The former chairman of Volunteer South says he left the charity believing it had a “strong future” and secure funding ahead. Andrew Whiley said he was “blindsided” by the actions of the current Volunteer South board, which last week announced the organisation was on the verge of collapse. Mr Whiley said he and the previous board had worked hard to ensure the organisation was left in a strong financial position. “We believed [it] had a strong future. “It was therefore with great shock, sadness and disappointment that we learned the current board is considering options, including the possible winding up of Volunteer South.” Volunteer South is a charitable trust supporting volunteers and community organisations across Dunedin, coastal Otago, Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes and Southland. The previous board resigned in May, leaving a new board to examine the accounts. But that board discovered the organisation’s financial position was “considerably more difficult than previously understood”, to the point where it was considering winding up the organisation. Staff were give notice their positions would be disestablished. Mr Whiley, who was chairman of the board from November 2019 to May this year, said he only became aware of the organisation’s situation last week. He had not been advised of any concerns raised by its current board or auditor until then. “As a result, I was completely blindsided by both the announcement and the actions being taken by the current Volunteer South board.” He sent the Otago Daily Times a stakeholder update, dated May 29, which said Volunteer South’s funding was secured for the next 12 months. The restructure was undertaken so Volunteer South could be fit for the future. The outgoing board “was pleased to be handing over the reins to the incoming board, with the organisation in good heart, with passionate [and experienced] staff and a secure pipeline of funding”, Mr Whiley said. While chairman, he maintained regular contact with funders and ensured Volunteer South delivered on the outcomes expected of it. The funding environment had become “exceptionally challenging” for not-for-profit organisations, charities and community groups. “As funding became increasingly constrained, we made difficult decisions to reduce services and staffing so that we could continue delivering our core community programmes while operating within budget.” Accounts seen by the ODT showed the staff budget increased from about $176,000 in 2020 to $329,000 last year. While income for the charity grew, it did not make up for increases in costs. It ran deficits in the past two years: about $31,000 in 2025 and about $21,000 in 2024. The auditor’s commentary in its 2025 report expressed concern about the trust’s viability. Mr Whiley said he was not aware of what discussions the new board had been having with funders, but was “extremely comfortable” with the funding requirements that were in place and the ability for Volunteer South to deliver on the services that were being funded. “Throughout our time in governance, the previous board and I always acted in the best interests of Volunteer South, its dedicated staff, volunteers and the communities we served across the southern region. “We were committed to ensuring the organisation remained financially sustainable while continuing to deliver high-quality services.” The Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Dunedin City Council were prominent donors to Volunteer South over the years. A spokesman for QLDC said it was sad about the present situation. QLDC approved a three-year grant for Volunteer South from its Community Fund 2024-27. The first two years of the grant have been paid out — $9000 each year — for the purpose of supporting operational costs for the ongoing development of programmes that connect volunteers to organisations. “We will follow the conditions set out in the funding agreement and connect with Volunteer South to better understand its current issues, and whether it has used the QLDC funds allocated. “QLDC staff have worked with Volunteer South for many years on various community projects. “Volunteer South is a long-standing and respected community organisation, and it’s disappointing to learn these valuable services may be lost to our region.” Dunedin City Council declined to comment, while Central Lakes Trust, another major donor, said they would respond on Monday. matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz
