meet our team
Sanjay Pereira
COMMUNITY centre MANAGER 
Sanjay started his career in the Indian Hospitality sector as a waiter and progressed into sales within two years. In 2000 he was head hunted by ACCOR Asia Pacific for the position of Assistant Manager, Corporate Sales. In 2002 Sanjay migrated to New Zealand and soon after took up his position managing Venue operations at Parnell Community Centre.
Sanjay takes pride in his work and maintains a high level of professionalism in his role. Persistence and time management are key skills in his active role. Juggling many activities is no excuse to lose track of time, he says.
Sanjay dedicates a lot of his spare time to Field Hockey, his favorite sport. In winter, he’s a volunteer coach to Year 7 and 8 kids which, he says, can be pretty tough and requires a lot of patience; but then, that’s his way of thanking his coaches.
Abigail Blanchett
Sarah Zhang
community coordinator
Abigail joined The Village Square Trust in 2024 at Parnell, and is excited to continue her community-building journey as Community Coordinator at Epsom Community Centre. A passionate Community Connector and Creative Programme Facilitator, she loves bringing people together through engaging programmes, workshops, events, creative projects, and community initiatives that reflect the unique character of each neighbourhood.
With a background in communications, storytelling, community development, heritage, wellness, and the creative arts, Abigail brings imagination, energy, and a community-led approach to her work. As an Interdisciplinary Artist & Writer, she enjoys activating both spaces and people, creating opportunities for connection, learning, creativity, and wellbeing, with the simple belief that strong communities are built through meaningful and fun human connection.
community activities facilitator
Sarah joined The Village Square Trust in September 2025, as Community Activity Facilitator at Epsom Community Centre. Sarah works with community groups to organize Chinese culture events, workshops and classes, while managing related funding applications.
Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Waikato (2004), where she developed a strong interest in all aspects of business. She later gained an Associate Life Coach Certificate during a period of personal reflection and growth, followed by a Certificate in Social Education from AUT, where she further explored purpose, meaning, and social impact.
Following ten years as a full time mum and time spent travelling, Sarah began a new journey focused on personal growth and helping others. She believes that positive change in people leads to stronger communities, better businesses, and a happier society overall.