Helena Francis
| Personal Bio Helena Francis is Wayne Francis’ daughter, and family representative on the board of Trustees. Helena says her father had a dry wit about him and assures he is never far from the Trustee’s minds. |  |
“My father was a very trustworthy person and didn’t mince words. He often helped people on a very personal level, and what he did, he did well. He always focused on meeting his obligations.”
“We try and keep with how my father did things – with integrity and fairness. If we’re ever unsure of what to do we often ask ourselves, ‘what would Wayne do?’ and the solutions often appear."
Helena is passionate about providing continuity and learning for youth, believing it requires a positive, proactive approach.
“We’re into big-picture thinking, and promoting generosity is a real starting point if we are to have an impact,” she says of the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust.
“Providing individual grants to young people who have shown a strong ability – whether that be in sport, the arts, or business, is hugely rewarding. But to achieve what we want as a Trust takes more than funding. We’ve got a big responsibility. We want to enable other trusts, organisations and agencies aimed at youth to achieve more by building better relationships.”
Helena is a board member of Philanthropy New Zealand and is also the chairperson of the Life Paths Charitable Trust – established with the support of the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust and aimed at fostering emotional resilience in young people.
Life Paths is the Trust behind the Friends for Life programme, a carefully structured schools-based programme that teaches young people how to solve everyday problems.