The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter has airlifted man to Nelson Hospital after his float plane crash landed. Photo/ Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter

Business breakfast to raise cash for helicopter

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It was the breakfast with a difference that brought sports stars and business leaders to town – now it will be known as the breakfast that makes a difference.

The Big Brekkie was run several times a year by the Business Breakfast Club, which hosted a fortnightly breakfast meeting. But founder of the breakfast club, Wayne Densem, says interest in their fortnightly breakfasts was waning so it took the opportunity to reassess.

“We started the Business Breakfast Club in August 2013 and during that time we developed the Big Brekkie idea, and we found that was a very good way of reaching our goals which in those days were to inspire, educate and entertain business and professional people; to raise money for our charity, and the third was to give benefit to members who paid a fee to belong to the business breakfast club.

“At the end of last year we just found that it was getting harder to get people to attend the fortnightly meetings. So we held everything back and said, ‘what do we actually want to achieve’.”

Wayne says there were two things on the list: inspire business people and raise money for charity.

“So, at that point, we decided to forget about the fortnightly meetings, create a charitable trust and just put on four big brekkies a year and do the odd workshop, which we will run as a separate thing from the Big Brekkie.”

Four trustees have been appointed and the first Big Brekkie under the new system will be held next Thursday, May 26.

Coming to speak is “the telephone man” Matthew Mewse, who gives tips on how to use a phone for business. Also speaking is “the word wizard” Lynnaire Johnston, who will give some ideas on business writing.

The event will also host an auction where mayors Rachel Reese and Richard Kempthorne have each donated two, one hour blocks of their time to be raffled off.

Wayne says all money raised will be donated to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter, their chosen charity for the first two years. Tickets for the event at the Rutherford Hotel are $49 and include a breakfast as well as listening to the speakers. The brekkie runs from 7am to 9am and tickets can be bought from www.businessbreakfastclub.co.nz