FairView Charter

What we are:

We are a for-purpose organisation, established to deliver social, cultural and environmental benefit to the community.

1. Preamble

FairView Farm exists to enrich our community through sustainable enterprise, celebrating local heritage, fostering creativity, supporting wellbeing, and creating opportunities for people to connect with one another and the land. We aim to boost community wellbeing, leveraging our Founder's PhD, to promote health and wellness. We reinvest profits to provide community programmes to boost social and environmental wellbeing.

2. Purpose

  • To strengthen personal and community connection with nature, self and others.
  • To create social, cultural and environmental benefit.
  • To operate commercially in ways that support long-term community outcomes.
  • To celebrate our local landscapes, food, arts and heritage.
  • To encourage education, agritourism and regional development.

3. Vision

To become a recognised destination where enterprise, nature, creativity and community flourish together.

4. Mission

  • Develop sustainable visitor experiences.
  • Host community festivals and events.
  • Support local artists and producers.
  • Encourage volunteering through events such as tree planting, pest control and gardening.
  • Use ticketed events and the sale of lavender and farm-based products to fund our social and environmental activities.
  • Reinvest profits into community initiatives.

5. Values

  • Kaitiakitanga – we care for the land, promote biodiversity and create a resilient farm for the future
  • Community – we practice inclusion in all we offer
  • Enterprise – we generate sustainable income to fund our social and environmental activities
  • Culture – we demonstrate integrity, collaboration, and innovation

6. Guiding Principles

  • Community benefit comes before private gain.
  • Decisions consider future generations.
  • We support local producers wherever practical.
  • We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds.
  • We respect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and work in partnership where appropriate.
  • We operate transparently.
  • We encourage participation and volunteering.
  • We work towards environmental regeneration.

7. Community Commitments

  • Provide opportunities for community participation e.g. allow use of the farm by local groups, promote volunteering and employment for those who face barriers to work.
  • Encourage lifelong learning e.g. through educational workshops.
  • Support local artists and performers.
  • Showcase local producers e.g. by selling their products through the farm shop.
  • Create and run accessible events e.g. offer a mix of affordable and free events during the year, with wheelchair and stroller-accessible access to key areas of the farm and gardens.
  • Foster wellbeing and social connection e.g. by including multigenerational, multicultural and inclusive activities.

8. Enterprise Principles

  • We reinvest profits to provide community programmes to boost social and environmental wellbeing.
  • Commercial activities exist to strengthen FairView Farm's purpose. Financial sustainability enables greater community impact.
  • We will earn income ethically and maintain financial resilience.
  • We will balance economic, environmental and social outcomes.

9. Governance Principles

  • We ensure accountability, transparency, diversity of skills, ethical leadership, good financial stewardship, conflict-of-interest management, and evidence-based decision making.

10. Measuring Success

  • Visitor numbers – we aim to attract 2,000 people per year.
  • Volunteer participation – we aim to attract 50 volunteers per year.
  • Community satisfaction – we aim for 100% satisfaction, measured through annual visitor survey.
  • Environmental improvements – we aim to reduce plant and animal pest numbers and increase visible birdlife year on year.
  • Educational programmes delivered – we aim to deliver 5 educational programmes per year.
  • Local economic contribution – we will make our produce available at wholesale prices to local retailers.
  • Financial sustainability – we will operate to achieve financial sustainability.

11. Legacy Statement

We seek to leave our community feeling happy, connected and more resilient than when we opened.

12. How do we do it?

Our day-to-day operations include ticketed open garden and open farm events. Income also comes from the production and sale of lavender and related herbal and lifestyle products. These activities enable us to offer free community days, subsidised activity days, educational activities such as wellness-based workshops, kids' activities and programmes.

An annual fundraiser, The Lavender Festival, will become our main fundraising event. Bringing community together, it will showcase connection, local produce, local talent and the local environment.