Good Sorts - Raewyn Francis

Promoting the Waimate Veterinary Centre Whitehorse Big Easy: Ryan Luckman and Raewyn Francis.

Just seeing the satisfaction and pleasure on peoples’ faces is what drives Raewyn Francis (70)  to do volunteer work within the Waimate community.

Raewyn was born in 1951 and grew up in central Taranaki, in what is now known as”The Forgotten Highway”.

She went to a small local primary school and then went to New Plymouth Girls’ High School.

After leaving high school Raewyn moved to Palmerston North and did part time study at Massey University and completed her teacher training at Teachers’ College.

She spent three of her first teaching years in the King Country, then decided with her flatmate to travel to the South Island, ‘look around’  and teach before travelling overseas.

In her travels around the South Island Raewyn ended up in Willowbridge  (in the Waimate District) teaching at the local Primary School, which lasted three years and in that time met and married Raymond Francis.

She took an eight-year break from teaching and had three boys, Malcolm, Andrew, and Geoffrey.

During her break from teaching, she began her volunteering journey and became involved in Plunket NZ for 18 years and the Country Womens’ Institute (CWI) for 40 years.

While volunteering for Plunket  NZ, Raewyn served on the Waimate district branch committee and on various sub-committees.

She said they would help young parents with their babies, fundraise and make sure there were Plunket nurses (mobile Plunket nurses) that would come to the Waimate district.

 As part of the CWI, Raewyn was involved with things like dances, theatre productions and sewing groups for the country women in the Waihaorunga area.

“It was about supporting woman in the country community,” she said.

After eight years away from work Raewyn went back too full-time teaching at Waihao Downs School, where she taught for 20 years, 12 years of which she was principal.

While teaching she became a member of the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), teachers’ union, which she was involved with for 20 years.

Raewyn said being a member of NZEI meant she was there if teachers needed advice.

She also helped set up the Teachers’ Centre, which provided support and resources for the teachers.

“It enabled access to a greater source of material than the smaller schools could supply,” said Raewyn.

In Waimate teachers had to help organise events for the school children.

Through this Raewyn was involved with keeping sports days and music festivals among schools going.

In 2001 Raewyn and her husband Raymond joined the Waimate Rotary Club, which they are still members of.

In being a member of Waimate Rotary Club, she has been involved in fundraising, financing, offering manpower and just being part of the community.

Waimate Rotary Club is involved with things like, supporting groups and individuals in attending further training and sports events further afield, supporting Waimate Centre Care, Waimate School of Music, Christmas in the Square, the Salvation Army foodbank, organising Meals on Wheels and giving out childrens’ books, dictionaries, and books for babies.

She said they are also interested in environmental sustainability and are involved in the planting days at the Waimate Point Bush Eco-Sanctuary and the Waihao Wainono Catchment Community Group.

Raewyn is also the treasurer of the Waimate Big Easy committee, which is a running, walking, and riding fundraiser the Waimate Rotary Club is involved with.

“It will help develop Waimate’s walking, running and mountain bike tracks,” she said.

Raewyn was the first woman President of the Waimate Rotary Club and has just finished three years of being the Assistant Governor for the South Canterbury and North Otago Area.

She said they support the community and do everything and anything they are asked to do.

“When we joined we were encouraged to take all opportunities put in front of us.

“Which I have,” she said.

The Waimate Museum’s Bookarama is another major fundraiser that Raewyn volunteers with and she has been the co-ordinator for the past 10 years.

She said along with Lynn Chave she sorts through books that have been donated during the year and for the month of October her and a team of volunteers help set up the event that runs for six days over Labour weekend.

Rotary District Conference: Raymond Francis, Carolyn Johns, and Raewyn Francis at the Rotary District Conference in Waimate, March 2021.

Being the wife of a Waimate Rotary member, Raewyn became involved with the Waimate Inner Wheel and has been a member for 10 years.

As part of Waimate Inner Wheel she has been involved in things like fundraising and looking after women, young girls, and the elderly within the Waimate District community.

Raewyn said one of the projects she has done through Waimate Inner Wheel is called ‘dress a girl around the world’.

She said Waimate Inner Wheel also support women who have Breast Cancer in South Canterbury by making ‘Silky Pillows’ for surgery care.

In 2007 Raewyn retired from full-time teaching and since then has been able to put a lot of her energy into her volunteering.

She said retiring from full-time teaching when she did, meant she still had the energy to go out and do a lot of things she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do if she had  just retired at retiring age. 

“Volunteering also keeps me fit, able and part of the community”.

“Just the satisfaction of seeing the pleasure you can give people, is the biggest reward I get from being a volunteer,” she said.