A trust, established to support environmental sustainability and water protection, has been wound up following the death of its founding trustee, creating a windfall of funding for local charities and organisations.

Red Bridge River Park Trust trustees Jeromy Van Riel and Pip O’Connell publicly announced the winding up of the Trust in June 2022. Following consultation with the community, decisions on the disbursement of the Trust’s funds have now been decided.

“We tried to make everybody we gifted to diverse and give them enough to give them support and encouragement to do the best they could,” Jeromy said.

“We were proud to be able to support our community.”

Disbursements from the trust totalled $590,000 including $80,000 to the Luggate Community Association, $50,000 to each of the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust and Alpine Community Development Trust, and $40,000 to the Hāwea Food Forest.

The Red Bridge River Park Trust originally hoped to transform a 0.4ha site on the banks of the Clutha River near the Luggate Red Bridge into a focal point for environmental and river conservation education.

Founding trustee Lewis Verduyn-Cassels died in 2019, leaving his vision unrealised and the Trust in debt. Concerned the land would be lost, Jeromy and Pip mortgaged their family home and loaned the trust the money it needed.

The trust faced a series of challenges when accusations of improper management resulted in a Department of Internal Affairs investigation which Jeromy said cleared the trustees of any wrongdoing. Matters were further complicated when it was determined that Lewis did not have a legal will.

Trustees made the difficult decision to sell the land and begin the process of winding down the trust in 2022.

A price of $860,000 was secured for its land in March 2022 and after clearing the loan, sale fees and taxes, the Trust had a substantial surplus for distribution to the community.

“We gave out to all those things we believe in to honour Lewis’s best intention,” Jeromy said.

“It felt really good to give a huge amount to [the Luggate Community Association], it felt really good to be able to support mental health, it felt really good to support community gardens.”

The list of beneficiaries is:

Hāwea Food Forest $40,000

One New Zealand Charitable Trust Board $20,000

Paradise Trust $20,000

Sean Dickey Young Leaders Trust $20,000

Alexandra Miners Village and Riverside Park Trust $20,000

Head Light Trust $20,000

Mint Charitable Trust $10,000

Whakaruruhau Trust $20,000

Wānaka Community Garden $20,000

Kahu Youth Trust $30,000

Mt Aspiring College Foundation $15,000

Upper Clutha Tracks Trust $50,000

Aspiring Biodiversity Trust $10,000

Alpine Community Development Trust $50,000

WAI Wānaka $20,000

Food for Love $20,000

Luggate Community Association Incorporated $80,000

Friends of Bullock Creek Incorporated $20,000

Plastic Bag Free Wānaka Limited $20,000

Te Kakano Aotearoa Trust $20,000

Lake Hāwea Community Centre Incorporated $25,000

Hāwea Flat School PTA $10,000

Canlive Charitable Trust $30,000

PHOTO: Supplied