Auckland Airport donates abandoned car to women's refuge charity

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Auckland Airport's Anna Cassels-Brown, left, with Wheels for Women convenor Catriona MacLennan and The Aunties founder Jackie Clark.

Auckland Airport has found a new home for one of the many abandoned cars that ended up in its carpark this year.

Instead of its usual process of selling off the good condition dumped Toyota, it has partnered with a women's refuge coordinator to help a lady in need.

Jackie Clark, founder of The Aunties charity, was brought to tears when the airport officially handed over the keys to the car, which now belongs to a south Auckland woman.

About 60 cars are abandoned at Auckland Airport each year, and now one of those will help a woman in need.

Partnered with the Wheels for Women project, Clark says it's an enormous gesture and will help the woman gain some independence.

"This is my dream and passion and it means everything to me when people step forward. I get really overwhelmed by people who do really big things for us," Clark says.

The Aunties was established by Clark five years ago and focuses on providing much-needed items to women's refuge centres in Auckland.

She says being able to just give women things like clothing and towels is overwhelming for them as it represents love.

"Women who've lived through domestic violence are not used to people caring about them.

"It gives them hope which pushes them forward to be able to do anything."

Wheels for Women is a project in association with The Aunties to provide cars to domestic violence survivors, with plans to deliver three cars during its pilot run of the scheme this year.

"People often say with domestic violence victims 'why doesn't she leave?' but it's incredibly hard to leave and get away," convenor Catriona MacLennan says.

"Cars are something which gives them safety and independence and turns domestic violence victims into survivors."

About 60 cars are abandoned at Auckland Airport each year, which the organisation disposes of or sells through auctions after it's been left unclaimed for a few months.

They get dumped there for various reasons, a lot of the time by people who are in financial trouble and fleeing the country.

It has been working to donate the car to the charities for six months, which required things like insurance, a new registration, warrant of fitness, and change of ownership.

People and safety general manager Anna Cassels-Brown says the project is a great way for the airport to utilise cars which are in good order and give back to the community.

It's now looking into other ways it can make use of its dumped cars, including through its student work experience programmes, Cassels-Brown says.