Hospice Whanganui was honoured to receive a beautiful handmade quilt from the Rural Women NZ – Fordell/Mangamahu Group as part of the group’s centenary celebrations earlier this year.
Created for Hospice Whanganui’s Rural Women NZ Room, the quilt represents more than craftsmanship – it reflects decades of connection, generosity, and community support.
The presentation acknowledged a long-standing relationship between Rural Women NZ and Hospice Whanganui that stretches back many years.
For some background, the Wanganui Provincial Rural Women NZ organisation – originally made up of 10 branches – fundraised to purchase a property on Wicksteed Street in 1964. The home became a valued community hub for many local groups over the years.
When the property was sold in the mid-1980s, proceeds from the sale included a $20,000 donation to Hospice Whanganui, helping support one of the organisation’s newly constructed rooms at the time.
That support did not end there.
Since then, Rural Women NZ has continued to support Hospice Whanganui through ongoing annual donations and community connection, a relationship that remains deeply appreciated today.
The newly gifted quilt now becomes part of that story.
Carefully handcrafted and rich with colour and meaning, it will hold a special place within the Rural Women NZ Room and serves as a lasting reminder of the many people and organisations who continue to walk alongside Hospice Whanganui in support of local patients and whānau.
Hospice Whanganui would like to sincerely thank the Rural Women NZ – Fordell/Mangamahu Group for this thoughtful and meaningful gift, and for the aroha and support they have shown our organisation across generations.
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