Events

Caroline is the founder and the director of the Loss and Grief Centre. She will share about the service and its community outreach.

Jemma Cournane is the Recruitment & HR Coordinator at Niagara Sawmilling, a local company with a rich history in timber processing and a growing focus on innovation and sustainability. Jemma is passionate about people and progress, and helps shape Niagara’s future by curating teams and fostering talent who go on to support automation initiatives. Jemma is passionate about strengthening community ties.
She will touch on how Niagara has grown from a small timber business to becoming an industry leader in innovation, automation, and sustainability. Jemma will also touch on how Niagara is embracing technology like AI and investing in people to future-proof its workforce and support the Southland community.

I’m Katelyn Herman, the Community Engagement Advisor for Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand, based at the Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Southland Hospital.

I’ve been in this role since July 2024 and have loved every minute. Each day I’m reminded of the incredible strength and resilience of the families who walk through our doors. While the work can be emotionally challenging—especially hearing and witnessing what families are going through—it’s also deeply rewarding. My why has always been the families we support. Their courage and gratitude inspire me daily, and they are always at the heart of everything.

Prior to joining RMHC New Zealand, I worked in customer service roles where I developed a strong passion for making meaningful connections. I bring that same energy into my current role, where I have the privilege of sharing the impact of our services with the wider community and helping to build lasting relationships with our supporters.

As a mum to a young daughter, I have a personal appreciation for the importance of keeping families close while they must travel far from home for their child medical treatment.

Every conversation, donation, and act of kindness makes a difference—and I’m proud to be a part of a team that makes that possible every day.

Head Injury Southland Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit organisation providing free, personalised support to individuals affected by head injuries, along with their family/whānau and carers. Serving the southern region from Queenstown to Stewart Island, we deliver advocacy, education, and community outreach to help people access rehabilitation, reduce isolation, and build inclusive support networks. Because everyone deserves the chance to thrive after injury.

Miranda Kennedy and Michelle Burgess ( Head Injury Southland Charitable Trust)

James McNamee is the Managing Director of Garston Hops, a hop-growing venture based on his family’s fifth-generation sheep farm in Northern Southland. In a region not traditionally known for hops, Garston Hops is producing distinctive, high-quality aroma hops shaped by Garston’s unique alpine terroir. With deep roots in the land and a passion for innovation, James has helped transform part of the farm into a thriving hop garden, blending tradition with bold diversification. Garston Hops is a testament to what’s possible when heritage, vision, and place come together.

Gavin Evans is the founder of LUG South, a charitable trust and officially recognized Registered LEGO® User Group (RLUG) since 2015. Under Gavin’s leadership, LUG South, has become a community, working together for results greater than the individual. 

Gavin’s mission goes far beyond bricks. With a passion for community,  LUG South has a powerful purpose: using LEGO® events to raise funds for children facing medical challenges across Southland and Otago. Through engaging public exhibitions and creative collaborations, Gavin has helped transform a hobby into a force for good.

A proud descendant of Ngāti Maniapoto, Gavin traces his ancestry to Te Kanawa, a signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi.

In 2022, he was honored as a Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Medallist for his community work.

As an Ambassador to the LEGO® Group, Gavin mentors new ambassadors—his “brickmates”—across the globe, with a special focus on the Oceania region.

Gavin will share the story of LUG South, their latest community collaboration project with the MRI scanner, some highlights from his LEGO® connections 2025 holiday.  Gavin lives and works locally, has 4 adult children, and 1 grandchild.

Want to know more about LUG South ahead of Gavin’s talk – visit https://www.lug-south.org.nz/

Passionate about making a difference, Pauline founded K9 Medical Detection NZ (K9MD) with a vision to revolutionise early disease detection using highly trained medical alert dogs. 

K9MD’s work is to harness the extraordinary power of canine scent detection to support life-saving research and improve health outcomes for New Zealanders. 

The work at K9MD is a collaboration between medical professionals, researchers, and exceptional detection dogs, aiming to develop non-invasive, accurate, and early detection methods for diseases such as cancer.

When she's not working as a solicitor, Liz Henry, KSM, is busy being a community multitasker—splitting her time between parkrun fun, Age Concern initiatives, MacHen Gardens creativity, and the lively energy of Comic Book Day. She's all about connection, wellbeing, and adding a bit of playfulness to Invercargill life. Liz will give a light-hearted glimpse into what keeps her happily busy.