Our Story
Lionel Brierly, a retired engineer from Rotorua, recalled how he had received financial assistance to help him during his tertiary studies in Auckland. That assistance took the form of a taxi fare to enable Lionel, who had a physical disability, to get to lectures on time. He had never forgotten what a difference it made to his life, and undertook to help others in a similar way.
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In 1985 he formed a Trust, the Jubilee Trust, generously gifting shares in listed companies as foundation capital. His wish was for the Trust to distribute the income from the investments to young physically disabled people to help them navigate their way through their lives, adapt to their environments, and to help them and their families negotiate the challenges they face.
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He also wanted to "encourage and stimulate public interest in the desirability of creating a better developed environment for humans generally and for physically disabled people in particular" *.
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Lionel Brierly passed away in 2003 and bequeathed another substantial amount of money to the Jubilee Trust. By this time the Trust had diligently invested Lionel's first gift, and his bequest allowed it to make further investments and produce more income for distribution to physically disabled individuals, their families, communities, organisations who support physically disabled people in their education, sport, personal development, and general wellbeing.
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Today the Trust, a registered charity in New Zealand**, has nine Trustees who contribute their broad experience and professional skills to both oversee the Trust's investment portfolio and seek out recipients of our grants and donations.
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Annually we make grants to around 150 individuals and organisations, assisting with anything from taxi rides to swimming lessons, equipment for the home, technology devices, education fees, and much more.
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We also have a long history of donating to world class clinical (and now also social) research in areas that have been chosen as having a good chance of improving outcomes.
* A purpose of the Trust as set out in our original Trust Deed ** Registered Charity No CC24951