A Milestone Moment for our Kaupapa

A new partnership launched between I Have A Dream and Te Whai Hiringa in Flaxmere, Hawkes Bay marks an important milestone in I Have a Dream’s planned growth across the North Island.

Members of the I Have a Dream leadership team joined chair and founder, Scott Gilmour and Acting Tumuaki of partner school Te Kura o Otangarei, Teahiaaria Mills‑Barber, and long-time supporter, John Mangan at the official pōwhiri at the kura on the 1st of April.

This partnership has been anchored by Shane Gorst, who had wanted to bring I Have a Dream to young people in Hawkes Bay since becoming CEO in 2024. Shane spent several years living in Hawke’s Bay, raising his family and holding several management roles in the region as well as serving in the police force. Shane’s deep local connections helped pave the way for the partnership, which reflects the I Have a Dream philosophy of entering a new community through the front door, with openness, collaboration, and a shared commitment to collective impact.

Local iwi, Councilors, community members, and hundreds of whānau turned out for the event, and enjoyed incredible kapa haka, Rarotongan and Sāmoan performances from the students and staff, and a deep sense of manaakitanga that left visitors humbled and inspired.

With Te Whai Hiringa now officially and I Have a Dream partner school, around 250 more Dreamers will be supported. Since its inception in 2003 with the pilot of 50 Dreamers in Mt Roskill, I Have a Dream has already served more than 2,500 Dreamers across three locations: Mt Roskill; our Whangārei centre of excellence, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year; and Upper Hutt, where for the past three years 4 A Better City has partnered with us to deliver the programme at Te Kura o Hau Karetu.

The launch represents the next step in I Have a Dream’s five-year strategy to expand our presence and impact across the North Island, with the long-term goal of supporting 50,000 Dreamers nationwide.

Ahead of the launch, Te Whai Hiringa Navigators Angel Ma’a, Graham Takie and Parematarangi Tuhakaraina‑Wilson spent a week training with our Whangārei Navigator team. This training programme, developed over many years, reflects the strength of our model and the depth of experience that supports successful rollouts in new communities.

When reflecting on why I Have a Dream was the right fit for her kura, Tumuaki Tineka Waitoa Tuala‑Fata explained that Te Whai Hiringa staff invest deeply in knowing each child not only as a learner but as a person. “We work alongside whānau. We build relationships that are enduring. We take a strengths-based approach grounded in culture, identity and belonging.”

She described the arrival of I Have a Dream as something that aligns naturally with the kura’s existing values.

“At Te Whai Hiringa, we are a kura grounded in manaakitanga, where every child is known, held and uplifted. We are a kura built on whanaungatanga, where relationships are not surface level, they are the foundation. And we are a kura driven by māramatanga, where we grow understanding, identity and belief in who our tamariki are.”

For Tineka, the partnership strengthens what is already present.

“What I Have a Dream brings is the ability to extend that model further and sustain it over a longer period of time. It adds depth and continuity in a way that complements what we already do, rather than replacing it. This is not something new being dropped in. This is something that fits, because it reflects who we are.”

She emphasised that the partnership is not simply a programme arriving at the gates, but a commitment to walk alongside the community. “It wraps around our tamariki and their whānau in a way that says we are here, and we are here for the long haul. There is a deep sense of excitement in our community, because this is not about fixing anything. It is about amplifying the brilliance that already exists within our tamariki and walking alongside them as that brilliance unfolds.”

I Have a Dream’s philanthropic philosophy is that we are stewards of investment, not recipients of donation. This ensures that support is understood as a partnership in future outcomes and in building a sustained support system for generations to come. The Trust relies solely on philanthropic funding, sustained by people who believe in our kaupapa. Among them is John Mangan, who joined us at the pōwhiri. He and his partner, Jackie Petter, have a business in the region and have stepped forward as inaugural supporters of the Hawke’s Bay programme, while also continuing their generous support of our Upper Hutt programme.

Our ambition to secure 3.5 million dollars in investment in 2026 reflects both the scale of need and the opportunity to expand into additional communities.

Click the image to read the full story published in Hawke’s Bay Today on 2 April 2026