Our social responsibility

Helping the community

The Public Trust Act 2001 states that one of our key objectives is to be "an organisation that exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the communities in which it operates".

Public Trust was established in 1873 to provide all New Zealanders with independent and reliable trustee services. We look after trustee needs in our communities, and we provide Wills free of charge to those who appoint us to manage their estate.

In addition, Public Trust manages more than 400 charitable trusts and over 30 farms. The charitable trusts generate funding for interests as diverse as science, medicine, disability and agriculture, and the farms include Smedley Station - New Zealand's largest training farm.

Brian Blacktop Award

The Brian Blacktop Award offers Public Trust employees an opportunity to get special paid leave and/or financial assistance to do voluntary work in the community.

The award has been set up to honour the legacy of former Deputy Public Trustee, Brian Blacktop, who worked for Public Trust for almost 48 years and was respected as one of New Zealand's leading authorities on trustee law. He was also known for his strong sense of community values and social responsibility.

This award seeks to foster the spirit of those values in Public Trust by remembering Brian and supporting staff to make a meaningful contribution to the wider New Zealand community.