Gabby Byrne at her desk during her last few days as Cambridge Community House manager.
By the time this goes to print, Gabby Byrne will have left her job as Cambridge Community House (CCH) general manager and started a new one in Hamilton.
Gabby Byrne at her farewell last week. Pictured are, from left, team members Lucy Sheehan, board chair Carolyn Casey, Gabby Byrne, Amy Watkins with her daughter Paige Kelly, Sandra Muirhead and Carolynn Storey.
CCH Trust chair Carolyn Casey said they were ‘very sad to see her go’.
“Gabby has been an outstanding GM. She has a caring, compassionate, inclusive leadership style which is appreciated and valued by both the staff and the community at large.”
The now former GM spent her final day last Friday sharing goodbyes with the team she described as crucial in helping her do the job over the past four years.
“I have great respect for them all… the team here at CCH, the board of trustees, and our bedrock of volunteers. I’ve loved being here, and shoot, I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “This is a complex, multi-layered job, but it is so rewarding. It’s also presented me with some of the most intense work I’ve experienced by far.”
Gabby started her new job in recovery co-ordination at ACC in Hamilton on Monday. She said it allows her to step away from leadership for a while, ‘downsize’ her role and see what opportunities might arise. Home will still be Cambridge.
“I’m simply at a different stage of my life. We’re expecting our first grandchild in June… I’m very excited about that.”
Gabby Byrne with CCH board members at her farewell last week. They are, from left, treasurer Mike Steele, chairperson Carolyn Casey, Gabby Byrne, trustees Te Hiiri Taute, Maria Low and Chad Danswan. Absent was Clare Crickett.
Gabby Byrne pictured last March with Strength Nation Gym’s Cam Woods, left, Rowing Marathon Fundraiser founder Ger Sheehan, and CCH community development manager Francis Radloff during one of the agency’s fundraisers. Photo: Viv Posselt
When Gabby became manager in early 2022, she brought a raft of Kiwi experience with her, and a whole lot more from the UK where she worked for the National Autistic Society and was a trainer in the aged care sector. Both jobs benefitted from her psychology degree and post-graduate qualifications in human nutrition and special education.
Once back in her native New Zealand, she clocked up further management experience working in Sport Waikato and in Waikato Public Health before joining CCH when previous manager Harriet Dixon left. Almost immediately she appreciated how much faster decisions could be made in a standalone charitable trust than in the multi-layered, central government environment.
“Harriet did a fantastic job. Covid came under her watch, and she still managed to get our big extension completed. I came in immediately post-Covid, when the economic downturn really hit.”
Gabby also tackled some hefty building alterations. She oversaw the reallocation of internal spaces, including the switch-out of a food cupboard to make room for the accountant. She got the new four-roomed whānau whare built in 2024 to add capacity, she had the main Te Whare Atawhai space renovated and re-roofed, renovated the corrections offices, covered the walkway, and early on covered in the rear deck to make space for a staff room.
Gabby Byrne, centre, flanked at her farewell by CCH team members Amy Watkins, Lucy Sheehan, Katie Phillip and Kelly Stevenson.
CCH reaches into the town’s surrounding rural areas, and Gabby has watched the workload grow along with the population. There have been increased social problems linked to job and housing insecurity, and more seniors than ever are seeking assistance.
She described the significant increase in drug and alcohol counselling as being a game-changer and said low wages and high rentals continued to impact people across the board.
Hailing the work done by the Waipā District Council in the pensioner housing space, she said it had done more for seniors than most councils around the country. Extracting funds from central government was an ongoing challenge linked to the job and she expressed gratitude to the wider Cambridge community, many of whom supported the frequent fundraising activities she organised.
“I feel really honoured to have been here,” Gabby said. “It’s made me learn that you can’t really achieve anything on your own … you need a good team behind you.”
Gabby Byrne at her desk during her last few days as Cambridge Community House manager. Photo: Viv Posselt
