Mazda Foundation supports wildlife and the community
A new hospital for injured penguins and more than 100 food parcels for Kiwi families in need were just some of the 17 grants given in the first Mazda Foundation funding round for 2023.
The foundation gifted more than $55,000 to individuals and community organisations around the country, supporting environmental, animal welfare and educational initiatives, and New Zealanders in need. Since 2005, the foundation has given over $4.5 million back to the community.
Applications for the next round of Mazda Foundation funding close on June 30, 2023. For more information or to download an application form, visit www.mazdafoundation.org.nz.
For more information on the other recipients from the March 2023 funding round, please visit,
Lisa was born in Auckland at the start of the 1970s, living in a small campsite community on the North Shore called Browns Bay. She spent a significant part of her life with her grandparents, often hanging out at the beaches. Lisa has many happy memories from those days at Browns Bay beach, where fish were plentiful on the point and the ocean was rich in seaweed. She played in the water for hours, going home totally “sun-kissed.” “An adorable time to grow up,” Lisa tells me.
Lisa enjoyed many sports; she was a keen tennis player and netballer, playing in the top teams for her age right up until the family moved to Wellington. Lisa was fifteen years old, which unfortunately marked the end of her sporting career. Local teams were well established in Wellington, and her attention was drawn elsewhere.