Ō Mātou Kaupapa
Our Initiatives
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world? People, people, people!
Mā te Mahi Ka Whakahoutanga
Creating Change Through Action
The Āwhinatia Charitable Trust is committed to transforming the healthcare
experience for Māori and other underrepresented communities. Our initiatives focus
on early intervention, health education, advocacy, and systemic change,
ensuring whānau have access to culturally safe and empowering healthcare services.
Sher Your Heart -
Rā Whakamātautau Manawa
Heart Screening Days
Bringing Healthcare to the Community
Sheralyn is affectionately known as Sher.
Our flagship initiative, Sher Your Heart, is a series of whānau-friendly, community-led cardiovascular screening days.
These events create a culturally safe space where individuals can receive free heart health assessments, education, and support without the barriers often faced in traditional healthcare settings.
Ō Mātou Koha What We Offer
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Cardiovascular Screenings – Identifying risk factors associated with blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
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Whānau-Centred Approach – Encouraging collective well-being with support for entire families.
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Kai and Connection – Sharing food as a way to foster whakawhanaungatanga (relationship-building) and community engagement.
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Health Education – Providing practical knowledge to empower individuals to take charge of their cardiovascular health.
Sher Your Voice -
Tautohe i te Pūnaha
Challenge the System
Advocating for 24/7 Catheterisation Labs
in New Zealand
Calling on New Zealand governments to fund healthcare according to the needs of people, not political expedience.
Healthcare inequities continue to harm Māori and other marginalised communities.
Sher Your Voice is our initiative to drive change by sharing key moments from Sheralyn’s story to inspire others to speak up about their own experiences with healthcare inequity.
Ō Mātou Whāinga Our Goals
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Raise Awareness – Share people's experiences that highlight systemic barriers in healthcare.
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Mobilise Support – Encourage individuals and communities to advocate for policy changes that will routinely open and resource catheterisation labs 24/7 for all patients who need this service in New Zealand.
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Amplify Voices – Gather personal testimonies from whānau who have faced similar challenges to build a collective case for urgent reform.
We believe that by sharing our voices together, we can challenge the system
and ensure life-saving treatments are available when they are needed most.
Every initiative we run is inspired by Sheralyn’s fight for equity and her belief in
collective action. Together, we can create a future where healthcare is equitable, accessible, culturally safe, and empowering for all.
Get involved, support our initiatives, or attend an event—your participation
helps drive the change we all deserve.