Otago, we need you.

The Southland Charity Hospital is calling on members of Otago communities to lend their support to its cause. While it is named after the region in which its idea formed – the hospital is part of the legacy left by Winton man Blair Vining, who lost his epic battle with bowel cancer in late 2019 – the Southland Charity Hospital will serve the people of both Southland and Otago.

Southland Charity Hospital board member and wife of Mr Vining, Melissa Vining, says once operational the hospital will provide healthcare for those living throughout the Southern District Health Board Zone.

“The Southland Charity Hospital will be available for everybody south of the Waitaki River. We desperately need the help of our Otago-based brothers and sisters to get behind the Southland Charity Hospital. Our hospital is going to benefit all of us,” she says.

The Southland Charity Hospital is in the midst of a fundraising drive, encouraging the public to ‘Buy A Brick’ with proceeds donated to the hospital. The Buy A Brick campaign – which will culminate in Buy A Brick Day on 31 July – asks the public to purchase an engraved supporter’s brick, which will form the pathway from the hospital’s carpark to its building, or a commemorative plaque, which will be placed in Blair’s Garden on-site.

However, about 75 percent of supporter’s brick sales so far had come from people identified as living in the Southland region – while less than 10 percent so far had been purchased by people living in Otago, Vining says.

“Whether somebody hails from Dunedin, Oamaru, Alexandra, Stewart Island Rakiura, or Owaka, they will be able to call on the Southland Charity Hospital to meet the gaps in healthcare access that impact all of our communities.”

The Southland Charity Hospital is initially aiming to reach the $1 million mark in donations. If it achieves this goal, it could begin physical work on the hospital as soon as 1 August.

“We’ve reached the halfway point so far – and we’re hoping that, if the people of Otago jump on board, we can begin work on our hospital sooner rather than later. The sooner we reach that $1 million mark, the sooner we can start helping the people of the Otago and Southland communities,” Vining says.

Founded by the community, for the community, the Southland Charity Hospital is entirely reliant on the generosity of the public – and the call for additional support from the Otago region has now been issued.

“We will not receive any Government funding,” Vining says. “That means it is absolutely crucial our communities support our cause. Without that community support, we will be unable to fulfil our goal of providing diagnosis and treatment to the members of our community who are currently unable to access healthcare through either the public or private health systems.”

Fortunately, it is not too late to register for Buy A Brick Day. The event encourages schools, workplaces and organisations around New Zealand to hold a Casual Friday event on 31 July, with participants asked to dress in the Blair Vining Sports Foundation colours of red, white and black in exchange for a donation. Proceeds are then to be collected by each organisation, which is then asked to purchase a supporter’s brick.

To register and find out more, visit the Southland Charity Hospital Facebook page here.

Blair Vining reckoned if everybody in the south bought a brick, together we could build a hospital.

So, we’re going to do just that.

Buy a Brick Day

On Friday 31 July, 2020, the Southland Charity Hospital want to see schools and businesses across New Zealand hold a Casual Friday in support of his legacy, on the first-ever Buy a Brick Day. The public is encouraged to don red, white and black (the colours of the Blair Vining Sports Foundation) to raise funds at their school or workplace, which can then be used to purchase supporter’s bricks as a method of donating much-needed funds to the Southland Charity Hospital.

The hospital will provide access to healthcare to those living in Southland and Otago, who would otherwise be unable to access treatment through the private or public systems.

Blair’s wife, and Southland Charity Hospital board member, Melissa Vining says the campaign is crucial in obtaining the funding required to get the Southland Charity Hospital operational as soon as possible.

“Up and down New Zealand, people have supported Blair and his fight for equitable healthcare since day one. I can’t put into words how much that support has meant to our family. Because of the countless Kiwis who have backed Blair’s calls for an end to the postcode lottery, his dream of creating the Southland Charity Hospital is becoming a reality,” she says.

“The generosity of New Zealanders keen to back this cause has blown us away. We already have $500,000 sitting in the bank in donations – and, if we raise another $500,000, we could start working on the hospital build as soon as 1 August. The sooner we start working on the building, the sooner we can start admitting patients who desperately need our help.”

“Every little bit helps, and we’re calling on Kiwis – whether they live here in the deep south or not – to please reach into their pockets, dig out a little bit of loose change, and help us make Blair’s vision a reality,” Vining says.

