Mini is supporting Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai for the second consecutive Christmas to spread big love and cheer among those most in need this festive season. 

The Mission, which has been helping Aucklanders since 1920, supports people throughout the year needing access to a home, food and health care. And, over the festive season, the team provides food and gifts to many thousands of people who otherwise may not have been able to celebrate Christmas.  

This year, a Christmas elf packed a decorated Mini Countryman hybrid full of hand-selected gifts donated by Mini and its employees and delivered them to Auckland City Mission recently.

Says Helen Robinson, CEO & Manutaki of Auckland City Mission, “We truly appreciate Mini’s kind help to provide gifts for children who would otherwise go without this Christmas. Many people in our community are struggling to make ends meet, from the disruption and impact of the last couple of years and the current cost of living increases, so there are many who still need support.”

Commenting on the initiative, Leanne Blanckenberg, Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group New Zealand said, “We wanted to support Auckland City Mission and their work again this year. We heard the biggest gap in donated presents is suitable gifts for teenagers and whole families to enjoy, so we offered to help towards making Christmas a little brighter for 100 children, teenagers, and families.”

In addition to supporting Auckland City Mission, Mini also worked closely with Whitecliffe, one of New Zealand’s top creative colleges, to host a student competition to design a Christmas-inspired decal for the Mini Countryman Hybrid to deliver the gifts to the charity.

The students submitted varied designs celebrating the culture of New Zealand and the festive season. George Ballad’s design, which features jandals, ferns, strawberries, and the Mini logo was selected as the winning entry.