15 June 2026
Milford’s Phillippa Holley is a force to be reckoned with. Nothing stops her when it comes to collecting preloved items that can be sold in Harbour Hospice’s Link Dr, Wairau Valley shop, where she volunteers.
In fact, when she once found a desk by the roadside that looked perfect for resale, but couldn’t fit it into her car, she flagged down a passing motorist to help. “I did try to phone a friend first,” she chuckles.
“But she said, ‘For God’s sake Phil, you’re the bloody limit. So, no, I’m not coming to help you put a desk in a car.’ I thought, ‘stuff it. A guy came along in a car so I waved him down and said, ‘Look, could you possibly give me a hand?’”
This month Phillippa will be recognised for 25 years’ service to Harbour Hospice at its North Shore Long Service Awards.
She has volunteered at the Link Dr shop since its inception and sourced thousands of dollars’ worth of preloved items to sell, raising vital funds for hospice patient and family services.
The retired businesswoman is humbled by the recognition, and explains that it was the passing of her late mother that has always inspired her dedication.
“My mother died on her own in considerable pain after a life of service to others because there was no one to look after her. And I was in England and couldn’t get back because of an outbreak of yellow fever in India. I couldn’t get back through the East, which was the only way to come. I don’t want anyone to have to go through that. This is my way of payback.”
But while Phillippa has spent 25 years supporting Harbour Hospice, she never presumed she’d one day lean on its services herself.
Last December, Phillippa’s beloved husband of 57 years, Len, died. She was grateful to have Harbour Hospice’s support during his final months.
“The last few years have really just been about looking after Len, and my hospice work. But Len had begun to deteriorate and hospice seemed to pick up on this and said, ‘Phil we think you could do with a hand’. So I was very grateful for that. They took him in for respite care and they were amazing. Len really loved it there.
“After he died I spent an hour with one of hospice’s counsellors, Karo, and it was the best hour I’ve spent in a long time. Now, I’m part of a hospice bereavement group and it is very helpful to be around others who are recently bereaved, who understand the rawness of it all. We come together and just be, and the best thing is we’ve formed a coffee group to keep in touch.”
To find out more about volunteering for Harbour Hospice email volunteer@harbourhospice.org.nz
This article first appeared in The Rangitoto Observer on 12 June 2026.
