
Our Team
Audrey Shepherd (Trustee, Property Manager)
I have been a member of PNCBC for many years and am a retiree with some experience of rental properties. I see my role with AHT as a way to show a little of God's love to the refugee community.
Anne Cleland (Trustee)
I am a nurse but in my spare time over the last few years I have enjoyed helping Kevin renovate some houses. We began to feel that God wanted to use our housing renovating/real-estate knowledge and people skills, for His purposes. We did the Red Cross volunteer training course, and before we knew it we were in boots and all, assisting in the setup of this Trust to provide good rental homes for refugees.
Kevin Cleland (Trustee)
I like adding value to properties, taking a property that is unloved and making it a home. Along the way I have learnt (and still learning) some ways to negotiate the real-estate market. I do this for my day job and I am really enjoying applying these skills to our work on the Agapanthus Housing Trust. Seeing the families focus on settling into Palmerston North and knowing that they are better able to do this from a starting point of living in a nice solid and warm home is very satisfying.
Keith Aitken (Trustee)
When I heard Margie speak about her God inspired vision regarding refugee housing I immediately sensed that this exciting new concept would galvanize people in our church communities in Palmerston North.
After 44 years working as a hospital based health provider including short term missionary work in Africa, and enjoying PNCBC Eldership for 10 years, past Trustee of Te Aroha Noa (10 years), Health Minister appointee for NZ Registration Board for 3 years, I felt God’s calling when the call from the Agapanthus Housing Trust for more Trustees. I hope to use some of my governance experience to help in housing refugees in Palmerston North.
Margaret Rollinson (Committee Secretary)
I have been involved with people from other cultures most of my life so understand some of the difficulties that new immigrants to NZ experience. I was always interested in what AHT was doing and regularly visited the family that moved into the Trusts first home. I became a committee member in September 2018 and assist with the administration of the Trust.
Alessia James (Committee Treasurer)
I joined the AHT team in 2020. I have worked in finance since 2003 and felt I could offer my skills in this area when the call was made for the trust Treasurer. I remember Margie sharing her “agapanthus” vision a few years prior, and I felt a strong sense that the vision would come to fruition. I am privileged to be on this team.