Get to know us

About Us

TimeOut is a New Zealand charity that offers free stays to people living with incurable illness and their families.

A few days away can give families the chance to step away from everyday life and spend quality time together – without the cost of accommodation.

TimeOut Stays are made possible by generous holiday homeowners and accommodation providers who donate the use of their properties, along with the support of volunteers, healthcare professionals and our wider community.

Today, more than 260 holiday homes across New Zealand are part of the TimeOut community, helping us offer more families the opportunity to take some time out together.

Why TimeOut

When someone is living with an incurable illness, everyday life can quickly become focused on appointments, treatment and the many demands that come with being unwell.

TimeOut gives families the opportunity to take a break for a few days and enjoy spending some quality time together, away from home.

A TimeOut Stay might mean relaxing at a favourite spot, exploring somewhere new, or simply having the space to be together without the usual pressures of everyday life.

With around 50,000 holiday homes across New Zealand, there is an incredible opportunity for more holiday homeowners to join our community and help us give more families the chance to take some time out together.

Our Story

TimeOut Charity began with one powerful act of kindness.

In 2013, our Founder, Ronda Amende, was diagnosed with a rare cancer and given just 12 months to live. She spent the next three years undergoing chemotherapy, eventually receiving the news that her cancer was in remission.

During those years of heartbreak and uncertainty, a kind gesture from a friend gave Ronda and her family something they really needed – some time away at their family holiday home. They were given the chance to escape for a short time, put time on hold and simply be together. They made special memories that would stay with them long after they returned home.

Inspired by the gratitude she felt, Ronda wanted other families facing incurable illness to have that same opportunity. And so, the idea for TimeOut Charity was born.

In 2017, Ronda turned that vision into reality, establishing TimeOut as a charity that connects generous holiday homeowners with people living with incurable illness and their families. Through donated stays, TimeOut gives families the opportunity to step away from everyday life, reconnect and spend meaningful time together.

Today, we’re incredibly grateful to have more than 260 generous holiday homeowners across New Zealand donating stays through TimeOut.

Our Team

Our team is comprised of friends, family and talented professionals, devoting their time and energy to seeing the TimeOut charity and all those who require it’s support thrive.

Chair of Board & Charity Founder
Ronda Amende
Ronda Amende
Chair of Board & Charity Founder
In 2013 I was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer and given a year to live. My children at the time were aged 18, 17 and 13. In fact, my daughter had her 17th Birthday at my hospital bed the morning before i had surgery. It was late October, so they were all in the middle of exams. It is fair to say we were all in shock and dealing with things as best we could.

A friend offered us her holiday home to go and stay in once the kids had finished their exams. It was the best thing for us. Christmas came quickly and we again were offered a friends holiday home as a place to rest on our way to Wellington to spend time with extended family. We could not have done the trip without this generosity.

Both of these experiences made a big and real difference to us at a time when things were extremely difficult. I realised that our situation was not unique, there are a lot of families affected by terminal illness. Building memories in a way that doesn’t add extra financial burden is one of the key things every family affected by terminal illness needs to do. My hope is that TimeOut will help connect terminally families with generous donators so that they too will have the opportunity to build memories and find strength from being supported by the community.
Board Member & Home Donor
Hamish Braddick
Hamish Braddick
Board Member & Home Donor
I have worked with Ronda for many years, when she learned that she had cancer, when she learned she only had a few years to live, when she went through Chemo and came through the other side. When she came up with the idea for TimeOut and as she developed the idea. She asked if I would be interested. Of course, I said yes.

My mother was diagnosed with Motor Neuron disease when I was 10. She was given 2 years to live while her muscles slowly degraded, she went through a divorce, setup the Motor Neuron Society for NZ, remarried and lived for 20 years to see her grandchildren.

I attended a number of MND meetings and got to know a number of the patients and their families. I know that our family and many of the MND families would have really appreciated TimeOut and access to a holiday home at no cost.

I have experience in graphic design, online marketing, project management, setting up and running a business. I am a founder and Director of Zeald. I love working with awesome people – Helping clients achieve results – Scientific optimisation, Measuring, interpreting data and continual improvement.

