Who we are

The Newtown Ethical Lending Trust is a registered charitable trust that has been making interest-free loans to the Wellington community since 2012.

The trust was launched in collaboration with local budgeting services and members of the community dedicated to helping Wellington families gain financial independence.

We are completely not-for-profit, and rely on external grants and donations to operate.

What we do

We make interest-free loans to people in the Greater Wellington Region as an ethical alternative to high-interest lenders. Our loans are 100% interest-free, with no fees or hidden costs. We lend to a maximum of NZ$6,000.

We offer loans to people on low incomes for essential goods and services such as car repairs, medical expenses and household items like washing machines. We may also be able to help if you have existing debt that is unmanageable.

We pay directly to creditors, and then borrowers pay us back at affordable rates over a period of up to 2 years. As soon as repayments start coming in, we can lend that money to other people in our community that need it.

In this way, a small amount of money can help multiple individuals and families become debt-free.

Our clients must be actively engaged with a Budget Advisor / Financial Mentor.

Learn more about how we work

Our purposes

To provide interest-free loans as an ethical and low-cost alternative to high-interest lenders.
To assist in breaking the cycle of debt and to foster financial literacy and independence among individuals and families in the low-income bracket.
To be a long-term, viable source of funding for people in need.
To provide a model for similar organisations to be able to expand and adopt elsewhere.

Our people

Mark MacCallum

Trustee

Tracey Read

Trustee

Tracey is a social worker who has worked for the past twelve years in mental health services, primarily within a community setting. Tracey strongly believes in social justice and thrives on working alongside individuals and families to have access to opportunities and resources that improve their lives.

Tia Crichton

Trustee

Len Cook

Trustee

Len is a statistician who has spent his career in government statistics, and remains actively involved in aspects of social policy and public administration.

Andrew Johnston

Trustee

Andrew is International Programme Director for Save the Children New Zealand. Andrew has worked for several community and International development organisations and has experience in programme management and not for profit governance and strategy.

Alison Cadman

Trustee

Alison manages a Wellington community housing organisation. She has a lot of experience in strategic, operational and financial management in the not for profit and government sectors.