This week we were most fortunate to listen to two addresses from recent members to the club, Simon Warburton and Fiona Smith. A strong theme to both was a passion for overseas travel and a can-do attitude as each experienced several job opportunities and entrepreneurially used them to future advantage.
Simon is from Manchester originally and he had his first job at 13 with two paper rounds. As a young man he worked on a sheep station in Woggawogga, Australia, and then on construction sites in Sydney and Melbourne. From there Simon travelled to New Zealand and worked in menswear for Crane brothers.
Simon‘s Kiwi partner Elle was keen to do an OE so they went back to Britain for 18 months but one UK winter was enough for Elle and they returned to NZ.!Simon presently has a contract project managing a building complex at Parliament. He and Elle have a character villa in Mount Vic which is turning into a project Home. Simon has varied other interests including squash, golf and part-time DJing.
Fiona was born in Wellington and presently lives in Seaton. She has a very talented and busy 15 year-old daughter. In 2006 Fiona did her OE and subsequently spent six years in London securing her British citizenship then returned to New Zealand and spent time in Taupo. Fiona did a BA in politics at Victoria university and an internship in parliament progressing to work as a policy advisor for the MOE andin parliament.Fiona ended further work in the UK in the NGO sector and spent very fulfilling times working in the London library which is the largest lending a library in existence. This is when Fiona started her career and fundraising.
Returning to New Zealand Fiona did five years working for Arthritis the New Zealand and she has worked with a number of organisations and charities having set up her own fundraising business. Fiona loves travel and particularly mentioned Europe and Mexico as great favourites.