Generosity News - June 2026
Published on 25 June, 2026
John Luxton’s legacy supports Māori into agriculture
The late John Luxton from Waitoa, who passed away in 2021, was a successful and accomplished dairy farmer, businessman, company director, international agricultural development consultant and Government Minister.
Following his wishes, John’s family wanted to focus his legacy on manifesting his respect for Māori and his desire to open doors for them into agriculture and other primary industries, so that ultimately everyone prospers. They have now set up the John Luxton Legacy Fund at Momentum Waikato to realise this vision.
"The Luxton family's decision to establish the John Luxton Legacy Fund with Momentum Waikato Community Foundation will help ensure John's enduring contribution to New Zealand and the agricultural sector will continue for future generations," says Janice Lapwood, Endowments General Manager, Momentum Waikato Community Foundation.
Above: Hon. Tama Potaka (right), the Minister of Māori Development, presents Richard Luxton, John's son, with a pou during the launch of the John Luxton Legacy Fund at the Fieldays Luncheon, Wednesday 10 June 2026.
"It is a privilege to steward and grow this endowment, honouring the values that defined John's life – leadership, service and a commitment to people."
Donations to the John Luxton Legacy Fund are invited from anyone who also wishes to provide scholarships and other support for members of Waikato Tainui and Hauraki iwi to access education and training in agriculture and other primary industries.
Mary Scholtens, John’s wife, has penned the following biography to tell the story of John’s life, and how his experiences and vision shaped the mission of his Legacy Fund.
PAN goes to the Theatre
Our Professional Advisors Network (‘PAN’) recently came together for a special event that began with a behind-the-scenes tour of the new BNZ Theatre. Standing on the stage, looking out across the beautiful auditorium, and then later watching the awa flow past from the foyer’s floating staircase, was a moving reminder of what generosity can make possible.
Continuing on to our presentation at the Hamilton Hotel, the conversation turned to the future of the Waikato and the meaningful role lawyers, accountants and wealth managers can play in helping their clients shape the legacy they want to leave.
With the baby boomers getting on in age, an increasing amount of family resources are passing from one generation to the next, and more people than ever are thinking deeply about the causes, places and communities they value and want to support with their legacies. Through Momentum Waikato, that generosity can be cared for, grown and shared for lasting local impact.
Are you a lawyer, accountant or wealth manager?
If you would like to be invited to our next Professional Advisors Network event, and/or would like to have a cuppa to learn how you can help your clients build legacies that support the Waikato, please contact Pamela Storey, our PAN Manager – pamela@momentumwaikato.nz or 027 494 2515.
Together, we can help build a stronger future for the Waikato — one generous gift, one thoughtful conversation and one enduring legacy at a time.
‘For the fun of it’ - Emporium founder sets up arts creativity fund for city school children
ABOVE: Momentum Waikato deputy chairwoman Dame Susan Hassall, Momentum Waikato endowments general manager Janice Lapwood, D Lloyds’ Art Fund benefactor David Lloyd, and Momentum Waikato trustee Joan Forret, at the signing of the fund’s ‘deed of gift’ at Lloyd's home in Hamilton Lake on Wednesday.
He’s possibly best known for establishing a store that for decades has helped many Hamilton youngsters find material for their school art projects.
Now David Lloyd is taking that role one step further with the establishment of a philanthropic fund that will help supply the city’s schools with money to foster their pupils’ creativity.
Managed by Momentum Waikato, the D Lloyds' Art Fund is named after both David and his son Dax, who died last year in Sydney following a cardiac arrest.
But before he gets into the specifics of explaining why he is doing what he is doing, there is one thing Lloyd wants to make clear:
“The apostrophe in the fund’s name comes after the S. That’s because it’s for Dax as well as myself. I realise the placement of that apostrophe is going to wind people up, but that’s tradition. I did leave the apostrophe out of Davids Emporium and that drove some people mad.”
It would be fair to say Lloyd, 83, has long been known for his cheeky sense of humour. He is also well known as an arts patron, and since he was 60 he has been making grants to Waikato schools to support their arts programmes.
Read more of this Waikato Times story on Momentum site.
Waikato Women’s Fund backs engineers of the future
Support from the Waikato Women’s Fund giving circle has opened the door to an engineering career for dozens of young wāhine.
Te Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering at the University of Waikato invited 30 female year-twelve-and-thirteen high school students to its first-ever ‘SheENG’, a free three-day vocational event held in January.
A 2025 grant from the Waikato Women’s Fund at Momentum Waikato Community Foundation covered transport costs for every student that needed it, with the rest helping to pay for food and accommodation for all the attendees.
Janine Williams, School Manager School of Engineering, says SheENG was a huge success, with some “phenomenal and incredibly rewarding” feedback received from the teens.
“While our goal is to promote engineering at Waikato, the underlying effort is to generally encourage young women into ‘STEM’ – Science Technology Engineering Maths – and foster ongoing relationships and build a wider network of women considering going into STEM study at tertiary level,” says Janine.
An Asset for the Region
By Margaret Wilson, Chair, Momentum Waikato.
The campaign for the NZ Graduate School of Medicine revives memories of 36 years ago when Te Piringa Faculty of Law opened at The University of Waikato as the country’s fifth law school.
While the circumstances differ, concerns raised now echo those back then around the Law School - will the graduates practice their profession in the Waikato?
Such local educational opportunities were not available for my legal studies in the 1960s. I had to go to The University of Auckland, and although my fees were paid, it was still a financial stretch for my family.
I never imagined when I graduated in 1970 that I would be the founding Dean of Waikato’s Law School in 1990, a role which made me conscious of how important access to a university education is to people across the region.
The fact the Law School in its first year attracted over 1000 applications for less than 200 places demonstrated that need. Many of those who enrolled then were ‘mature students’ from the Waikato, a cohort the new Medical School is now aiming to attract.
