Prominent couple seeds fund for Temuka & Winchester

Michelle and Leighton Pye, well-known for their dedication to the local community through their business, Pye Group, have taken a monumental step to further their private support for the Temuka area. The couple has launched the Temuka Area Community Fund, an initiative designed to provide lasting financial support to community organisations, facilities, and services in Temuka, Winchester, and the surrounding rural areas.

This fund was made possible following the sale of the primary asset of The Winchester Charitable Trust, a private foundation the Pyes established in 2016. Acknowledging the challenges often faced by charitable trusts—such as time, administrative demands, and distribution costs—Michelle and Leighton decided to wind down the trust and gift $250,000 to the Aoraki Foundation to establish a sustainable impact fund for their community.

“When we saw the Aoraki Foundation’s unique model for creating everlasting gifts to our community, it made sense to wind up the Trust and resettle these assets into the Temuka Area Community Fund,” said Michelle Pye. “We trust that, through the Aoraki Foundation, our original vision of supporting people in the Temuka area will now endure for generations to come.”

Richard Spackman, Chief Executive of the Aoraki Foundation, commended the Pyes’ vision, calling it “a fantastic initiative for the Temuka/Winchester community.” He emphasized that the fund not only supports charitable causes in the region but also provides an opportunity for others to leave a legacy gift for their community.

Michelle added, “It was unlikely others would contribute to our private trust, but now that this fund is managed by the Aoraki Foundation, we hope it will inspire locals passionate about the Temuka/Winchester area to also make gifts, growing this fund for the future.”

While Michelle and Leighton never intended this initiative to center on themselves, their enduring commitment and vision for a thriving Temuka community will undoubtedly leave a profound impact for generations to come.