Kootuitui Patron

Chair, town planner, director, trustee, board member, earthmover, florist…outgoing Kootuitui Papakura Chair Leigh Auton has more strings to his bow than the Auckland Philharmonia – although he’s been a trustee of that too.

Earthmover and florist might be pushing it, but the outgoing head of the Papakura charity steps down, claims he’s only ever moved a lot of earth to uncover talent and let it to flower.

Kootuitui was formed nine years ago, born out of the idea that bringing together education, health and the home environment, would allow rangatahi to flourish. Auton and Kootuitui remain committed to that goal.

“After then Edmund Hillary School principal Kataraina Nock, Manaiakalani head Pat
Snedden and Middlemore Foundation head Pam Tregonning had put the cluster together, I think their next task was twisting my arm to get me involved,” Auton (Te
Hikutū/Ngāpuhi/Pākehā) says.

It’s unlikely it took much persuasion, given Auton has a long history of community
involvement, has lived with wife Jennie more than 45 years in South Auckland, 27 of those in Papakura and Drury, and is a well-known champion of the underdog.

“Nine years is a long-time, and moving aside is a chance for someone new, someone with fresh insights and ideas, and that’s a good thing,” he says. He can be proud of what has been achieved.

“I think back to the beginning, when doctors were horrified by the incidence of rheumatic
fever and communicable diseases like scabies, and teachers worked incredibly hard with
limited resources and had to watch children struggle.

“Our kids were going home to environments that were less than ideal, committed parents
often paying the price for shoddy housing and low incomes. “It’s not over-stating it to say plenty of people just wrote these kids off like some kind of underclass we would always have,” he says.

“I’m thankful to have been invited to participate alongside so many good people who refused to give up, who dedicated their time, and in many cases money, to proving these kids were – and still are – worth fighting for.”

Auton says inaugural CEO Angela Gattung was brought on board, quickly recruiting Jan
Piahana, who remains a cornerstone of the Kootuitui success story, but he’s also grateful for the input of the Council’s Southern Initiative. “Its people were active in co-designing the programme and shaping it with the community, turning it into an organisation that was always ‘by whanau and for whanau’, not some old men in suits telling everyone what they should do.”

But inevitably change comes at a cost, and Auton acknowledges Westpac stepping up and providing $500,000 a year for the first three years. “It was a commitment that meant we could launch with a guarantee that we weren’t going to fall over. I remember then Westpac CEO David McLean coming out and being greatly affected by what we were attempting to achieve.

“The bank’s people got behind the initiative too, providing hours of volunteer time, especially around handling money, skills that are still being used today to help others.

“Those years meant the training wheels could come off because we had good structures in place, and we were able to go out and find supporters to help make Kootuitui sustainable.

“Foundation North has been magnificent in support. We’ve had so many great organisations and people involved, including the Todd, Lion, Tindall and Ted Mason foundations, Due Drop, Hynds, Mercury, the many government departments we work with, Auckland Council and Papakura Local Board, the Ngāti Tamaoho Trust and even David Tua.

The amazing thing has been how they’ve all talked to each other and just gone about helping these kids. “We talk about our children being our future, but it’s hard to have a future if you’re starting from so far behind everyone else. Coming from a poor background doesn’t have to define who you are for the rest of your life.”

Today Kootuitui is one of several significant social providers in the area, including the
Papakura Marae, where Auton says CEO Tony Kake and his team have achieved wonders.

“Tony, Raina, our donors, these are good people. Our nurses in schools, the teachers learning new skills so the children have a better chance, Kootuitui staff battling for their people to have opportunities and good healthy homes.

“It’s like surrounding yourself with miracle workers.

“They’re the ones who keep us focused on the goal. Making educational outcomes better for our young people. We can’t ever lose sight of that.”

After a stellar career in business, local government, public service and charity work, he has never forgotten his roots, a boy from the Hokianga.

“The best thing I can do to help now is to get out of the way and let them get on with it. I
know I leave my role of Chair in the good hands of Dr Abdul Nishar and Board Trustees, and the organisation in the excellent hands of our CEO Abi Bond”.

Even then there’s a rider. “I’ll be in the background if they ever really need me.”

By: David Kemeys