Whānau Āwhina Plunket – making a difference to children, families and whānau

Story by volunteer reporter Helen Frances, Volunteering Northland

Plunket - we’ve all heard of it. Most of us are ‘Plunket babies’. “It’s such an iconic organisation; it’s part of the fabric of who we are as Kiwis,” says Pauline Lamerton, Community Team Leader for Lower Northland. Alongside Plunket’s Clinical Team providing child health and development services, the Community Services Team provide a range of services such as playgroups, parent groups, walking groups and coffee groups, parenting education, toy libraries and kaiāwhina support. Volunteers play a huge role in the delivery of many of these services. “What we do is create a platform for the community to meet its needs.” says Pauline. “We want to deliver the best we can and having a strong volunteer team allows us to do this”.

In the Kaipara, Whānau Āwhina Plunket operates from sites in Dargaville, Ruawai, Paparoa, Maungataroto, Mangawhai and Kaiwaka. Currently Plunket is looking for volunteers to act as hosts for their drop-in nursing clinics in all these sites. “But there are so many ways volunteers can assist Plunket,” says Ema Kelly, Community Support Coordinator for the Kaipara area. The Paparoa playgroup, Ready Steady Wriggle, needs more volunteers, for example. The playgroups are a really important part of Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s kaupapa. “Children make friends there; parents make connections with each other. They have a wonderful community-building dynamic.”

The Kaipara area is large, and many families and whānau living remotely can become isolated. Volunteers who can reach out to families can help to provide the community connection that is so important for young families.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s purpose is to support Kiwi families and whānau and their tamariki to thrive, and volunteers are an essential part of that. It’s a rewarding way to take an active part in the local community; a way of investing in the next generation.

Community Development - Volunteering Northland

Providing chances for people to remain active participants in the workforce, develop and maintain skills, make connections and find future work is the aim behind Volunteering Northland’s post-COVID-19 work.

The organisation’s efforts to put people into about 200 currently available volunteer opportunities around Northland, have been boosted recently with the appointment of Outreach Coordinators Amber Brown and Chris Schreuder.

The two are working with community groups to identify short-term, project-based volunteering opportunities and set up easy systems that allow community groups to find potential volunteers and their specialist skills.

Amber said expectations were high that many people from a wide range of demographics, with equally wide-ranging skills may become unemployed at least for short periods as a result of COVID-19.

“Sometimes short-term volunteering can create a problem for organisations and volunteers because people feel bad about dropping a commitment when they find work, or because organisations want to invest in long-term members.

“This is where this project makes a difference. We are very keen to find opportunities where people and organisations can participate without worrying about time-frames. That means finding suitable projects, then getting the message out there to people with much-needed skills.

“For example, our own organisation will soon be looking to find someone with great graphic design skills who can work with us on a four-week project. The benefit to them might be in making connections that can lead to permanent work, creating something to add to their portfolio and/or receiving a reference from us.

“For us, we get some quality work which will otherwise simply not get done as our funds are needed elsewhere to benefit the community.”

Whangarei District Council contributed $20,000 to this initiative from its Community Emergency Recovery Fund. This Fund is in response to Covid-19 and aims to support organisations and initiatives that are helping our district to recover from the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.

GirlGuiding Kaitaia & Kerikeri looking for leaders

Rock climbing, land yachting, water sliding on a block of ice and, Yvette’s favourite, sumo wrestling are all activities she has undertaken as a GirlGuiding New Zealand leader over the past 20 years. She encourages anyone who wants to help grow our girls and likes a bit of adventure to volunteer for GirlGuiding New Zealand.

Like many leaders, Yvette started in the GirlGuiding family as a Brownie when she was 7. Her longevity in the role she puts down to the enjoyment she gets from interacting with all the girls, the supportive environment of the leadership team and the opportunities to do activities she wouldn’t normally do!

Chyvon agrees, her daughter finished Guides some years ago and she continued as a leader. “Being a leader is something I do for me - I really enjoy the humour of the girls who have a very enlightened outlook on the world. While we encourage them they also encourage us to go out of our comfort zone and try new experiences.”

From a start in 1910 in New Zealand as Peace Scouting for girls - a girls’ equivalent to Scouts, GirlGuiding now empowers girls to take action to change their world in over 150 countries. In Northland girls from the age of 5 - 17-years are involved with GirlGuiding New Zealand’s Pippin, Brownie and Guide units operating in Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Whangarei and Kamo.

Mary-Anne McAllister, from GirlGuiding New Zealand says “all our Northland units have waitlists as they are full. We’d love to start more units and need extra hands to accommodate the girls who are ready to move on to the next stage in Guiding.”

