Creative ways of giving

You name it and Ian Donaldson can fix it and now he’s turned his hand to mobility scooters and donating the income he makes from it to The Sunrise Foundation.

After many years owning and running Donaldson’s Plumbing with his wife Patrice, Ian finally retired in 2014. He then purchased a small handyman business but he didn’t really enjoy it so he decided to retire again.

Earlier this year he started driving for The Sunshine Bus as a volunteer and it was here he learned about The Sunrise Foundation.
Both Ian and Patrice wanted to give something back to their community and when he saw a job fixing TravelScoot mobility scooters he took it. It was a way he could use his skills and also donate the profits to Sunrise.

“I took the job to keep me busy, not for the income – it keeps me out of mischief,” he says. After learning more about Sunrise’s special interest endowment funds, Ian decided to give to the The Sunshine Bus and the Gisborne Stroke Support Fund. The Gisborne Stroke Support Group was a charity close to his heart. Ian lost both his parents to stroke and appreciated the support the organisation had provided to them.

“I like the fact that the money I give will grow and the organisations will receive interest from the capital which they need to operate. “It’s good to be able to support charities that are here in Gisborne and making a positive difference in people’s lives”. He has a couple of plumbing jobs coming up and wants to donate the income to Sunrise again.

This time he is thinking of supporting The Suicide Prevention Fund which is making a difference to organisations working in this field. Ian said it was a big adjustment when he stopped working and this was a way for him to keep busy and give back. “I am sure there are lots of retirees in a similar position to me who want to feel useful after they retire.

” Fixing mobility scooters and doing the odd plumbing job is Ian’s way but there are lots of creative ways people can give to The Sunrise Foundation.