Our new social impact focus is ambitious – and it needs to be
By 2028, a million New Zealander’s will be 65 or over - almost 20% of our total population. We know that in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau Northland today there are 37,500 seniors currently experiencing significant disadvantage and this number is likely to grow. That’s why The Selwyn Foundation embarked on a transformation process in 2022, selling six of our seven retirement villages, to drive our positive social impact at scale and improve the lives of seniors who are experiencing multiple disadvantage. With an ambitious goal to invest $100 million over the next decade, we have researched and identified five areas where seniors experience the greatest need. These are health vulnerability, financial hardship, housing insecurity, social isolation and loneliness, and access challenges (including transport as well as digital access), as they can lead to further negative impacts on both physical and mental health.
Our first three areas of focus areas where our help can make a substantial difference to those in need are social isolation and loneliness, social housing and hardship support. As part of our expanded social impact, we have launched our inaugural Selwyn Innovation Challenge. We are committed to funding novel solutions and to fostering an innovation eco-system that promotes Respectful Ageing.
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