JN Williams double up donations to Eastwoodhill

Although it is revered as the National Arboretum of New Zealand, Eastwoodhill receives no government funding and is reliant on donations and grants to survive.

In an amazing show of support JN Williams Memorial Trust (the Trust) has promised to match any donation to the Eastwoodhill Arboretum Endowment Fund at The Sunrise Foundation - dollar for dollar - up to $1 million. 

Eastwoodhill encompasses over 131 hectares of rolling hills, 25km of walking tracks, is home to 3500 species of exotic and native trees, shrubs and climber plantings, and is regarded as the largest and most comprehensive collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator.

Just as significantly, it is also an important community resource, attracting thousands of visitors annually and enjoying strong relationships with tertiary education providers, providing a valuable resource and base for scholarly research and hosting hundreds of local school groups every year.

The Trust would like to encourage others to join them in helping Eastwoodhill build a strong endowment fund to see the arboretum thrive long into the future. 

Jane Williams, Eastwoodhill Chair says “unfortunately the funding avenues Eastwoodhill has relied on in the past are not enough for us to operate and grow a sustainable business today. We appreciate the generosity of the Trust and hope their gift, along with others, will enhance our ability to be self-reliant and stand strong on our own two feet.” 

“We need to strengthen Eastwoodhill as a business and extend further into education, research and science. The Trust understands the direction we are taking and that a strong endowment fund will allow us to do this. We are unbelievably excited and grateful.” 

It is a huge task to keep Eastwoodhill running day to day, but it is just as vital to secure the arboretum for tomorrow, to help ensure the survival of this globally significant arboreal arc collection.

For anyone who wants to support Eastwoodhill, now is the time to do so. Not only will your donation be instantly doubled, it will also grow for the future and keep giving back to the arboretum forever. 

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Read more about Eastwoodhill's fund