Michelle Wanwimolruk

Michelle Wanwimolruk recently volunteered to help the Island Bay Enhancement Trust find new trustees (she’s great at head-hunting). Lo and behold she ended up being appointed a new trustee!

Michelle's delighted to join the Enhancement Trust because she’s inspired by the history and vision of the Trust and the Island Bay Festival. It was originally set up for the "wellbeing of the land and people...to enhance the cultural, artistic and social life of Island Bay". 

Originally, it was a community-driven festival. Michelle believes that the annual Island Bay Festival is a great way to bring the community together. It provides a forum for the people of Island Bay to “connect, celebrate and have fun” with each other. As a trustee, she wants to focus on the positive community-building aspects of the Trust’s work.

Michelle and her husband, Simon Laube, settled in Island Bay in 2010 when they returned from overseas. (Simon is also a fellow Trustee, and Michelle thinks it rather apt because the Enhancement Trust and the Festival were started by a husband and wife team in the late 1980s/early 90s)

Michelle and Simon have loved raising their two children in Island Bay. Michelle also loves walking along the coast and up to Oku Reserve with their rescue dog.