Celebrating 25 years of ShelterBox

From Rotary roots to global reach,

Rotarians from across New Zealand gathered in Wellington to celebrate 25 years of ShelterBox, honouring its remarkable global impact and reaffirming Rotary’s enduring commitment to disaster relief and humanitarian service.

All five New Zealand district governors, and 100 or so Rotarians and partners from around New Zealand, gathered at Government House in Wellington last November to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of ShelterBox.

Also present were members of the founding New Zealand ShelterBox Board, representing the mighty Rotary Club of Mosgiel, the current Board and ShelterBox Australia CEO Mike Greenslade.

The Gala dinner was hosted by the Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, ex-Governor-General of New Zealand, and dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Wellington. Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General and Patron of ShelterBox New Zealand, was called away to make the dash to Antarctica at short notice.

“It was a brilliant night and a wonderful celebration,” said District 9940 Governor Carol Green. “A welcome reflection on just what Rotarians are capable of. ShelterBox, after all, began as a Rotary Millenium Project, kicked off by five friends from the Helston-Lizard Club in Cornwall, UK. It’s an example we can all take heart from.”

ShelterBox is now a global movement that has helped more than two million people made homeless in the aftermath of disasters, and is a project partner with Rotary International. Via this partnership, Rotary works directly with ShelterBox to share contacts and knowledge on regional disasters and Rotarians frequently work alongside ShelterBox teams to distribute emergency shelter aid.

“The Gala Dinner was an opportunity to catch-up on the ShelterBox story which, I must say, includes some deeply moving and uplifting examples of humanitarian endeavour,” said Carol. Rotarians across the world support ShelterBox in many vital ways, from raising funds and awareness as well as providing support on the ground during disaster responses.

“We also heard from HRH Queen Camilla, Patron of ShelterBox UK, via pre-recorded video, and from Dame Judi Dench. This very much brought home the importance of the work ShelterBox does and how prominent ShelterBox support is in the UK,” said Carol.

“The full pomp and splendour of the gorgeous Government House and its well drilled team were a wonder to behold. We were very privileged. It was also with some excitement that we announced the inaugural NZ District Governors’ ShelterBox Ambassador program – every year, an early career Rotarian will be selected to travel to Truro, Cornwall, to participate in ShelterBox training. When they return, they will convene and manage a group of Rotarians from across the country to act as a bridge between ShelterBox and NZ Rotary leadership and to keep us abreast on all matters ShelterBox and disaster relief.

“It was a wonderful night, with an exceptional group of people and a truly important service that all Rotarians can be proud of. Our gratitude and appreciation go to Dame Cindy and her excellent team and to Sir Anand.”