The Smiths City Charitable Trust was formed when a group of senior employees decided that the company should become involved in the community on a formal basis.  Over the years Smiths City has been a participant in local community affairs, but on an ad-hoc basis.  The senior employees concluded that the company had enough employees and contacts through suppliers and the media to be able to gain benefits by pooling resources and raising money for selected charities. 

The objectives of the trust are to support charities which the members consider are in special need of support.  The trust does not invite submissions for requests but rather makes its own decisions on who will be the beneficiaries of its fundraising efforts.

The first activity was held early 2007.  The trust combined with Naval Point Club Lyttelton, a yacht club based in Lyttelton, to run a yacht race with the main objective being to raise funds to purchase equipment for the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust.  This trust has set up a hospital to provide surgery to members of the community who are in need of surgery, are not deemed sufficiently serious to be included on the hospital waiting lists and who do not have the financial resources to pay for their own surgery.  The beneficiaries of the first fundraising event are, in the main, domiciled in Canterbury.

A beneficiary from a small surplus was youth yachting.  Like all sporting ventures the ability to provide access to youth is dependent on funding.  The funds directed to teaching our young people to sail has seen a significant number of teenagers given the chance to get out on the water and enjoy the fun of sailing.

This year, the Smiths City trust has decided to raise funds, again in conjunction with the yacht club, to support Youthline.  Youthline provides free counselling services directed at today’s youth.  It plays a pivotal role in supporting troubled youths.

Up until now contact with Youthline has generally been on a face to face basis with a counsellor or via telephone.  It has, however, become obvious that many teenagers would prefer to seek help using texts on cell phones as a means of contact.  For this reason Youthline has embarked on a nationwide project to raise funds to train counsellors and install software and equipment to allow texts to be used for contact with teenagers.  Texting will be free to participants.

The Smiths City Charitable Trust has undertaken to support the Youthline initiative.  While the texting objective is nationwide, Smiths City can see no reason that the major fundraising effort cannot be based in the South Island in Canterbury.    

The youth of today need all the support that can be given in times of crisis and the Smiths City Charitable Trust is proud to be associated with Youthline in its endeavours.

Smiths City is a name which has been familiar to people from Christchurch and, to a lesser extent, other New Zealanders, for over 85 years. 

In its latter years Smiths City has become recognised as a retailer of household goods.  But the business was started by the Smiths family as an auctioneer of grain and livestock.  It increased its product range to horses and farm implements.  From the 1940s the business expanded into the retail of furniture and hardware and reduced the emphasis on farm products.  It gradually introduced the range of appliances and sporting goods by which it is recognised today.

The company, which is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, employs over 1,000 people and has 46 retail outlets spread from Invercargill to Greymouth to Palmerston North and Whakatane.  Such a wide geographical footprint on New Zealand means the company has been involved in many community activities over the years. 

With an employer of this background, senior staff had little difficulty in making the decision to form a Smiths City trust with the objective of supporting selected community charities.