Laurie Knight - Secretary

Kia ora,

I’m Laurie. I’m keen to get involved and help grow the Nelson Women's Centre so that more women can benefit from the services and programmes it provides. 

Jan Henderson

Welcome, I’m Jan (née Riggir).

I am so proud to be asked to take up this role for the Nelson Women’s Centre. 

I grew up in Nelson going to Enner Glynn Primary, Nelson Intermediate, and Nelson College for Girls.

My family life was spent in Christchurch and my eyes were opened to the possibilities of ‘women power’ at the National Women's Convention held in Christchurch in the 70’s. It was a turning point for me. The possibilities I could see were endless!

In Christchurch I spent many years in the dental industry plus volunteering for Red Cross, Christchurch Women's Refuge, Christchurch Arts Centre. On relocating to Nelson, Save the Children Committee and Kai Rescue took my interest.

I am a committed mother and grandmother and would like to see Nelson Women's Centre continue to grow to support lives of all women to be brave to face change and to help lighten the tunnel of darkness that many of us feel in our lives at different times.

Clare Fairbrother

Kia ora koutou, I'm Clare. I originally hail from Timaru and have lived in sunny Whakatū for the last 10 years. I live with my partner and our several pets. Since learning about feminism in my teens I have been passionate about talking with others about equity and equality. 

I trained as a social worker when I moved here and want to support people to have access to the resources, they need to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. I previously worked for Q-Youth and would love to see a wider range of rainbow folks - particularly trans women, non-binary and takatāpui people feeling like the Women's Centre is a place where they can feel safe and drop in for a cuppa. The Women's Centre offers so many different things and my goal is awhi the centre to continue to grow and be fully utilised within our local community.

Liz van Beek

Hi Ladies, I’m Liz,

Whilst at primary school in the 80’s I saw a poster proclaiming “girls can do anything” with pictures of women hanging off the words in various work uniforms from builders to Drs, I thought what a silly poster, ‘Of course girls can do anything, why do we need to be told this’. Perhaps the poster wasn’t directed at us after all...

Having spent 20 years as an international adventure guide, I retrained in Holistic Health and now operate my own business. My main focus is menopause health, and with this I share the passion of our Governance Committee peers and staff to educate, inspire and nurture The Nelson Women’s Centre and all those that utilize it’s wide range of opportunities. 

Caitlin Chapman

I’ve recently returned to my hometown of Nelson after working as an art researcher in the UK and then re-training as a midwife in Wellington.

I absolutely love being back in Nelson, getting outdoors with my dog, and enjoying the incredible food and wine of the region.

Getting involved with the Nelson Women’s Centre is a continuation of the passion I have for women’s health and wellbeing, and I am extremely happy to give any support I can to the incredible work the Centre does for the community. 

Angela Tait

My name is Angela Tait. In 2020 I moved from Auckland and settled here in Nelson with my husband.

My passion has been education. I have spent many years in classrooms across NZ, and in recent years working in Specialist Education. 

Last year I joined the Nelson Women’s Centre (NWC) as I believe it to be a wonderful resource for the women in our community, supporting them in realizing their potential.