When I am not at work I am building roads on our Puhoi farm and hanging with my kids. I am originally from Mangawhai. I visit Mangawhai every so often to see family. But Auckland or Orewa is where the work is.
Board Member & Home Donor
Doug Hanna
Doug Hanna
Board Member & Home Donor
In 2002, a family friend from Christchurch was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. While her husband was planning a final road trip around New Zealand together, he approached us to ask if they could stay in our beach house at Oakura Bay in Northland. They had a lovely time together, and after her passing he let us know just how much that time together had meant to them.

This experience got me thinking, and in 2004 I approached the Northland Cancer Society in Whangarei to see if we could do this for other families in similar positions. Together, we created a programme for donating a weeklong holiday in our beach house for families with serious health challenges, and over the following years we have had close to 50 families spend time there as part of this programme.

Then, when I watched the TimeOut piece on TV1’s Seven Sharp programme, I was really impressed with TimeOut, and got in touch with Ronda to offer to help alongside these other wonderful, likeminded people. I love digital technology, and have been in the software and internet business since the early 1980’s after being brought-up in the countryside in Northland. My wife Jan and I have been fortunate enough to have a family holiday home in Oakura Bay for many years, where we and our three boys as well as tons of friends, have holidayed for many summers.

I just love sharing these kinds of family escapes with others.

Professionally, I spent more than four decades building, leading and governing businesses in New Zealand’s digital and technology sector, including as Managing Director and later CFO of Terabyte Interactive - guiding the company through the GFC, establishing a formal governance structure, and leading the transition to a new executive team. Now retired from full-time executive roles, I continue to hold shareholder and non-executive director responsibilities. That background in finance, governance and digital technology, paired with more than 35 years as a business owner, is what I try to bring to TimeOut’s board - a practical, plain-English perspective grounded in real experience rather than theory.
Secretary of Board
Roimata Ness
Roimata Ness
Secretary of Board
I first connected with TimeOut’s mission while during a family holiday in Rotorua and I immediately recognized the value of a free holiday for the terminally ill. Raised by my grandmother, I know firsthand how vital it is to capture lifelong memories as a loved one’s health declines.

My career path bridges creative vision and business leadership. I began my career at TVNZ as a multi-camera studio and field director before transitioning into freelance directing and media consultancy.

Coming to motherhood later in life sparked a new professional chapter. Today, I am the co-owner and director of NZ Drainage alongside my husband, Jayson. I project manage large civil and small residential drainage developments, specialising in team leadership within highly regulated environments. My expertise lies in navigating compliance and bridging communication between Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, inspectors, engineers, and clients to deliver complex projects on time and within budget.

Deeply invested in my local Puhoi community, I also serve as a board member and treasurer for the Slow Water Sea Scouts.
Board Member
Josh Shaw
Josh Shaw
Board Member
I am a partner in the Wynn Williams national Dispute Resolution Team and based in Christchurch.

My family and I are from the North Shore, Auckland and have been long time friends of Ronda and her family. We have worked together over the years in different volunteer roles.

We moved to Christchurch a couple of years ago and love it.

I have prosecuted over 140 criminal trials with particular expertise in prosecuting cases involving serious sexual offending and child abuse.

I liaise with our team here at Wynn Williams to provide legal advice and services to help TimeOut. As a child my mother went through a terminal illness and I know a TimeOut experience would have made a difference for our family.

