Hayley Westenra

UNICEF New Zealand was delighted to welcome Hayley on board as an Ambassador in 2003.

(C) UNICEF/Dennis McKinlay 

Hayley shot to fame when her debut album, PURE, went straight in at number one, turned triple platinum and went on to make her the fastest-selling local artist in NZ history. 

Along with her second album ODYSSEY, Hayley has achieved combined sales of over three million albums around the world.

Hayley has performed for Her Majesty the Queen, President Bush and Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Most recently, she performed at the unveiling of the New Zealand Memorial in London to celebrate the relationship between New Zealand and the UK and to remember those who have died in battle, in the presence of the Queen, Tony Blair and the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark.

2007 saw Hayley release her third album in which she interprets the traditional songs of her native New Zealand, of Ireland, from where her family moved to New Zealand in 1850, and interpretations of opera arias that have passed into popular ownership. As well as the new album - and very complimentary to it - Hayley is joining the tour of Celtic Woman, a group made up of four Irish vocalists and an Irish fiddle player.

Hayley is one of the youngest ever Ambassadors for UNICEF. 

Hayley works to raise awareness of child rights and the desperate situation facing many children and families around the world.  She is a wonderful role model for youth and, through her outstanding musical ability, reaches audiences of all ages and nationalities.

Since becoming an Ambassador for UNICEF New Zealand Hayley has attended and sung at the memorial for Sir Peter Ustinov at the UN, recorded a video about child trafficking to broadcast at her concerts, recorded two videos about  the impact of HIV/AIDS on children, sung at a concert held by the New Zealand and Canadian Embassies in London, and performed the world premiere of UNICEF's official title song "Children First" with A-HA singer Morten Harket.

Click here to watch Hayley's video clips in support of our HIV/AIDS campaign.

Hayley's Bikes and Playground Pumps for Ghana

In 2005 she visited Ghana and set up "Hayley's Bikes for Ghana", a project that has already provided 6,000 bikes for children so they can attend school and find a better future.  

"Meeting young people that are the same as me but with such a different world of opportunity has a profound affect on you. I aspire to be a singer, which seems so unessential compared with their simple desire for a regular cup of clean water. You can't go somewhere like that, meet those people and come back unchanged," she says.

Her most recent project is "Play Pumps for Ghana", which aims to take clean water to some 6,000 children and their families.

Hayley's Rose - a sensational new Hybrid Tea

Tasman Bay Roses of Nelson have named one of their roses after UNICEF NZ Ambassador Hayley Westenra. Hayley's rose is "delightfully scented with double flowers, in shades of apricot with highlights of cream and peach". 

$5 from the sale of each rose will be gifted to UNICEF NZ to go towards Hayley's Bikes For Ghana project.  To purchase this stunning rose and help UNICEF get more girls back into school, please visit the Tasman Bay Roses website.