Speech
LifeLine Auckland
Ladies and Gentlemenn I greet ho in the languages of the realm of New Zealand:-
Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni
Greetings: Co-chairs of the LifeLine Board, David Bogan and Doug Dempster; LifeLine Board Members; Terry O'Connell, of the Australian Scholarships Group, Brent Smart of Colenso BBDO; Pierre-Bernard Le Bas, Vice-President, Christian Blind Mission International; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for inviting my wife Susan and I here tonight to celebrate LifeLine and to thank all those who support this organisation.
Looking around the room tonight, I am reminded that LifeLine is, by its very nature, all about people.
It is run by people who care about others, for people who may be in need, with the support of people like you.
And for the last 41 years, it has changed many thousands of lives for the better.
By any standards, 41 years is a long time for any organisation to not only exist; but to thrive. LifeLine Auckland has done just that. It has adapted to the changing make-up of New Zealand, and to our changing lives, to provide support in the most appropriate way possible.
Through their various channels, they support so many New Zealanders. Just last month, LifeLine received in excess of 59,000 calls.
In 2003, I spoke at a conference called Working with Cultural Diversity, an Asian Perspective when ten years of Chinese LifeLine was celebrated.
The introduction of Chinese LifeLine, incidentally I am told, at the suggestion of a former Governor-General in 1993, symbolised LifeLine's genuine commitment to meeting the needs of all New Zealanders.
It recognised that our country was increasingly diverse and there was not just one way to support all New Zealanders.
Chinese LifeLine I am advised has been an extraordinary success. It is now an integral part of New Zealand's Chinese community.
Since the Chinese LifeLine was established, this organisation has continued to change with the needs of New Zealand, with services such as Kidsline and Mensline introduced.
That LifeLine has adapted so seamlessly in response to New Zealand's changing landscape is a tribute to the people volunteering for, and working with, LifeLine.
As I mentioned earlier, LifeLine is all about people. My wife and I are delighted to be the instrument this evening to thank those people who give so much of their time to LifeLine.
LifeLine volunteers come from all walks of life. Famous sportspeople volunteer alongside civil servants, students volunteer alongside community leaders, unemployed people volunteer alongside heads of major New Zealand organisations.
There are no stereotypes in LifeLine - It is pleasing to note from what I have learned that there are no more volunteers of any one gender, ethnicity or age than another.
In their day jobs, these trained volunteers may have little in common. But what they share is a social conscience and a commitment to doing what they can to support individuals in need.
Volunteering is not always an easy job. It can be emotionally draining and I imagine it must sometimes be hard to switch off. Given what I have been advised is the average length of a phone call (26 minutes), it is clear the volunteers give their all to each and every caller.
LifeLine was originally established to provide counselling support to people in need.
Today, however, it provides an even broader service to New Zealand. At the same time that volunteers are counselling individuals, they are amassing a significant body of data to help work out where support can be applied in the future.
Last year, four million pieces of data were isolated and used as a by-product of LifeLine's work. This information became used by agencies and Government departments to identify areas where support is most needed.
This is a significant service for New Zealand as it helps ensure the right decisions are made with our resources.
As well as relying on volunteers, LifeLine relies on larger organisations with a social conscience.
I know some of those organisations are here tonight and on behalf of LifeLine I would like to extend my thanks for the tangible support that is given.
May I now acknowledge the Australian Scholarships Group, which tonight will become a formal partner of LifeLine by becoming platinum sponsor of KidsLine.
I would also like to acknowledge tonight Colenso BBDO, which has donated a television commercial to LifeLine, a practical example of social responsibility and leadership which we will preview later tonight.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone here tonight for supporting LifeLine in whatever way you choose. Each of you are helping effect positive social change in New Zealand ad congratulations are due for that.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa