Braemar Charitable Trust

12/03/2026

Last night we celebrated 100 years of Braemar Hospital by acknowledging its "pioneering and determined" founder, Nursing Sister Frances Young.

A portrait of Young was unveiled to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of the woman who created the foundation Braemar exists upon today.

The portrait, a pastel rendition of one of the only known photographs of Young, is by Waikato-based artist Bernadette Ballantyne and now enjoys pride of place in Braemar Hospital's reception area.

Frances Young was remarkable. She was a single woman with two adopted sons who, in 1926, bought, set up and ran a hospital - no mean feat for the time. It is her commitment to excellence and quality patient care that still stands true today at Braemar Hospital, as well as extending to Braemar Charitable Trust's commitment to improving health outcomes in our community and enhancing healthcare equity and access.

A portrait of Braemar Hospital’s “pioneering and determined” founder has been unveiled in celebration of the Hospital’s 100th anniversary.

07/03/2026

Women make up a significant majority of the healthcare workforce in Aotearoa. Globally, there is an estimated 70% of healthcare roles filled by women, and the vast majority of those are patient-facing.

This we're celebrating the women we are blessed to work alongside every single day. We count our lucky stars to be surrounded by capable, outstanding women who care deeply about improving health outcomes in our communities.

To all the nurses, healthcare assistants, specialists, community health and social support providers, administrators, students, interns, funders, donors, partners and supporters we work with, we see you - and most importantly - thank you for what you do to make the lives of our communities better.

04/03/2026

One of our charitable pillars, and perhaps what we are most well-known for, is facilitating community surgery and health interventions to improve health outcomes in our community.

We do this primarily through our Community Surgery Programme, which enables life-changing procedures for people who have been declined by the public system and have no medical insurance, ACC cover or the financial means to pay privately.

But we also enable patients (particularly those living in remote areas) to access specialist care they may be waiting for in a way that suits them, in their communities, helping reduce the barriers they may face in getting to a main centre for an appointment or procedure.

By supporting specialists to hold clinics in the regions, they can provide timely assessments, advice and management plans that can support ongoing care in the community, helping to reduce health inequities and improve overall outcomes.

And, the specialists we have worked with love heading to the regions to help! They believe wholeheartedly in a patient and whānau-centred approach and always return full of praise for the local healthcare providers and the passion they have for their communities and health outcomes.

23/02/2026

Ever wondered what happens at a Hauora Day? Lucky you, we're about to take you behind the scenes.

Hauora Days are community days, usually in regional or rural areas, that focus on promoting health and wellbeing across many people at once. At these events, you'll find free health checks including (but not limited to) oral health, hearing, immunisations, diabetes and heart checks, skin lesion checks, social support and much more. Adding to the vibes are fun family activities, prizes, and kai - lots of kai.

Braemar Charitable Trust has long been involved in Hauora Days, enabling patients to access specialist care or procedures they've been waiting for in their community.

General and colorectal surgeon Jasen Ly and gastroenterologist Jerry Chin are heading to Taumarunui's Hauora Day - check out why they're excited to head along and what they'll be doing there 👇

Do you know what happens at a Hauora Day? If you don’t, you’ve come to the right place.Hauora Days are community events, typically in regional or rural areas, that focus on promoting health and wellbe

15/02/2026

One of the pillars of our charitable purpose is focused on building capacity and capability in our medical workforce - and when we spot a research project that's not only helping develop a future colleague in the health industry, but is also aimed at addressing healthcare access and equity, well, it's definitely worth a look!

So it was we had to get along to the The University of Waikato's Summer Research Scholarship function to check out Health student Aoife Brosnan's project 'Prevalence and management of endometriosis in general practice - who is referred?' which aimed to research the prevalence of endometriosis in a large GP practice to see how many patients received a specialist diagnosis.

Endometriosis is a common condition affecting about 10% of young women, and delayed diagnosis is a significant issue, with long waiting times to see a specialist in the public system. A referral to a specialist can be a life line for these young women, helping them rule out other issues and start a treatment plan. Well done to Aiofe (pictured here with supervisor Prof. Ross Lawrenson and Braemar Charitable Trust Manager Paula Baker) for taking on this important, significant research!

11/02/2026

At the core of everything we do lies our purpose to improve health outcomes in our communities, and our vision to advance healthcare equity and access.

We do this through the five pillars of our charitable purpose:

🌿 Providing medical facilities and specialised hospital care
🌿 Facilitating community surgery and health interventions
🌿 Promoting collaboration for better health outcomes
🌿 Growing the medical workforce and their knowledge and skills
🌿 Contributing to research that builds medical knowledge and supports our vision

How is this achieved? Through our ownership of Braemar Hospital, our Community Surgery Programme, collaboration with healthcare and community providers, and supporting research that seeks to improve health outcomes in our community.

Ours is a community-centred approach. Listening to the people around us, truly getting to know them and what their health concerns are, means we can help develop health programmes that are responsive to our community's needs and will have a positive impact in the years to come.

It's great to have you on this journey with us!

04/02/2026

Did you know that Braemar Charitable Trust is the 100% shareholder of Braemar Hospital? Braemar is one of New Zealand's leading private surgical hospitals, and our unique ownership model helps us deliver our charitable purpose and vision to improve health outcomes in our community.

