Sunita Somvanshi
Bupa Foundation distributed grants of around $10,000 each to eleven New Zealand community groups focused on mental health and sustainability projects this month. The funding supports grassroots initiatives ranging from youth mentoring to stream restoration.
The 2025 grants help organizations deliver practical community support. Recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rotorua, providing one-to-one mentoring, Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust, helping vulnerable people keep their dogs, and Endangered Species Foundation‘s “Embrace a Stream” restoration program.
Michael Burgess from Bupa New Zealand said, “When you pair financial support with the passion, insight, and dedication of local community groups, the results can be transformative. Supporting these organisations is a key part of Bupa’s ambition to support healthier people and planet.”
First Foundation received funding for career development programs serving 330 secondary students, while Skylight Trust’s “Tai Oranga” psychoeducation program supports children aged 7-9. The University of Auckland will research gardening’s role in intergenerational wellbeing, and Waipuna Hospice will develop a digital platform for staff wellbeing.
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Other recipients include Louise Perkins Foundation supporting people with advanced breast cancer, Beautification Trust’s “Boomer Shed” reducing social isolation, ReSport Charitable Trust, reusing sports equipment to reduce landfill waste, and Upper Waitemata Ecology Network, implementing bioorganic urban regeneration.
The grants form part of a broader ANZ initiative where 65 organizations across Australia and New Zealand share $640,000 in 2025. Since launching in 2019, the program has distributed over NZD$2.8 million to grassroots organisations across Australia and New Zealand.
Michael Burgess, Bupa’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability in New Zealand, noted the program “combines funding and resources with the passion and knowledge of local community groups, the impact can be incredible.”
Bupa continues partnerships with NZ Landcare Trust, Paralympics New Zealand, and national sports teams. Recent developments include extending their Black Ferns partnership with Laurie O’Reilly Cup naming rights, reaching 102,000 native trees planted through Trees That Count, and expanding Junior Landcare to 12 new restoration sites.
The grants were announced as part of Bupa’s ongoing community engagement strategy.
