A Lower Hutt man who quietly donated to numerous charities throughout his life has done the same in death – leaving gifts to ten charities, including $100,000 to Arthritis New Zealand.

Thomas Graham worked as an engine driver and collected scrap metal for sale. He had no immediate family, lived a frugal life and gave to 23 charities every month.

In his later years, his health deteriorated and he had arthritis in his hip, but was told he would have to wait some months for a joint replacement. By the time his godson had convinced him that he could afford private surgery, other health issues prevented it from going ahead.

News of the bequest came as a complete surprise to our Philanthropy Manager, Dianne Armstrong.

“I wasn’t sure whether to believe it at first but of course I was delighted with the good news. Bequests like these are treasured gifts that make a huge difference, well beyond a donor’s lifetime,” she said.

Mr Graham’s bequest was tagged for capital expenditure. It will be used to upgrade our IT system and teleconferencing hardware, and to refit the Wellington office to create a meeting room and quiet spaces for our arthritis educators to respond to 0800 calls.

Leaving a bequest to Arthritis New Zealand is a good way to ensure the cause you support can continue to improve the life of every person affected by arthritis. It’s simple and easy to include us in your Will and any such gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated. To find out more, please contact Dianne Armstrong on 0800 663 463 or email Dianne.armstrong@arthritis.org.nz