Ko Tararua te pae maunga Ko Ōhau to awa Ko Waitarere te moana Ko Captain Cook 1955 te waka Ko Ngati Ingarangi te iwi Nō Taitoko ahau Ko Alison Bourn ahau Alison comes from a whānau with an interest in social justice and hard work. Her parents immigrated to Aotearoa in the 1950s and settled in Levin to join her aunt who was living there. Her mother’s side of the family were active in social justice movements, her father’s family were farmers and businesspeople. Having lived in several places in the country, she came from Whanganui to Ōtautahi in 2009 to explore a part of the country she didn’t know well – after an interesting job offer from the public health unit. Alison has a degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Otago, Dunedin, then later earned a post-grad in Management in the Non-Profit Sector from Unitech Auckland. She has worked in central and local government, in health and social sectors, as well as leading community agencies before joining the Trust as General Manager in 2013. Gardening is an important hobby for Alison, as is being outside and walking in the hills. She believes that our wellbeing – both our personal wellbeing and that of our planet – are linked. Her edible garden is also full of flowers and natives to attract the bees. On the weekends, you may find her at the beach with her mokopuna. Alison is passionate about people’s health, fairness, and respect for all. She is motivated by being able to support those who are working directly with clients.
