007.

Copies of the trust deed are available on request.

Current trustees:

  1. Harriet Moir–Positive Birth Dunedin: Remaining in seat
  2. Sharon Knightbridge –Westcoast Home Birth Association, Resources: End of term, vacating seat
  3. Dr Alison Barrett – Hamilton: Remaining in seat
  4. Karen Walker -midwife, Taumarunui: Remaining in seat
  5. Kirsty Wilkinson – student midwife, Canterbury Home Birth Association: Remaining in seat
  6. Eva Neely– Wellington Home Birth Association: Remaining in seat
  7. Tammi Heap – midwife: Fielding: Remaining in seat
  8. Vacant seat

Outgoing trustees:

Sian Hannagan – Dunedin Home Birth Association, Interim Magazine Editor

Home Birth Aotearoa Trust is seeking the appointment of 2-4 Trustees. (3 year terms)

Currently there is no limit on the number of terms a Trustee can be nominated and elected for.

How to Apply:

Please complete and return this nomination form

TRUSTEE NOMINATION FORM 2014

via email to: admin@homebirth.org.nz or by post to:

HBAT
PO Box 7176
Mornington
Dunedin 9040

If you require further information, please contact us at admin@homebirth.org.nz

Trustees will be ratified at the National Home Birth hui in October.