We do this primarily through our Community Surgery Programme, drawing on the amazing resources and talent of specialists, clinical and support staff to help those who need it most access free, life-changing surgeries and health interventions.

Since the Trust's inception in 1970, we have helped oversee the hospital's continued growth, which has helped steer the growth of our Community Surgery Programme as we continue to meet the changing health needs of our community.

This year, Braemar Hospital marks its 100th birthday. She's come a long way since its original site on Tainui Street! But the dedication to quality care, patient dignity and clinical excellence remains the same. Here's to the next 100 🎂 🎉

20/01/2026

Last year, we were privileged to provide funding for housing support leader Moses Simpson to complete the CELF Waikato Elevate Leadership Programme. CELF is a unique organisation that works with business and community leaders to grow socially responsible leaders to transform our region for the better.

Moses has been working with youth and vulnerable communities for most of his working life and is passionate about helping young people who are homeless into stable housing, recognising that healthy communities start from having a roof over our head.

Through his work as a stable housing advocate, Moses helped more than 100 rangatahi into long-term housing last year alone.

Moses wanted to level up his leadership to enhance the work he was doing and strengthen its impact on the community. Read all about how he did just that on our website 👇

Massive congratulations to you, Moses!

Braemar Charitable Trust enabled housing support worker Moses Simpson to complete the CELF Waikato Elevate Leadership Programme in 2025.

17/12/2025

The news we all needed as we head into the busy Christmas period - former refugee Husein Omar is pain free and has a dazzling new smile thanks to support from Tui Dental Waikato and Braemar Charitable Trust.

Husein, 46, arrived in Hamilton in early 2025 with his wife and four children after 19 years as a refugee in South Africa, having been forced to leave Somalia.

In that time, his access to dental care had been very limited and he was faced with needing to have all his teeth extracted and replaced with dentures - something that was well beyond his financial means.

Husein was in significant pain and would never smile in social situations because he was so self-conscious.

But, that's all changed and Husein now has a new smile and reclaimed confidence; his wife Halimo says her husband is much happier - and even looks younger! Read about his incredible journey here 👇

A former refugee now living in Hamilton is pain free and has a dazzling smile thanks to support from Braemar Charitable Trust. Husein Omar, 46, arrived in Hamilton in early 2025 with his wife and four children after 19 years as a refugee in South Africa.

11/12/2025

There's nothing better than seeing the future medical workforce in action!

One of the pillars of our charitable purpose is growing the medical workforce and their knowledge and skills. It's a privilege to be able to talk regularly with our communities about their needs, and then reflect that in what we do. Enabling the next generation is a big driver for us, especially in areas that are under-served and have significant unmet health needs.

This is Huria Wharerau (Ngā Puhi, Ngati Tamatera and Ngai Terangi), and she is well on her way to making a difference. She is a recipient of the Braemar Charitable Trust Bachelor of Nursing Scholarship at the University of Waikato and is currently on her four-week placement at Braemar Hospital.

From Paeroa, Huria enrolled in nursing because she felt pulled towards a career caring for others. Also working as a healthcare assistant she sees first-hand the importance of having equitable care that is respectful and uplifting.

Two weeks into her placement, Huria says her eyes have been well and truly opened, and is loving the exposure to theatre nursing in particular.

"It has been an amazing first week! Thank you for this incredible opportunity."

09/12/2025

Fit, healthy, Hamilton butcher Michael Coffey certainly didn't think a workplace accident was on his bingo card for 2025.

The 60 year-old was at work as normal, when he bent to lift a heavy carton and felt a sudden jolt of pain.

Michael tried to walk it off, but the pain persisted - in fact, it got worse. This would go on for months, and after a declined referral for public surgery, Michael couldn't keep soldiering on for much longer.

Thanks to a procedure as part of Braemar Charitable Trust's Community Surgery Day, Michael's back at work and living an active life again, and says he is "overwhelmed with gratitude" for everyone involved in his recovery. Read the full story:

Declined surgery by ACC following a workplace accident, Hamilton butcher Michael Coffey was able to receive treatment through Braemar Charitable Trust's Community Surgery Programme.

03/12/2025

As we get closer to Christmas, we've been enjoying reflecting on some of our partnerships this year and just how truly grateful we are to have them. One of these is the wonderful Clare Foundation, a progressive philanthropic foundation that proactively invests in ways that positively impact our environment, oral health, youth wellbeing and women, to create extraordinary change.

We had a specific initiative in mind when it came to the generous funding we received from Clare: a dental pathway of care that specifically helps those being looked after by women's refuges and refugees.

Through our Community Surgery Programme, we have been able to provide surgeries and health interventions, including extractions, restorations, oral surgery and appliances (plates, dentures, braces and night guards).

Thanks to their funding, in the past year we have been able to:

✨Help 19 women and children affected by family violence with oral health interventions
✨Help 11 former refugees, out of 30 families who settled in Hamilton
✨Raise awareness to 100s of people about our dental pathways of care

Even better, we've been able to forge lasting relationships with other community organisations to help facilitate lasting change, and our focus next year is to continue to advocate for oral health equity through ongoing engagement.

A big, heartfelt thank you to you, Clare Foundation! ♥