Our Trustees

Kia ora koutou,
My name is Sally O’Neill and I am co-chair of the Cultural Conversations Trust. I joined the Trust a year ago after being involved in one of Cultural Conversations events- Casual Conversations. This introduced me to the wonderful world of aroha, shared experience and unconditional acceptance that makes this community so special.

I am Matty Anderson and am very privileged to serve on The Cultural Conversations board. I am of Niuean and Pakeha descent, He/him CIS hetero. I have lived experience with addiction and some of the
unpleasant comorbidities that accompany it. Nowadays I find myself very busy and very happy. I have a mixed family and feel loved and safe.

Since the inaugural event in 2019 Cultural Conversations has gone from strength to strength, growing momentum and engagement. If you haven't already attended one of our events then I strongly encourage you to do so. Our program is diverse and there is truly something for everyone.

It was love at first sight when I saw Cultural Conversations popping up in Nelson. It feels like stepping into a colorful living room that creates a safe space for amazing people from everywhere in the world and everyone with a different story.

Ali was born in Iraq and works at NMIT as an IT tutor.
“I have always wanted to help build culturally diverse communities that empower people to share their talents and skills and offer a range of ideas and expertise, enabling those to learn from a more diverse collection of refugees and migrants living here in New Zealand.

Growing up here in Aotearoa as a refugee it was challenging to find community outside of Bhutanese refugees. This made me feel isolated from the wider Nelson which became even more paramount as I approached adulthood, that I connected with alike communities. Several years ago when I first attended one of Cultural Conversations events I was drawn to how it was so community.