TECT Community Trust has officially rebranded as Manawa Trust, after more than 30 years.

The name, gifted by Ngāti Hangarau, was unveiled this week and signals a new chapter for the organisation, which manages a community fund worth more than $1 billion and invests returns in local people, projects and communities.

Manawa, meaning “heart”, reflects the life force that connects people, place and future, while recognising the trust’s origins at Ōmanawa, where the region’s first electricity generation began, a media release said.

Chief executive Wayne Werder said the new identity better represented both the trust’s history and its modern role.

“For more than 30 years we’ve invested in the communities of the Western Bay of Plenty. Our role has evolved considerably over that time, but our commitment to this region has never changed.

“Manawa gives us a name that honours the beginning of our story, while reflecting who we are today and the responsibility we carry into the future.”

The trust’s roots trace back to Ōmanawa Falls, which played a pivotal role in the region’s electricity generation history and helped lay the foundations for both TrustPower and TECT. The site also holds deep cultural significance for Ngāti Hangarau.

Iwi representative Koro Nicholas said the name carried a strong sense of identity and connection.

“The Manawa, the heartbeat, the crux, the ethos of our work is really important for ourselves, for our families, for all the community and for the generations that are to come.”

Although the trust’s name is changing, its purpose remains focused on the Western Bay of Plenty. Manawa Trust will continue its work through community funding, partnerships and stewardship of its investment fund.

Werder said the rebrand was about more than a new name.

“Manawa means heart. For us, that means putting the long-term wellbeing of our communities at the centre of everything we do.”

The trust said the new identity was built around a simple idea: being the heartbeat behind a thriving Western Bay of Plenty.