About Us

Michael E. Richards, BA, MA, Dip. Accounting with Xero.

Tēnā koe! I am passionate about building strong local communities and have spent most of the past two decades working for not-for-profit organisations in a variety of roles.

I have served on a number of different committees and trust boards, including the following organisations:

  • Six years as treasurer of Christchurch Community House Te Whakaruruhau ki Ōtautahi Trust

  • Three years as treasurer of Redcliffs Public Library Incorporated, raising around $200,000 towards the village library rebuilding during that time.

  • Founding trustee of Lyttelton Community House Trust

  • Founding treasurer of Smith Street Community Farm Trust.

  • I briefly served at the treasurer of Woolston Development Project Incorporated before the then manager announced her retirement and I applied for the job.

In my paid employment I have worked for Woolston Development Project Incorporated as Kaiwhakahaere / Manager for the past five years and for the previous twelve years I worked as community development worker/team leader for Sumner Bays Union Trust.

In 2005 I carried out a social needs assessment of the low-income community of Linwood on behalf of St Chad’s Anglican Church, Parish of Linwood.

In 2006 I wrote the history of Linwood Resource Centre, which was ten years old at that stage.

In 2008 I carried out a social needs assessment of Lyttelton on behalf of the Sumner Redcliffs Lyttelton Union Parish. This led to the establishment of Lyttelton Community House Trust.

I have been involved in establishing the following community projects:

  • Redcliffs Community Shed (2011/12)

  • Sumner Community Gardens (2009)

  • The Linwood College project – where I was part of the team who brought the largest community consultation together for the school prior to it being rebuilt and rebranded as Te Aratai College (2016)

  • Lyttelton Community House (2008)

  • The transition of Smith Street Community Gardens into Smith Street Community Farm with a new standalone charitable trust (2023)

  • The Bays Area Older Persons’ Project (2017)

Sumner Bays Union Trust was established in 2008 in order for the mahi I was doing at that time to actually be consolidated into a permanent presence in Sumner and Redcliffs.

At Woolston Development Project I led the staff team through significant cultural change, including moving to a much healthier staff culture and beginning the process of embedding Te Ao Māori into the organisation’s day to day life. Part of my early work at WDP involved transitioning the organisation from legacy hard copy accounting ledgers and wage books to cloud-based accounting and payroll systems, and more recently rolling out a digital enrolment and booking system for their OSCAR programmes. During my time at WDP I learnt a considerable amount about working with highly neurodivergent and/or traumatised tamariki and supporting parents/caregivers and staff alike to deal with concerning behaviours in a non-punitive compassionate manner.

Outside work I enjoy spending time with friends and my furry companions Hayley (cat) and Mick (dog). I love to learn and read a wide range of books and articles, and I am attempting to write yet another mystery novel.