When I am not working I love to spend time with my family on our lifestyle block and exploring the wonders of the South Island and local sites.
Board Member
Jane Greville
Jane Greville
Board Member
In 2013 I left my general practice and my lovely patients behind to start a new career as a Palliative Care Specialist. Initially three years retraining and then working at Harbour Hospice in a specialist role. Palliative Care is a job which comes with a lot of privilege, the ability to walk with patients and their whanau through a terminal illness. As part of my job, I see families struggling to carve out time for themselves - between hospital appointments and other commitments and I am aware of how precious the making of memories and legacies are at the end of life - both for the patient and their loved ones. When Doug approached me about a place on the TimeOut board it was very easy to say yes, as this ability to offer families and friends places to make memories is a precious gift. I can reflect on the best times in my life which involve uninterrupted time with my family - my husband and two sons - and to support a charity which can offer this to other families is awesome.
Charity Ambassador
Honey Hireme-Smiler
Honey Hireme-Smiler
Charity Ambassador
Honey’s connection with TimeOut’s mission is personal, shaped by her own journey alongside her wife Rochelle, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in December 2021. Having personally experienced a TimeOut retreat with her family, Honey recognises the profound healing that a brief escape can bring. “Our stay meant the world to us. Thanks to TimeOut, we filled our cups away from the hustle and bustle and spent time enjoying the things we love to do like watching sunsets, exploring the outdoors and focusing on self-care. We were able to have open conversations, plan, and reset priorities in the continued fight against this cancer diagnosis.” Honey advocates for more generous donations of stays, recognizing the priceless impact these experiences can have. “These TimeOut moments are such a gift as they create a haven for families to take a break, spend quality time, recoup, refocus, and create beautiful memories during such a difficult time in life.”
Charity Manager
Kylie Hale
Kylie Hale
Charity Manager
I first discovered TimeOut Charity in 2018 after seeing a story on Seven Sharp. The idea of donating a stay in a holiday home to someone living with an incurable illness so they could create special memories with family and friends just made so much sense and instantly resonated with me. I began volunteering soon after and was lucky enough to join the team part-time in August 2019.

Every day I’m reminded of the incredible impact a TimeOut Stay has - not only for the recipient families, but also for the generous holiday homeowners who make them possible. It is such a privilege to help grow this amazing charity, and I feel incredibly grateful to play a small part in creating lasting memories for families when they need them most.

Before joining TimeOut, I spent more than 15 years working in brand management and marketing in the FMCG sector. Throughout my career, I’ve loved building brands, developing partnerships and connecting people with ideas and causes that matter, so transitioning into the charity sector felt like a natural fit. I genuinely love what I do and feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the TimeOut team.
Stay Manager
Chloe Cook
Chloe Cook
Stay Manager
Kia ora! My name is Chloe (that’s me on the right) and I’ve been with TimeOut since 2023. I’ve always thrived on working to help others, and when I found out about TimeOut, I knew I needed to be involved somehow. Being able to help whānau create memories and connect with each other is an incredibly special thing to do, and I am proud to be a part of it. Prior to TimeOut, I worked in childcare, & I have a Bachelor in Counselling. I feel privileged to share in the experience of organising these stays and my favourite part is seeing the photos afterwards.
Volunteer - IT Support
Aaron Smithson
Aaron Smithson
Volunteer - IT Support
I worked with Ronda while I had my own cancer scare. I was lucky mine was caught early.

I had a peripheral nerve sheath tumour. Initially they thought it was benign tumour in a risky location so they tried several procedures first. When they failed to stop the pain they selected to remove it. After testing they found signs of cancer cells. So had several more scans. They got it all so had radiation treatment as a precaution. Ronda was a great support person to have while working. So once I had completed my treatment and started to get my energy levels back Ronda asked me I felt I would like to help out. Of course I said yes.

For TimeOut I help maintain the website, assist of any of the team need any IT help with computers/internet etc.

In my spare time I spend it with my family or just hanging with friends. Going on road trips.
Volunteer - Technical Support
Lisa Maya
Lisa Maya
Volunteer - Technical Support
My name is Lisa and I am one of the volunteers at TimeOut. To say what I do as a volunteer is a bit tough - really it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve worked on the website and our social media pages, I’ve interviewed for other volunteers, I’ve helped with some processes and I’ve spoken to a few candidates to provide an update or get some details! Pretty much, I’m just happy to jump in where and when needed to get something done.

Prior to TimeOut being developed into a charity, I had experienced first hand what a break away from home and your normal day to day life can do for you and your family when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness. So when Ronda first let me know about the charity, I felt compelled to somehow be apart of it.

As for a little bit about me - there’s not too much to say. I enjoy spending most of my time with my husband and 2 cats. If we aren’t at the gym or gaming, then we are probably visiting or helping our family and friends.