Register for Buy a Brick Day

What are supporter’s bricks?

Supporter’s bricks will be available to purchase online at www.buyabrick.co.nz

For a donation of $100, each brick can be engraved with up to two lines of 16 characters each.

This is your way to support the Southland Charity Hospital, and our way to forever recognise the generosity of the people who have backed us.

(Cost to purchase a brick inclusive of engraving. Wording of your choice.)

Get involved in Buy a Brick 2020

  • Organise a Casual Friday (with everybody instructed to wear red, white and black, the colours of the Blair Vining Sports Foundation) at your school or workplace on July 31, 2020
  • Rattle the tin: ask that everybody who takes part in your Casual Friday to chip in so that together you can purchase a supporter’s brick (or three!)
  • Share on social media: we’re on Facebook and Instagram – and we’d love to see what you get up to. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #buyabrick
  • Tell your mates. The Southland Charity Hospital will be accessible to everybody in Southland and Otago, but we’re hoping our friends and family further north get behind our cause too

Buy a Brick: other ways you can contribute

As well as its supporter’s bricks, the Southland Charity Hospital will also offer the public the opportunity to purchase a commemorative plaque in exchange for a donation.

For a donation of $500, these commemorative plaques will serve as a lasting tribute to supporters of the Southland Charity Hospital. The commemorative plaques will be situated in Blair’s Garden, to be created on-site at the Southland Charity Hospital premises. Plaques, like supporter’s bricks, will also be available to purchase online.

Visit www.buyabrick.co.nz for more.

By the community – for the community: that’s the ethos behind the Southland Charity Hospital, which is excited and privileged to announce that Boyd Wilson has volunteered to serve in the vital role of development manager.

Southland Charity Hospital trustee Melissa Vining, wife of the late Blair Vining – whose tireless campaign for better cancer care for all Kiwis attracted plenty of support – says she is thrilled to announce that Boyd, of Bonisch Consultants, has come on board with the project. Boyd’s involvement with the project as it progresses through the building phase of establishing the Southland Charity Hospital was “huge”.

“When you start working on a project like the Southland Charity Hospital, you desperately want a safe pair of hands – and Boyd is the safest pair of hands we could have dreamed of,” she says.

“His expertise has already been invaluable and the fact that he has offered to carry on providing the Southland Charity Hospital with his services is just mind-blowing. This project completely relies on the support of people here in the deep south of New Zealand and his generosity and willingness to be part of what we want to achieve is tremendous.”

Wilson says he is hopeful the hospital could be opened by the end of 2021.

The project needed about $1 million in funding before it could start the build and had so far raised about half of that.

“All going well, with the tail wind continuing the way it has so far with this project and the public continuing to support it, I’m hopeful by the end of next year we could be cutting the ribbon. I think it’s doable, and we’ll certainly be trying to make that happen,” he says.

Concept plans for the Southland Charity Hospital have been released to the public
to mark Blair Vining’s 40th birthday

Southland Charity Hospital concept plans released on Blair Vining’s 40th birthday

On Wednesday May 13, 2020, Blair Vining should have been celebrating his 40th birthday.

The day before New Zealand emerges from Level 3 of its COVID-19 response, the Vining family’s tribute to their husband and father is particularly poignant.

Why? Because Blair’s legacy, the development of the Southland Charity Hospital, has leapt several paces closer to becoming a reality.

The Southland Charity Hospital project, propelled into existence during Blair Vining’s epic fight and tireless campaign to ensure all Kiwis have equal access to cancer care, has become ever more tangible, thanks to the release of its much-anticipated concept plans.

Managed by Boyd Wilson and the team at Invercargill-based Bonisch Consultants, the concept plans for the Southland Charity Hospital are an incredible way for the family to honour Blair on his birthday, his wife Melissa Vining says. Blair lost his battle with bowel cancer in October 2019.

“Marking what would have been Blair’s milestone birthday this year is fraught with sadness,” Melissa says.

“It’s incredibly tough to have this big, special day that should have been full of celebration, and should have been an opportunity for our family to look towards the next stage of our lives together, now looming without Blair here.

