Meet our team

  • Caroline Budge

    MANAGER

    Caroline loves leading the ACNT team, and helping to make the region a great place to age. She is particularly passionate about promoting social connections and working in collaboration with the wider community.

    In her spare time she likes to keep fit with mountain biking and going to the gym.

  • Kate Miller

    ELDER ABUSE RESPONSE ADVISOR

    Kate joined our team in 2022 bringing a wealth of skills and experience as a nurse and manager in the health sector. She works alongside Tanya and Roger, as well as supporting people living in self-neglect situations.

  • Susan Arrowsmith

    VISITOR SERVICE AND CARER RELIEF CO-ORDINATOR

    Susan does a wonderful job overseeing our matching services, and has a knack of putting the right people together, ensuring long-standing friendships. A qualified Social Worker, Susan has also done her supervision training.

    In her spare time she enjoys gardening and spending time with whanau.

  • Joleen McEvoy

    VISITOR SERVICE AND CARER RELIEF SUPPORT

    Joleen works alongside Susan running the visitor service, and is also a Social Worker. She enjoys solving problems and going out of her way to help older adults needing some support.

    She loves gardening and being creative.

  • Jackie McIntyre

    COMMUNITY SUPPORT CO-ORDINATOR

    Jackie’s role is working at a community level to ensure older people maintain their independence. She runs all our Older Driver workshops, as well as Care & Repair, and brings her upbeat sense of humour to the role.

    Jackie is an avid biker, surf skier and loves getting out in the hills with her dogs.

  • Marnie Brown

    SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AND PROJECTS

    Marnie is a people person, and loves creating opportunities to bring people together. She oversees all our social connection activities and events, including supporting Wellby, a social connection project we run with Volunteer Nelson.

    Marnie is another keep-fit team member and enjoys running and rowing.

  • Liz Gillespie

    OFFICE MANAGER

    Liz joined us in late 2022 and provides a welcoming face to our Richmond Office as well as keeping the office running smoothly. She has been involved in community organisations and charities since 2005 as an employee but has done voluntary work for most of her life.

  • Megan Cole

    NELSON OFFICE CO-ORDINATOR

    Megan joined the Age Concern Team in January 2023 in a new role of Nelson Office Co-Ordinator. She provides a friendly welcoming face at our Nelson office and co-ordinates all our Nelson based activities.

  • Tanya Charles

    MOTUEKA OFFICE ELDER ABUSE RESPONSE ADVISOR

    Tanya comes to us with a wealth of experience as a police officer in south-west England, and more recently as a nurse, having done her training when she moved to New Zealand four years ago. She has been working most recently at Alexandra Hospital as a nurse supporting older adults with mental health issues.

  • Roger Miller

    ELDER ABUSE RESPONSE ADVISOR

    Roger is a highly experienced health professional with over 40 years as a registered nurse in a wide range of settings, including mental health and health of older people.

Board of Governance

  • Emeritus Professor Bevan Grant – Chair

  • Lester Oakes – Vice Chair

  • Lynley Lee – Secretary/Treasurer

  • Archdeacon Emeritus Te Hawe Harvey Ruru, QSM – Kaumātua

  • Ken Scoltock - Member

  • Betty van Rooyen - Member

  • Chris Allison - Member

Strategic Plan 2025-2028