About Us
The Christchurch Aunties is run by a paid manager at 40 hours per week, and a fantastic team of volunteers. An amazing network of people of all genders and backgrounds contribute to the Christchurch Aunties.
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Founder and Manager
Heather Milne is a photographer, Mum of two, coffee-aficionado, and a huge fan of penguins. She is the founder and manager of The Christchurch Aunties, and has a background in marketing and communications in the not-for-profit and community sectors. When she's not on Christchurch Aunties duty, Heather is taking photographs (with a focus on social change) and exhibiting her work, playing with Lego, or pottering about in the garden.
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Reetah Mitchell, Chairperson
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Reetah Mitchell (Ngāti Kauwhata ki te Tonga and Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is a business owner, mother to two eye rolling teenagers and partner to a very patient husband. She loves romance novels, running, cups of tea, and eating more chocolate biscuits than is advisable for a middle aged woman. Her volunteering experience includes Victim Support and a plethora of her children's school, sport and extra curricular clubs and organisations. Reetah is currently the Leader of the Christchurch branch of Days For Girls - an international organisation that creates and distributes menstrual hygiene kits to girls in developing countries. Her business is a key drop off-point for The Christchurch Aunties.
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Heather Locke, Trustee
Heather Locke is a Senior Community Fundraising Co-ordinator who soapboxes about social justice and environmental issues. She’s also a Yank who likes Halloween way more than is healthy. She’s worked in marketing, publication editing, disaster relief photography, anthropological research and animal welfare charity. Heather L also enjoys penguins … just not as much as Halloween.
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Holly Gibson, Treasurer and Trustee
Holly has worked in operational leadership and HR management roles for the last 18 years and most enjoys work which serves to improve experiences for people in some way, which is why she was drawn the Christchurch Aunties.
Holly loves variety and this has allowed her to obtain a 'jack of all trades' background throughout her career covering everything from people functions to finance, IT and process improvement. A self-confessed foodie and amateur runner, when she is not in the office, she more or less lives in activewear and can be usually spotted bounding through the Port Hills with one of her three labradors. |
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Fiona Archer, Trustee
Fi Archer loves the work she is doing with The Christchurch Aunties. She loves liaising with both the donors of supplies and the recipients. She loves that she can help make lives easier for some people. When she isn’t being an Auntie, Fi enjoys time with her incredibly patient husband and dog, and friends. Her background is in finding solutions to problems and connecting the right people to help with those solutions.
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Sati Ravichandiren, Secretary and Trustee
The resident "Uncle" of the Christchurch Aunties, Sati is a junior solicitor who has just started a career in immigration law. When he's not at his desk at work, or writing up the minutes of the previous Christchurch Aunties meeting, he can usually be found cooking, eating, loudly discussing politics, loudly discussing basketball, trying to play sport, volunteering or doing some unholy combination of the above activities at once. Sati is passionate about helping his community and he has previously been on the Student Volunteer Army Executive and has volunteered with a range of local organisations and university clubs.
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Dr Jacqui Johnson, TrusteeJacqui is firstly a mother to 3 teenage boys and 1 fur baby (a chocolate Labrador), Amongst the beautiful organised chaos of home life, Jacqui recently completed her PhD at the University of Canterbury. Her study “Monitored Mothering”, looked at the experiences of mothers who parented within New Zealand women’s prisons. While continuing her involvement in this area through contributing writing in international publications and podcasts, Jacqui currently works as a Family Violence Response Specialist Social Worker. With a passion for whānau, rangatahi, and tamariki, Jacqui is constantly looking for ways to make a difference. Thankful for the unwavering support of her husband, they enjoy their family times, camping, travelling, biking and snuggled up binge watching complete seasons on Netflix.
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In addition to our Board , we also have independent advisory mentors and a volunteer team.