“It’s particularly difficult because of the global crisis we are in with COVID-19, which means we are unable to share this day with our support network of friends and family. Our daughters, Della-May and Lilly, and I are full of gratitude for everybody who has worked so hard to get the Southland Charity Hospital to the point it is now at today. Seeing Blair’s dream start to become a reality means so much to us this year. These concept drawings are a reminder of everything Blair fought for, and they make this project feel much more real.”

The public lent a huge source of support to Blair in his campaign for an end to the “postcode lottery” and his battle to ensure all New Zealanders were able to access adequate cancer treatment, she says.

“Seeing Blair’s dreams one step closer to reality of course reduced me to tears. It’s a reminder of everything he dedicated his life to, and the people who put their hands up to help him. Seeing the logos designed by Phil and the team at Back9 Creative, all the details like the operating theatre and recovery room, the whanau room – all the things Blair dreamed of, in pictures in front of our eyes, brings the girls and I so much joy.

“When I see the concept drawings of the hospital, I see all the love and support of the Southland community. That’s what brought it to life.”

The project was buoyed by the generosity of the ILT, which gifted a building and land package to the Southland Charity Hospital in February.

Boyd Wilson, of Bonisch Consultants, led the preparation of the concept drawings.

“The building gifted by ILT really was a fantastic blank canvas for the Southland Charity Hospital project, and it’s a gift that has really given the project a huge head-start in terms of actually coming to fruition,” he says.

Steps undertaken to date had included assessing the site suitability of a handful of potential buildings for the hospital, meeting with Dr Phil Bagshaw of the Canterbury Charity Hospital to discuss requirements for the facility in the south, and working with the team to develop the concept plans. Next steps would include the preparation of the resource consent application, as well as developing detailed design plans, he says.

The concept for the hospital had paid particular attention to creating a multi-purpose facility designed with the future in mind: for instance, the operating theatre has been designed to the same standard and size as a full-scale operating theatre that could be used for more intensive surgeries, rather than the exploratory procedures the Southland Charity Hospital intends to initially perform. Provision has also been made for a dental suite.

“The needs of the hospital next year may not be the same needs it has in 10 years, so it was vital that we developed a building that would evolve alongside the needs of the community,” Wilson says.

It was pleasing to be able to present the concept plans to not only the Southland Charity Hospital Trust but to the Vining family, he says.

“The plans are more than words, they’re more than talk – it’s the next step, and it’s becoming more real.”

The Southland Charity Hospital is an enduring legacy to Blair. At his memorial service, a farewell video from Blair made clear how much the hospital’s development meant to him (video attached). After bidding “sayonara people”, Blair urged Kiwis to support the project.

“These things are going to save lives, and it’s really important to me,” he said.



GPs throughout the Southern District Health Board zone – from south of the Waitaki River – are being urged to make use of the Southland Charity Hospital’s referral system for diagnostic colonoscopy services.

The news comes shortly after New Zealand Cancer Society medical director, Dr Christopher Jackson, told the Epidemic Response Committee that 400 Kiwis may lose their lives due to the lack of diagnostic testing during Levels 3 and 4 of New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown.

“That is predictable, that is measurable, that is identifiable, that is foreseeable and is something we can and we must avoid.”

Dr Jackson said based on UK research, it was predicted if there was a three-month average delay in diagnosis and management of cancer, 400 lives would be lost in New Zealand.

“There are cancer types such as oesophageal, gastric cancer, liver, pancreas and colon cancer where delays in the management of cancer do result in measurable and immediate reductions in survival. If we don’t do these colonoscopies, endoscopies, biopsies and scans, lives will be lost,” Jackson told the committee.

However, the Southland Charity Hospital has collaborated with Southern Cross to access its Invercargill-based hospital to provide colonoscopies to those that meet the SCH criteria almost immediately. Medical staff will volunteer their time and expertise to perform the colonoscopy procedure for patients, while Southern Cross has agreed to donate its facilities to the cause.



An ‘unbelievably generous’ donation from ILT will ensure more people will be able to live happy and healthy lives alongside their families.

The mission of the Southland Charity Hospital has been given a major boost with ILT donating a building and land package.

The Clifton Club Inn will be repurposed and transformed into the Southland Charity Hospital. The process is expected to take several months and a date for this project to be completed is currently unknown.

The building is in close proximity to Southland Hospital.

Southland Charity Hospital Trust chairman Dr Murray Pfeiffer said the generosity of ILT could not be understated.

