Story by Maddy Croad, originally posted on The Press here

The idea of bequeathing money to an organisation when you die may conjure thoughts of the uber-wealthy, leaving millions behind in exchange for having a building named after them.

But new research suggests that bequeaths may be much more commonplace.

Dubbed ”willanthropy“ by Public Trust, the practice of gifting money to a charity when a person dies has seen a noticeable uptick in recent years.

Sebastian Wilberforce, a specialist trustee at Public Trust, said about 8% of wills now included gifts for charity. The average size of a gift is $10,000.

“The most generous people are those who are just ordinary people who you would see on the street, most people can’t afford a sizeable donation in their lifetime but when they’ve died and no longer need their assets, that’s when they can be generous,” he said.

Kilmarnock Enterprises couldn’t have stayed afloat without “willanthropy”.

The organisation currently supports 70 Kiwis with intellectual disabilities, providing training, employment and guidance to help them enter the workforce.

Some of its income comes from contracts it has with companies like Nutrient Rescue, which pays Kilmarnock to package its products.

Otherwise, staff cross their fingers and hope for sponsorships or grants.

But now, and especially in the past few years, donations have been coming in from those gifting money when they die, with donations and bequeaths to Kilmarnock now worth about $200,000 annually.

Kilmarnock chief executive Michael Toothill remembered the day they received their biggest bequest.

At $100,000, it blew him away.

“It’s the best surprise, the best gift ever and [there was a] sense of relief and pressure that was lifted when we received that gift.”

Five years ago, Kilmarnock would have had to close its doors if it hadn’t been for the sponsors, grants and bequests it received.

“We hit the ropes. Covid came soon after and that’s when you really fall back on those who support you. Without that we would have gone under.

“With 60 years of history and a factory full of employees and colleagues, it would have just been the worst thing ever.”

Each person Kilmarnock helps can take part in courses from Ara. They are given classes on physical health, how to eat well, mental health, yoga and boxing classes, and formal training.

They are also paid wages in combination with their benefits.

Last week, Rachel Meads marked her 25th year at Kilmarnock.

She works in the food room, packaging and weighing spices.

She was part of the first group that went through the training courses at Ara, and couldn’t wait to go to work each day.

“I’ve made a lot of friends and I just absolutely love it,” she said.

Others moved on to other jobs after Kilmarnock, to work at places like cafeterias or concrete, window framing and cleaning companies.

Public Trust is raising awareness about “willanthropy” as part of Wills Week, which runs from July 15 to 21.

We’re so pleased to share our partnership with Hōhepa Canterbury!

As the Christchurch supplier of Will&Able products, Kilmarnock Enterprises is proud to supply Hōhepa Canterbury’s community facilities and network of more than seventy houses with our range of social purpose-led eco-cleaning products.

Our two organisations have a clear and natural alignment. Hōhepa Canterbury, the Canterbury division of Hōhepa, provides a variety of services, including supported and independent living, social therapies, arts and crafts, social outings and more, designed to empower people with intellectual disabilities to live rewarding and connected lives. While at Kilmarnock Enterprises, we’re proud to support people with intellectual disabilities in building diverse skill sets, growing in confidence, and developing autonomy through our pioneering Employment Pathways Programme (EPP).

One of the most exciting aspects of our partnership is the creation of a dedicated Will&Able stock manager role at Hōhepa Canterbury. Georgie is supported at Hōhepa Canterbury and works one morning a week in their dedicated Will&Able stockroom, picking and dispatching product orders for all of Hōhepa Canterbury’s houses. When products run low, Georgie and her support worker visit us to restock and return empty containers so our team can clean and fill them for reuse.

On a recent trip to Kilmarnock, Georgie took a tour of our factory and visited our dedicated Will&Able room. She met one of our outstanding Will&Able team members, Tristan (pictured with Georgie above), and learnt more about the work that takes place behind the scenes to produce the Will&Able products she works with at Hōhepa Canterbury.

We’re delighted to be partnering with Hōhepa Canterbury to create real social impact and bring our communities closer together.

