Mrs Elsie Walkinshaw, of Christchurch, QSM for services to the community
Elsie Walkinshaw delivered food parcels for Methodist Mission and was later employed as a budget advisor. She volunteered at Christchurch Women’s Refuge before working full-time in a safe house. She helped establish Turning Points Trust to provide budget advice and advocacy services for people in Christchurch East. She was a budget advisor and advocate with Super Grans and was employed in advocacy and community assistance with Compassion Trust. In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, she provided assistance to quake-affected families. Ms Walkinshaw is a volunteer telephone counsellor with Lifeline and a volunteer advocate and debt-management advisor with Freedom Trust.