“This is an unbelievably generous gift to the people of the south, and will ensure more members of our community are able to access vital health treatment they need,” he said.

“The Southland Charity Hospital would have conceivably needed to raise in excess of two million dollars in donations to build or buy a location suitable for its needs. The trust has instead substantially catapulted the Southland Charity Hospital forward, which means we will be able to provide treatment to our community far sooner than we would have otherwise been able.”

ILT chairman Alan Dennis said the organisation had been committed to supporting the charity hospital since its inception.

“This decision will save lives. That’s an incredibly powerful thing,” he said.

“We are for our community and that’s been the driving force over the past few months as we’ve investigated ways for ILT to provide a meaningful impact.

“We’re immensely proud this will enable the hospital project to reach its operational targets much sooner than initially envisioned.”

Chief executive Chris Ramsay confirmed discussions had taken place with staff at the Clifton Inn and all would be reassigned roles at other ILT establishments.

“We were always motivated to find a way to make a significant contribution to such a worthy project. Once we reviewed the best future use of the Clifton it became clear this would be a fantastic way for this asset to benefit our community,” he said.

The Southland Charity Hospital Trust was established in 2019 following Winton man Blair Vining’s highly-publicised journey navigating New Zealand’s health system. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2018 Blair was told he had weeks to live, but chronic under-resourcing of the health service in his region meant he was unlikely to see a specialist before cancer took his life. He and his wife Melissa worked tirelessly to reform the system and make access to cancer care equitable for all Kiwis.

One of Blair’s greatest legacies is the formation of the Southland Charity Hospital. The hospital was founded by the community, for the community. When established it will provide free services to those in the southern community who cannot access care from the public or private health systems.

Melissa Vining said she was “blown away” by the generous support of ILT.

“I was in tears the whole way from Invercargill to Winton. It’s just such an incredible gift for the people of our community and makes me so proud of where I come from,” she said.

“I just don’t think something like this would have happened anywhere else in the country. Southlanders are renowned for supporting those who need it, but I never could have imagined an organisation doing what ILT has just done. It’s indescribable.”

It was not the first time an ILT establishment had been converted into the community asset – 10 years ago Don Lodge became the Enrich@ILT educational facility for students with outstanding academic or creative ability.

Initially the Southland Charity Hospital will provide colonoscopies with the intention to expand the services it provides in time. The Southland Charity Hospital is modelled on the successful Canterbury Charity Hospital, which has helped thousands of patients since its inception in 2007.

Advisor to the board of the Southland Charity Hospital Trust, Dr Phil Bagshaw from the Canterbury Charity Hospital, was equally stunned at the generosity of ILT.

“I knew that, when the decision to form the Southland Charity Hospital Trust was made, the people of Southland would throw their weight behind such a worthy cause. However, I never could have predicted the speed with which this project would move,” he said.

“The hospital is now even closer to becoming a reality, and that is thanks to the support of ILT.”

The Southland Charity Hospital will not receive any Government funding. It will rely solely on donations, grants and the generosity of the wider community keen to help southerners in need. Patients of the Southland Charity Hospital will come from the Southern District Health Board zone: this covers both the Southland and Otago regions.

Its workforce will be made up of medical professionals donating their time and expertise to the cause. In addition to the expertise of medical professionals, many people in the community will be required to help with progressing the hospital.

Tradespeople able to assist with repurposing the Southland Charity Hospital’s building are urgently required. Those who are able to assist can get in touch with the board here

The trustees elected to the Southland Charity Hospital Board are:

Dr Murray Pfeiffer (Chair)

Neil McAra

Melissa Vining

Janet Copeland

Roger Wandless

Chris Menzies

Advisor to the Board: Dr Phil Bagshaw

For further information, please contact Southland Charity Hospital communications manager Alana Dixon-Calder on 027 7428 817.

Southland cancer care advocate Blair Vining was full of positivity and light until the end: and his final farewell will be held in the same fashion.

A memorial service for Blair will be held on Wednesday. Those planning to attend are asked to wear their favourite rugby jersey in honour of one of Blair’s enduring passions. While Blair originally wanted his final send-off to be held at Bill Richardson Transport World, it has been decided this is not possible due to space constraints. The significant public interest in his campaign for better access to cancer treatment for all Kiwis means a large crowd is expected to attend. However, the family wish to recreate the same atmosphere as during Blair’s farewell party, held earlier this year in Bill’s Shed, Blair’s wife Melissa Vining says.

