The Sherwood Club Team

Kia ora tatou

I’m from Brazil and moved to New Zealand in 2022.  Since then, I have been living in Gisborne.

I have a Bachelor of Social Work, and during my undergraduate studies and internships in Brazil, I worked within public social assistance services and non-profit organizations.

In New Zealand, I have worked in a retirement village for over three years.  These experiences helped shape my passion for supporting people with dignity, empathy, person-centred care and respect.

At the beginning of 2026, I realized that I wanted to do even more for the community, which led me to start volunteering at the Sherwood Club.  I am now proud to be one of the staff members.  I’ll be planning the Sherwood Club Day Program and supporting clients and their whānau to receive the best care plan and experience.

I feel very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community in a meaningful way.  I am passionate about making a positive difference in people’s lives, and I will always do my very best to support our clients and whānau with kindness, respect and compassion.

I will look forward to greeting you when you come into the Sherwood Club. I am there on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Judy grew up in the Te Karaka, Wairoa and Gisborne districts.  The work I have been involved with in the past have been at lawyers, accountant offices, and hospital medical administration.  In my early twenties I had a working holiday basing myself in London.

I have two adult boys and two grandsons. I play piano accordion and other instruments in the band Barleycorn. I enjoy going to watch theatre plays especially musicals.   For exercise I walk with friends, family and am a member of the Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club.

I care about our community and like to help people.  My aim is to keep our clients safe, happy and keeping them busy with activities.  I enjoy doing arts, crafts, puzzles, games, exercising and I’m passionate about music, playing or listening.

Judy works 3 days a week in the Sherwood Club and also one day a week in the office helping out with office administration.

“My name is Debbie Hall and I work part-time as an assistant at the Sherwood Club.  I was born and raised in Leicestershire in the UK, but have called Gisborne home for 32 years.  I have two adult sons, one living in Australia, the other in Wellington.  I have a Diploma in Rehabilitation Studies from Massey University.  I worked as a rehabilitation assistant at the Gisborne Stewart Centre (now Strive) with clients who had a brain injury.  Here I was working with clients to reach their rehabilitation goals and achieve their optimal level of functioning, which is similar in many ways to the work I do at the Sherwood Club.  I find it very satisfying to work with clients at the Club to live their best lives with a variety of fun activities.  It is extremely rewarding to be involved in this way with our clients and their families in such a great facility.”

Debbie comes in “on-call’’ for us in the Sherwood Club. So if someone is way, Debbie will come in on those days.

Avna has been working in the Sherwood Club since September 2024. Avna is originally from Nepal but came to Gisborne after working in rest homes in Auckland for a couple of years.

Avna is currently on parental leave (August 2025).

We wish her well in her new role and look forward to seeing her return, either as a visitor with her new baby, or to rejoin the staff, further down the track.