Amanda Billing

Amanda Billing is best known for her role as Dr Sarah Potts on TVNZ’s Shortland Street.

Prior to her television career, Amanda taught at schools in Christchurch and Auckland after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with 1st Class Honours in Geography from the University of Canterbury , and training as a teacher at Christchurch College of Education. Amanda is also musically talented. In 2010, she took a break from Shortland Street to star (to great acclaim) as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and also recorded the theme song to Shortland Street's Winter Season, which was sold on iTunes and made it to the New Zealand Top 40.

Amanda’s major project with the Foundation so far has been as leader of a group of children with cancer who painted a giant fibreglass horse. Maia, as he is now known, has been covered in Child Cancer Foundation Beads of Courage,™ which are given to children to recognise their courage and bravery during treatments and procedures throughout their cancer journey.

Maia is now starting to be well-recognised as the Child Cancer Foundation’s equine ambassador and has already made appearances in downtown Auckland, Karaka horse sales and Fieldays.  Amanda has given selflessly of her time and artistic talents and been a wonderful friend to the young people she has met.

"I'm so pleased that Maia brought me to The Family Place at CCF HQ,” Amanda says . “Working creatively with the children I met, and with their caregivers, was a real perspective-adjuster. It has been a gift, really, and I look forward to being able to help CCF and the people who rely on it in the future. "