Braemar Charitable Trust

30/03/2026

Very excited to share the first in a series of videos that delves into the history of Braemar Hospital as it marks its 100th year in 2026. This first one looks at the origin of the hospital itself and its brave and pioneering founder Sister Frances Young.

24/03/2026

We're excited to share we've been named the New Zealand Trust of the Year for 2025 by the New Zealand Trustees Association.

The judges of the award noted our dedication to improving community health outcomes and enabling capability-building in the Waikato region's health sector. We're proud to share this award alongside the wonderful specialists and anaesthetists who donate their time and skills so readily, and to all the health and community support providers we have the privilege of working alongside every day.

The New Zealand Trustees Association was established in 1995 and provides its 1400+ members with education, resources and support on anything to do with trusteeships in Aotearoa New Zealand.

18/03/2026

We wanted to tread very carefully with this story from one of our recent Community Surgery Programme patients. Not because she didn't feel like she could share her story with us, but rather we knew it would show how devastating it can be when a seemingly straightforward health issue can result in a complex effect on someone's physical and mental wellbeing.

A healthcare worker for 12 years, Jane (not her real name), was no stranger to helping people, but when a workplace accident in 2020 left her unable to walk, help would prove very hard to come by.

After undergoing back surgery, Jane experienced chronic, severe pain and a series of further accidents that left her needing to battle with health and support providers to get the help she needed.

After years of constant 'nos,' Jane's mental wellbeing declined significantly. This only worsened following an accident at home, where she severely damaged her teeth during a fall.

She needed extensive dental work, which on top of the daily pain she was managing, was a significant burden. She started spending more time alone, staying home and avoiding people - too self-conscious to show anyone her teeth.

A chance email to Braemar Charitable Trust by a community support provider would start to turn the tide for Jane, and you can read all about what happened next for Jane here 👇

A healthcare worker for 12 years, Jane Smith* (not her real name) was no stranger to helping people, but when a workplace accident in 2020 left her unable to walk, help would prove hard to come by.Jan

17/03/2026

We've had the privilege of supporting two Hauora Days recently - one in Taumarunui, another in Tokoroa, and we're gearing up for one more in Te Kuiti next week.

If you didn't know, Hauora Days are fantastic community events in regional areas that focus on promoting health and wellbeing across a large number of people at once.

We've been involved in several Hauora Days, enabling patients to access specialist appointments or procedures they have been waiting for in the community in a way that suits them and their whānau.

On Saturday, Chair Vicky McLennan and Trust Manager Paula Baker headed to Tokoroa to lend a hand and experience the buzz for themselves. They were joined by general and colorectal surgeon Ralph van Dalen (pictured with Paula in-clinic), who volunteered his time and skill to see 12 patients throughout the day. In just a few hours, of these 12 patients, 10 were taken off of the public waiting list for specialist referral. Incredible!

This is innovative healthcare in action - and an area we are wholeheartedly committed to. We're constantly working on how we can enable initiatives to address areas of significant need, including patients on waiting lists for various procedures.

A very big thanks to Ralph and to the organisers and volunteers who are so crucial in making days like these happen.

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.