Originally published by Ara|Te Pūkenga

The latest cohort of Kilmarnock Enterprises Academy Programme employees to achieve work-based learning credits have been celebrated at Ara |Te Pūkenga.

The ākonga (students) who completed their Level 2 Food and Work Safety Practices programme in the workplace were awarded certificates in Foundation Studies at an event held at Visions restaurant at Ara’s City campus.

Kilmarnock Enterprises is an Ōtautahi-based social enterprise creating employment and development pathways for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The partnership between its academy and Ara, which ran for the first time earlier this year, involves a programme of New Zealand Qualifications Framework study for employees for two hours a week over 17 weeks.

The aim of the study was to ‘develop a series of food and work safety skills to enable the students to carry out tasks effectively and efficiently within work environments’.

Kilmarnock Enterprises Chief Executive Michael Toothill said the course had been designed to be accessible and rewarding for ākonga. “The course tutors have tailored its delivery to include significant hands-on and visual learning opportunities, capturing already held skills and knowledge and supporting a great learning experience for all.”

“This is a new approach provides people with an intellectual disability with a clear and tangible pathway in employment, training and development,” he said. “We’re incredibly proud of our learners for their hard work, and we’re grateful for this partnership offering exciting and fulfilling formal training opportunities our employees.”

Ryan Marshall, Manager Cookery and Bakery in Ara’s Department of Hospitality, Business and Service Industries said the students had applied themselves with enthusiasm to achieve academically and gain valuable life skills.

“It’s great to celebrate an incredible group of individuals who’ve shown tremendous courage, growth, determination and resilience on their path to education and personal growth,” he said.

He added that it was rewarding to see the programme come to life and become established in the space of 12 months thanks to the vision and determination of all those involved, including tutors and learning advisors Dave Spice, Katie Howie, Bill Bryce and Arnya Watson.

Foundation Certificate recipient Tania McClure wrote and presented her personal thoughts about the learning to the friends, whānau, kaiako (teachers) and work colleagues gathered at the certificate ceremony. “I fully enjoyed the course,” she said. “It was lots of fun. I learned lots of words and learned to cook food with the temperature gauge.”

Speaking afterwards, she explained that the knowledge she had gained was not only useful at work but also in her homelife where she enjoyed cooking a wide range of meals.

With the next cohort already fully subscribed for 2024, the foundations are strong for the continuation of this bespoke work-based Foundation Studies offering.

We’re pleased to share some exciting changes to the Kilmarnock Enterprises Trust!

Earlier this year, the Kilmarnock Trust embarked on a recruitment drive, seeking to appoint several new trustees from across the community. We are excited to announce the appointment of three distinguished new trustees with significant experience and diverse skills: Pollyanne Peña, Rachelle Mathews and Stuart Roberts.

Pollyanne Pena joins us with a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, spending the last ten years in community engagement and fundraising roles with cause-led organisations across Aotearoa. Pollyanne currently serves as the Community Engagement Lead for the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust.

Rachelle Mathews brings her extensive marketing, communications and education expertise to the Kilmarnock Trust. Rachelle has worked to raise the profile of a diverse range of organisations and institutions, including St Margaret’s College. Currently, she holds the role of Marketing and Communications Manager at Medbury Preparatory School.

Stuart Roberts joins the Kilmarnock Trust with over 25 years experience in financial markets. He is currently a Director and Wealth Management Adviser for Jarden in Ōtautahi. Prior to his role at Jarden, Stuart worked for several prominent financial and banking firms, including ANZ and AMP.

We are excited to welcome our new and talented trustees onboard, and we look forward to working alongside the Kilmarnock Trust to connect with our community and raise funds for our innovative Kilmarnock Academy Programme.

Kilmarnock Enterprises would also like to acknowledge the recent departure of two former members of the Kilmarnock Trust, David Lowe and Andrew Gray. We are deeply grateful for David and Andrew’s contributions to the work of the Kilmarnock Trust.