“This is not a funeral, it is a celebration of life,” she says.

“We want to pay tribute to Blair the way he would have wanted. We want to create a room full of love and positivity, to celebrate the life of a legend.”

Blair passed away on Friday morning, almost a year after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bowel cancer and told he had mere weeks to live.

Because of chronic under-resourcing in his region, he was unlikely to see a specialist before the cancer took his life.

Instead of succumbing to negativity the father-of-two began a tireless campaign to reform cancer care throughout the country, in a bid to make access to treatment equitable for all New Zealanders. He and Melissa worked tirelessly to make access to cancer care more equal for all Kiwis, presenting a petition of more than 140,000 signatures to set up a national cancer agency to Parliament.

As a direct result of his campaigning, the Government announced its Cancer Action Plan. The plan included a pledge for an extra $60 million to Pharmac to fund cancer medicines, the establishment of a Cancer Control Agency, and the appointment of a national director of cancer control. Blair and Melissa also drove discussions about the need for a charitable hospital in Southland.

Media who wish to attend the service are respectfully asked to register their interest by emailing Alana Dixon-Calder (alana.dixon-calder@transportworld.co.nz). A dedicated area for media in attendance will be provided to ensure the service is as discreet and non-invasive as possible for family and friends.

Service details:

When: 11.30am, Wednesday 16 October

Where: ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill

Wear: A rugby jersey in honour of Blair

For further information please contact Alana Dixon-Calder: alana.dixon-calder@transportworld.co.nz or 027 621 9751

Father-of-two Blair Vining, the Winton man who tirelessly campaigned for the reform of cancer treatment throughout New Zealand, has passed away.

Blair’s wife Melissa and their two daughters, Della-May and Lilly, will miss him immensely. They are exceptionally proud that the man they will continue to love forever left the world a better place.

To people up and down the country, Blair Vining was an extraordinary man: turning his own tragedy into a battle to ensure better cancer care for all New Zealanders.

But to those who knew him, Blair Vining is extraordinary for different reasons. He was a loving father, husband, dedicated coach and loyal mate, the South Island’s biggest Chiefs supporter, the Midlands rugby club’s most-capped player and its youngest life member.

He remained courageous and positive despite staggering odds.

He was the epitome of a humble Southland man who enjoyed the simple things in life, like farming and rugby, thrust into the spotlight when he discovered the inequitable situation many southerners like him found themselves in, following his 2018 cancer diagnosis.

When his cancer was diagnosed, Blair was told he had mere weeks to live. Because of chronic under-resourcing in his region, he was unlikely to see a specialist before the cancer took his life.

It became his personal mission to see reform to the way cancer is treated throughout New Zealand. He and his wife Melissa worked tirelessly to make access to cancer care more equal for all Kiwis, presenting a petition of more than 140,000 signatures to set up a national cancer agency to Parliament.

As a direct result of his campaigning, the Government announced its Cancer Action Plan. The plan included a pledge for an extra $60 million to Pharmac to fund cancer medicines, the establishment of a Cancer Control Agency, and the appointment of a national director of cancer control. Blair and Melissa also drove discussions about the need for a charitable hospital in Southland.

He and Melissa renewed their vows, he played one last epic game of rugby in front of a crowd of 4500 people (the game won Southland Sporting Moment of the year), and set up the Blair Vining Sports Foundation to help local athletes reach their sporting potential. He held a “final farewell” attended by more than 650 people, he tirelessly fundraised to send his beloved Central Southland First XV rugby team, which he coached, on a pre-season trip to Australia. He proudly watched elder daughter Della-May represent nationally for the Aotearoa Maori Netball Team and achieve her goal to become a Steel training partner, and he and Lilly shared a dance together at his vow renewal ceremony – a bittersweet moment that both wished would have been shared at her wedding.

He was also recently announced as a nominee for New Zealander of the Year.

The fact Blair managed to tick off so many ‘bucket list’ items while fighting an aggressive form of bowel cancer is testament to his grit and desire to live life to the fullest, while it remained within his grasp.

Blair Vining was 39 years old.

Details regarding an opportunity for the public to take part in a memorial service will be released at a later time.