Volunteer Champion

Barbara Annesley returned to government, in a role with the Ministry for the Environment, earlier this month.

This world is a much better place for all the good people who authentically do good. Volunteers especially are often the extended threads in many of our champion stories. They are frequently woven into spaces where funding is constrained and resourcing limited, genuinely helping to make an invaluable difference.

While the talents of volunteers vary, Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective’s space has been graced with a rare find – the quietly spoken yet formidable force, Barbara Annesley, who has volunteered in a Kairangahau: Researcher role for the past six months.

“I believe that a key aspect of leadership is supporting others to succeed. While working in the Child Poverty Unit in the Department of the Prime and Cabinet, I became aware of the extent and impact of food insecurity in New Zealand. I wanted to continue working to address this issue, but also step outside my comfort zone as a career public servant. I’ve been volunteering with Kore Hiakai a couple of days a week since February 2021. It’s been a huge privilege to be embraced by this wonderful organisation, and to contribute to their important mahi.”

During her time at Kore Hiakai, among other projects, Barbara harmonized a suite of academics, researchers and thought-leaders from a range of disciplines, for the on-line event ‘Te Whāngai i ngā Whetū: Feeding the Stars’, to ‘hear and share’ our collective [but dispersed] wisdom about drivers, responses and solutions to food insecurity.

Kore Hiakai is invested in collaborative efforts that gently disrupt food systems in sustainable ways and create more equitable outcomes where everyone has dignified access to enough good food. Whilst we set out to address the root causes of food insecurity, we humbly acknowledge this can only be done through the cooperative efforts of a broad collective. Together our threads make much more of a difference.

“Kore Hiakai was formed to help realise the collective vision of a group of organisations for ‘a food secure Aotearoa’. In this sense, collaboration is woven into the kaupapa - it’s front and centre of how we work together as a team and with our partners, how we engage and connect with others, and in our approach to researching and creating resources.”

See the presenter slides and resources created from the symposium here.

Through giving time, her knowledge of how to navigate Government systems and understanding of policy frameworks, Barbara has invested her research and writing skills into the heart of Kore Hiakai collective’s mahi, contributing to strategy and actions to achieve a food secure Aotearoa. “One of the things I’ve loved most about working with Kore Hiakai has been being part of a team that brings together such rich, diverse and complementary knowledge and skills – I have definitely learned as much as I’ve contributed!”

Kore Hiakai are deeply grateful for the wisdom, clarity, thought-provoking, laughter and joy Barbara’s presence has brought to our whānau. As she transitions back to government from her time as a valued volunteer, we send her with much aroha - and hopefully a little disruption for the system!

Barbara with the Kore Hiakai team, helping with the launch of the Aotearoa Standard Food Parcel Measure.