Volunteering Bay of Plenty is the place to come for anything volunteer related. Our mission is to enrich lives and communities through volunteering. We do this through matching volunteers with organisations and have been developing our employee volunteering programmes to help those businesses with strong corporate social responsibilities and commitment.
Helen Stewart
COMPANY: Volunteering Bay of Plenty
POSITION: General Manager
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Take more risks and expand your boundaries.
Tell us about a recent Bay event you have attended?
The Tauranga Migrant Expo – a great place to meet lots of different people, hear stories and find luscious foods.
What would you study if time and money allowed?
As a child I spent a wonderful time fishing and roaming around the shores in Kaikoura, walking to the wharf and seal colony and passing the Marine Laboratory. I have always loved the sea and marine life, especially shells, so wanted to study marine biology, however I diverted into biochemistry instead.
Who has been an inspiration to you at any point in your life? Why have they been an inspiration?
My nieces and nephew who are following their dreams and making a difference in the world, helping others.
Who would make an interesting dinner guest, and why?
Sir David Attenborough as he must have some wonderful stories, has a great sense of humour and is really in tune with issues affecting our world from a global perspective.
Where would you love to visit one day?
England to show my husband English pubs and villages and visit the place his family came from.
Can you tell us about one new thing you’ve learnt recently about the Bay?
One thing I have learnt about the Bay is how many different nationalities now call the Bay their home. Tauranga alone boasts over 200 different nationalities and with the new initiative of Welcoming Communities I look forward to seeing more people engaging in ‘head, heart and hand’ volunteering opportunities across the Bay.
What is the most pressing issue facing humanity?
Global warming, growing gaps between rich and poor and the lack of available cleanwater.