House of Travel to partner hospice

September 11 2005

House of Travel to partner hospice

Wellington, September 12, 2005.- NEW ZEALAND'S largest privately-owned travel company plans to help people with terminal illness through a new partnership launched publicly today.

House of Travel has joined forces with Hospice New Zealand in a three-year partnership that will see its 90 outlets adopt the country's 37 hospices to help them both financially and in-kind.

Hospice New Zealand president Dalton Kelly is delighted with the new venture and says House of Travel's in-kind and financial contribution will benefit the hospices and community as a whole.

"This is a partnership that will benefit both parties immensely – for us the time and effort House of Travel staff put into their local hospice will help hospices to continue to provide specialist care to the more than 8000 people who use our services every year.

"And it will ensure our services remain free and accessible to everyone in New Zealand who needs us."

The partnership will see: • House of Travel's 1000 staff given a paid day's leave to volunteer for their local hospice • Newly-created hospice t-shirts which House of Travel staff will wear while working for hospice and in many outlets on casual Fridays • T-shirts sold to the public through House of Travel outlets with $5 from each sale going to the local hospice • Local House of Travel outlets help their hospice to raise funds and awareness of the services hospices provide free to the community on an ongoing basis. All funds raised locally with remain locally • House of Travel reward two hospice volunteers and their partners with an overseas trip in conjunction with Freedom Air • House of Travel provide two scholarships to help hospice staff with exposure to international professional development opportunities in conjunction with Freedom Air • An annual donation to Hospice New Zealand to enable it to continue its work as leader and advocate for hospice palliative care in this country.

House of Travel managing director Chris Paulsen says as a New Zealand company it felt strongly about contributing to the communities within which House of Travel staff live and work in. "The company has really embraced the partnership with Hospice New Zealand. Having researched a dozen charities I have to say we have been incredibly impressed with what hospices throughout the country achieve with limited Government funding. They epitomise the Kiwi can-do attitude, which appealed to us.

"Our research tells us that while many people have heard of hospice they are not sure of exactly what a hospice does, that it is a free service available to anyone and that they are not scary places to visit.

"We felt as a Kiwi company with more than 1000 staff we could play a role in developing a greater awareness of what hospice is and supporting them in whatever capacity they need at a local level from fundraising, to cleaning and gardening – whatever is appropriate.

"I believe it will be a fantastic partnership which for many of us will be life changing in such a positive way. I'm hugely passionate about it."

ENDS

© Scoop Media