Rural Communities Receive Wellbeing Boost
The Government has announced its support for 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund.
The centrepiece is a one-of-a-kind exhibit featuring the signatures of New Zealand Test wicketkeepers since Ken Wadsworth’s passing in 1976.
Proceeds will help I Am Hope deliver free counselling for under-25s and expand school-based programmes that normalise tough emotions and teach practical ways to ask for help.
Ken Wadsworth played 33 consecutive Tests, effected 96 dismissals, and scored more than a thousand runs.
He struck the winning runs in New Zealand’s first-ever Test victory over Australia at Lancaster Park in 1974 and was the first wicketkeeper to score an ODI century. He died in Nelson on 19 August 1976, aged 29.
Beyond the boundary, Ken consistently gave back to young people. After returning from tours he would visit schools, donating his gear and, more importantly, his time.
He spoke about opening an academy in Nelson so emerging players had a place to hone their skills. That spirit of service to youth is exactly what this fundraiser seeks to carry forward.
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Jayna Wadsworth says the project is about giving back, echoing the support her family received after her father’s death.
“In August 1976 after Dad’s passing, the Ken Wadsworth Testimonial Fund was set up to help Mum and me," she says. "People gave what they could — kids donated pocket money; teams held fundraisers. Reading about that kindness later in life stayed with me. Now I want to give back, the way people gave so generously to me.”
Mike King, founder of I Am Hope, says the fundraiser turns sporting history into practical help for young people.
“Ken gave New Zealand a lot to cheer for; Jayna is turning that legacy into action," King says.
"Every dollar from this auction becomes time in a room with a counsellor or a straight-talking session in a school. That’s how you change the trajectory of a young life — one honest conversation at a time.”
The auction’s signed-exhibit theme reflects the continuity and resilience of New Zealand wicketkeeping across generations, linking a father’s legacy with a daughter’s commitment to the wellbeing of today’s young New Zealanders.
To take a look at the auction and bidding information, visit https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/sports-memorabilia/cricket/listing/5614566319
