Before retirement, Ian was a chartered accountant with a strong focus on rural accounting. With a career rooted in supporting others through numbers and strategy, it’s perhaps no surprise that when the time came to step away from the office, Ian was already looking for ways to give back.
“I’d always said I wanted to give something back to the community when I retired,” Ian shares. And he didn’t wait long to act on that promise. More than three years ago—while still easing out of full-time work—he began volunteering with Arohanui Hospice.
What started as a role in outdoor maintenance quickly grew into something much more. “Now I literally do everything, except electrical and plumbing,” he laughs. “I fix holes in walls, do painting, hang whiteboards.” Recently, he also took on the role of gardening coordinator, deepening his involvement with the volunteer gardening team and recognizing the value of social connection. “It’s important,” Ian says, “to be able to connect with people while doing something meaningful.”
Ian’s path to volunteering was inspired in part by a friend who already volunteered with the Hospice shop. Curious, he browsed the Arohanui Hospice website and came across a vacancy for outdoor maintenance. A quick phone call to Jill, the volunteer coordinator at the time, and he was in. “It suited me,” Ian says. “I’ve always been a DIY type person.”
His connection to Hospice is more than just professional. Over 25 years ago, a close friend of Ian’s died from bowel cancer under hospice care. “He was cared for at home but also spent a period of time in the hospice—I remember visiting him there.” More recently, a former client’s fiancé passed away at Arohanui Hospice in her mid-thirties. “We all know someone,” Ian reflects.
One of Ian’s most visible contributions to date is the stunning new meeting table that now sits at the heart of Arohanui Hospice. The idea came from Michelle, Director of the Foundation, who approached Ian to see if he might be interested in creating a custom table top to better accommodate their growing team.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Ian teamed up with long-time friend Andrew Wilson, a builder, to take on the project. “I thought, ‘I’ll use Andrew’s technical skills—it needs to be proper,’” he says with a grin.
The build was a labour of love. The timber—totara, rimu, and matai—was sourced from the timber recycling centre on Maxwells Line, a charitable trust. After dressing the timber, Ian and Andrew laminated it into two semi-circles, ran them through an automatic planer at UCOL, joined them together, and carefully sanded, oiled, and polyurethane coated the finished top.
As a finishing touch, Ian and Andrew signed the underside of the table, leaving a quiet signature of their work and care for future generations to find.
The result? A beautiful, functional, and deeply meaningful table that tells a story of teamwork, community, and craftsmanship.
Clare Randall, Chief Executive at Arohanui Hospice, summed it up best:
"Ian and Andrew’s work has created more than just a table. It’s a symbol of what happens when people give generously of their time and talents. We’re so grateful—not just for the table—but for the heart behind it."
For Ian, volunteering with Hospice isn’t about recognition—it’s about making a difference. Whether he’s painting, patching walls, or building something that will last for decades, Ian’s story reminds us that there’s power in simply showing up and lending a hand.
