Mrs Melissa Vining, of Winton, MNZM for services to charitable fundraising and the community
Melissa Vining (Ngāi Tahu) established the Southern Charity Hospital Trust in 2019, with the aim of constructing a charity hospital to provide colonoscopies, day surgeries and dentistry services. She has been a driving force behind the project, raising awareness for the hospital, driving fundraising efforts, and coordinating support from various sources. She obtained support from the Invercargill Licensing Trust, who donated the land and building for the hospital. She has coordinated a range of specialists and nurses to donate their services. The project was completed in April 2024, and Mrs Vining has been a Trustee on the Southern Charity Hospital Board since inception.