MEET THE BOARD
The governance team
DR SUE BAGSHAW
Founder & Trustee
STEVE LANGLEY
Board Chair
DARYLE DEERING
Trustee
Dr Sue Bagshaw (BSc (Hons) MB BS FRACShM, FRNZCGP (Hon), DNZM, is a Senior Lecturer in adolescent health in the department of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine, in addition to being an educator with the Collaborative Trust, which she helped to establish in 2003. She works as a primary care doctor specialising in youth health at a one stop shop (YOSS) community youth health centre for youth 10-24 years old. She is working with others to set up a Youth Hub of services, recreation, creativity and transition housing. Sue has worked with young people both nationally and internationally for 40 years. She has 4 adult children and 7 mokopuna.
Steve Langley MA (Hons), Dip Tchg. has promoted positive youth development as an English teacher in a variety of High Schools and specialist education settings including DSW residential schools, teen parent units, and a men’s prison.
He has been a Principal in three different special schools, a lecturer in teacher training, spent 20 years as part-time counsellor on the AlcoholDrugHelpline, and 13 years as editor of “English in Aotearoa” – the national journal for English teachers.
Steve has presented workshops on HIV-AIDS education, behaviour management, the DARE programme, Alcohol/Drug Education, and on Listening Skills.
Now a Grandpa, musician, and editor he is keen to support positive mental health in young people, especially by encouraging them to write about their experience.
Daryle Deering (RN PhD ONZM) has extensive therapeutic, management and leadership experience in the mental health field; in the areas of youth, family and addiction, mental health nursing, service and workforce development, teachng and research.
She had an academic/clinical role for 20 years at the National Addiction Centre, University of Otago, Christchurch.
Daryle has worked in private practice, inclusive of providing professional/clinical supervision and a service to rangatahi with substance use and related issues.
She is impressed at the strength of the voice of rangatahi calling for urgent measures to mitigate the damage to our planet and a changed way of living that incorporates care for our planet and for all living creatures.
PAUL MCGIRR
Treasurer
ANGELA BLAND
Trustee
SARAH MATTHEWS
Trustee
Paul McGirr (Treasurer) has had involvement in the Not-for-Profit sector for many years starting with Board membership for the local school where his 3 boys attended from the start of Tomorrow's Schools.
He is also currently on the Boards of two other entities involved with youth development and young adults in Canterbury. Paul worked in the education sector and was a chartered accountant.
Angela Bland: PhD (Education), MA (TESOL), GradDip TchgLn is currently involved in the professional development of educators across the motu with UniServices, University of Auckland. As an educator, she has worked in the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. For ten years, she was a middle leader as a Head of Department of English as an Additional Language and teacher in a secondary school in Ōtautahi. A particular focus for her was working with and supporting Pasifika languages. Angela sits on another Board which supports youth with intellectual disabilities to experience the outdoors. She is currently finishing her Executive Masters in Business Administration in 2024 and continuing her te Reo Māori growth.
Sarah is in her third year of psychology at the University of Canterbury. She is extremely passionate about all aspects of mental health. With personal experience in the child and youth mental health system, Sarah has seen the gaps in this area and wants to make a difference; make a change for the sector in the future.
In her spare time she plays handball and spends lots of time being active. Sarah also writes, listens to music, and is hoping to move into clinical psychology in the future.
MICHAEL HERMAN
Trustee
MEL GRAHAM
Trustee
PIP MEHRTENS
Secretary
Michael is the Fundraising & Communications Manager at Christchurch Methodist Mission and have lived in Ōtautahi for 21 years. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, most of his professional life here and abroad has been spent in leadership roles in the media, publishing and community sectors on initiatives that give a voice to the vulnerable and that help address suffering and the consequences of inequality. These organisations have included Te Puawaitanga ki Ōtautahi Trust, Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Trust, Creation Arts Space, Petersgate Counselling Centre, and The eARThquake Therapy Initiative. He has served on the Trust Boards for Hagley Community College, Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society Canterbury, 198 Youth Health Trust, Lyttelton Arts Council, and the Lyttelton Youth Council.
Mel (she/they) is a full-time student in her second year of study at the University of Canterbury. She hopes to use her studies to continue working with tamariki and rangatahi in the future, as she is passionate about advocating for young people. This year Mel will also be working as a live-in Residential Assistant for students entering their first year of university study, as well as providing swimming lessons to children two days a week.
Her interests are English, politics, and philosophy, and hobbies include board gaming and trumpet playing.
Pip Mehrtens is a business consultant for small and micro-businesses, both start-ups and established businesses. As The Generalist she helps start-ups test ideas for financial viability and helps established business owners move forward by acting as a sounding board for ideas and challenges, helping with strategy and growth planning, and running 1-on-1 business and marketing planning workshops. She also provides a range of business operational services such as building websites, business research, marketing, digital transformation, and administration. Pip is currently doing this for a number of Not-For-Profits.
Acting as The Collaborative Trust's Business Manager and Board Secretary, she is the main point of contact for anything operational, including workshop bookings and research requests.
MIKE TAMATI
Advisor to the Board
PHILIP SIATAGA
Advisor to the Board
Mike Tamati: M.Ed. (Leadership), Dip. TchLn (Social Science), B.A. (Political Science), CertPsycCouns. Mike is a teacher of Social Science, History and English at an all boy’s state school in Christchurch. Previously, he has worked in corporate management at a US global manufacturing company, been a national manager for a German fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) corporate and been the owner/director of a New Zealand based hospitality and restaurant franchise. He has been involved with youth in Auckland and Christchurch through rugby coaching whilst undertaking these roles, seeking to utilise his experience as a professional rugby player in New Zealand and abroad. An advocate of relationships over data, Mike encourages youth to tell their story so that a context is given, and structures can be engineered that are cognisant of their needs, issues, and concerns.
Phil has served on several NGOs over the past 35 years in the health and social service sector, including 15 years in variety of roles with Therapeutic Community rehabilitation programmes. He is counsellor specialising in the mental heath and addiction field, and is the research & workforce development manager for Mapu Maia a National Pasifika heath provider He is a member and the Alcohol Harm Reduction Steering group (Te Whatu Ora). Philip is also Director of Belonging ltd, a research consultancy company. He is dedicated to supporting initiatives that build more inclusive communities He is the proud father of 2 wonderful daughters.