Andrée Talbot, a leader, volunteer and honorary life member of Plunket sadly passed away in 2019. Throughout her more than 20 years’ service with Plunket, Andrée created a legacy that we are forever grateful for.
Andrée started her Plunket journey as a volunteer at the Devonport clinic in 1996, after having her first baby. From there, she moved into leadership positions, eventually sitting on the Board. Thanks to her legal background, Andrée was able to help Plunket transition to a charitable trust, and also oversaw the Electronic Health record project – core changes that have helped build the Plunket of today.
Before passing away from breast cancer in 2019, Andrée showed her love and connection to Plunket yet again. This time, by way of setting up the generous Andrée Talbot Fellowship. This fund gives amazing professional development opportunities to our crucial Community Services kaimahi across the motu. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, 11 of our Community Services leaders have been able to complete professional development courses and conferences through the Fellowship. This has helped our staff to better manage our incredible volunteers, who provide such valuable support with playgroups, coffee groups, in-home support, and other important community activities.
In July, Clare Green, Community Services Manager, caught up with the Talbot whānau in Takapuna, Auckland. She shared the news with Andrée’s husband, Brent, daughter, Evie and son, Frank, of the incredible impact that the Fellowship has had over the last four years. In one instance, the fund has meant that Clare herself could attend a two-day conference in Melbourne, Australia, where she learnt about best-practice for volunteers, and has since been able to better engage and recognise our invaluable Plunket volunteers.
Evie, now a doctor, remembers sitting in the back of her mum’s car, visiting many Plunket clinics. She also remembers Andrée’s motivation for becoming a Plunket volunteer as a young mum, “She told me that she realised she needed more adult interaction when she found herself singing the Wiggles in the shower one day!”
Frank, a music teacher, doesn’t remember the early days when his mum took him to Plunket conferences, but he believes he may have been the ‘poster child’ for Plunket for a few years. He says, “I think she set up the Fellowship knowing how hard it is to recruit and retain loyal volunteers, especially as pressures on families grow, with many mums going back to work earlier than they used to.”
We thank the Talbot family for their support as we continue to share Andrée’s passion and love for Plunket through her Fellowship. This fund has an incredible impact on our kaimahi and volunteers, and the ripple effect will help tamariki and their parents for years to come.