Louisa Wall | Championing Equality with Courage and Heart
October 8, 2025
Anita Wigl’it | Spreading Joy, Sparkle, and Rainbow Realness
October 13, 2025
RNZCT would like to congratulate one of our long-standing partners, AUT, on celebrating their 25th anniversary as a University.
Trustees, Rachel Cleary (Community Grants Manager | Poutaki Pūtea ā-Hapori) and Rāwiri Te Hurinui-Haumaha (Scholarships Manager | Poutaki Korahipi), attended AUT’s Together for 25 – Poipoia, their Partnerships Dinner. Through the evening, part of the event related to the Māori whakatauki:
"Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai."
Nurture the seed and it will blossom.
We were able to catch up with old friends, see current colleagues and network with new contacts with the purpose of bringing greater awareness to the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust’s purpose to promote the interests of the LGBTTQIA+ community in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to fundraise to attract sponsorship, donations and bequests.
We had meaningful kōrero with Marama Royal (Pro-Chancellor, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Chair), Rob Campbell (CNZM, Chancellor), Professor Damon Salesa (Vice-Chancellor), Amy Malcolm (Assistant Vice-Chancellor) among other diginitaries. It was MC’d by the lovely Carol Hirschfeld and two of the highlight speakers for the night were Makoto Osawa (Japanese Ambassador to Aotearoa New Zealand) and Namulau‘ulu Nu‘uali‘i Eteroa Lafaele (AUT Alumna and the 2025 Young New Zealander of the Year), who is a globally recognised software engineer from Cannons Creek, Porirua, forging new pathways to bridge the digital divide for Pacific communities.
Rāwiri and Rachel showing our support for this milestone event.
It was a wonderful celebration of culture and music, highlighting AUT's partnerships and stories from the last 25 years. We would like to mihi to AUT for our invitation and for being highlighted as one of your Community Partners.
E titiro whakamua ana mātou ki te whakakaha tonu i te taura here o tō tātou rangapū ki Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau, kia ū, kia mau, mō ngā tau e heke mai nei.
We look forward to building on our partnership with Auckland University of Technology for many more years to come.
You can read more about the event here.
We are grateful to our ongoing partnership with AUT, who continue to offer two Rainbow Scholarships annually. For more details, or to apply, please visit our Scholarships page here.
