By Ruth Morse, CEO, Well Foundation

One of the things I love most about our community is how deeply people care about one another. Time and again, I see that care expressed through support for our local hospitals, places that so many of us rely on at different points in our lives.

People give back for all sorts of reasons. Some are grateful patients or family members wanting to say thank you. Others simply believe that everyone deserves access to excellent healthcare close to home. Whatever the motivation, when our community comes together to give, it directly improves care and outcomes for people across our region.

Thanks to local support, our hospitals have been able to do more than government funding alone allows. Community donations have helped bring world-leading clinical technology into hospital wards, improve patient comfort and experience, support frontline staff through education and training, and upgrade clinical spaces to make them more welcoming and healing for patients and families.

These are the kinds of improvements that might not always make headlines, but they make a real difference. Not just for individual patients, but for the generations who will follow us.

As we look ahead into 2026, I often hear people ask how they can continue to make a difference. The good news is there’s no single “right” way to support local healthcare. Some people choose to give when they’re able, others prefer to support regularly, and some think about how they might leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Many supporters are inspired by personal experiences. One local donor, Liz Blackwell, chose to give back after spending many hours at the hospital with her family. She describes her decision as a way of “future-proofing care for the next generation”, helping ensure that the people she loves will have access to the very best care when they need it.

As the charity partner to North Shore and Waitākere Hospitals, Well Foundation exists to fund those vital extras: life-saving equipment, advanced clinical training, improved environments, and initiatives that support patients and families during some of life’s most challenging moments.

At its heart, supporting local healthcare is about community. It’s about choosing to look after the people and places that look after us. As a new year begins, I invite you to reflect on what matters most to you, and how you might help shape a healthier future for our community.

A selection of Well Foundation projects, and our incredible family of supporters and donors in 2025.