Since she has moved home Hazel is also giving back to an organisation which has given so much to her by volunteering when she can, especially with the outdoor water activities. She went all the way through to the GirlGuiding Queens Guide Award which was presented to her by the then Governor General, Sir Jerry Mataparae. “The skills I learnt I use everywhere, including when I joined the army and went travelling. I was the one who could cook, light a fire, do basic first aid and put up a tent - a skill that my friends agree was very useful at music festivals.”

Over the giggles and chatter of the Kamo Unit doing activities supporting GirlGuiding’s International World Thinking Day, Yvette adds “GirlGuiding provides a safe place for all girls to develop at their own pace, to choose how they want to take action and change their world. I get a real buzz from seeing the growth from quiet young girls to confident, active members of the group.”

Story by volunteer reporter Cindy Borrie, Volunteering Northland

Hard work leads on to paid work for Frank Hurst

Quietly spoken, you can easily tell that Frank is very comfortable in the surroundings of the Whangarei Quarry Gardens as part of the Volunteer Team.

At the beginning of the year Frank was keen to get references for his CV so he could look for full-time employment. He was tired of sitting around doing nothing and the team at MSD suggested he try volunteering.

Frank had varied work experience including nursery work, fruit picking and farm work.
After a discussion about his skills and what he enjoys, Frank was referred by Volunteering Northland to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens. Frank has since volunteered two days per week - with a break for Covid-19.

“The camaraderie, meeting new people, having a good laugh and getting up and feeling you have something to do,” are just a few of the things Frank enjoys about working at the Gardens. The fact it keeps him fit and getting out and about also helps him maintain a positive mindset.

The days at the Gardens are varied with Frank happy to do “whatever goes really”. He gets pleasure from cleaning up rough spots and making them look nice noting “there’s plenty of that to do here”.

Guy Hessell, Gardens Manager, was only too happy to include Frank in the volunteer roster. Guy says “he’s young, fit, enthusiastic and hard-working. Frank is happy to do anything and fits in well with the team - I’d like more like him!”.

Frank’s hard work has led to part-time job offers. “People have phoned asking for help with their gardens and I’ve put them onto Frank as he turns up on time and is happy to do a good days work. One job has the potential to grow into more work which is great because it is what we really want”, says Guy.

An added bonus of volunteering at the gardens is learning from the old hands and meeting people with lots of knowledge which they are happy to share. Frank would like to move more into gardening as it is something he has always enjoyed. “I’ve got a passion for it but I’ve never been able to do it full time. Volunteering here has helped me get a foot in the door. I’m really happy with some part time work which could easily lead onto other things, especially with neighbours talking and seeing the changes in their gardens”.

Frank has noticed positive changes in himself since starting.”I have more motivation when I have something to do rather than sitting around doing nothing, volunteering gives me a purpose and I’m working somewhere I can see real change with the work I do”.

Whangarei Quarry Gardens have about 30-35 garden volunteers but there are also volunteers for other functions - so probably closer to 100. It is estimated the volunteers contribute approximately 150,000 hours of unpaid work a year. Guy notes it is therefore absolutely critical to keep the volunteer base going so our relationship with Volunteering Northland is important.

Working with Frank is mutually beneficial for all, he gets work experience and job satisfaction in a great environment and the Whangarei Quarry Gardens get an awesome worker who is happy to work hard to continually improve the gardens.

Story by Cindy Borrie, volunteer reporter, July 2020

Learning the ropes with Far North Search and Rescue

LANDSAR is a national volunteer organisation which provides land search and rescue services to lost, missing and injured all over New Zealand. Their volunteers operate in suburban, urban, wilderness and rural areas including regional and forest parks, shorelines and caves.

The Far North’s local Search and Rescue group covers the same area as the Far North District Council. They need more volunteers, could it be you?

You work hard, you have commitments, your days are full. How can you possibly find time to volunteer for anything?

If you’re interested in: helping those who are lost, missing or injured; learning new survival skills; leading a fulfilling and active outdoor life; gaining a sense of purpose, and enjoying camaraderie then join this great bunch of people – yes, you’ll be giving time but you will be RESCUING people and gaining a shed-load of new skills.

First, a couple of important points. Let’s start with a biggie! Commitment – you’ll need to be prepared to meet up when needed for call-outs and training; and red tape – all volunteers need to be police checked.

FNSAR members have all committed to the above. They are one of the busiest groups, making over 16 call-outs last year. Many have full-time jobs. They also happen to be a fantastic bunch of people, and I was lucky enough to join them on a training day – learning to use stretchers and ropes.

The FNSAR volunteers meet up roughly once a month (sometimes more) for meetings/training though who knows when they may receive an emergency call-out. The morning I joined them half a dozen volunteers were already out on a search and rescue mission.

This is how it works. The police will call FNSAR, a text is sent to all volunteers for an emergency call out. You respond with a yes you are available and get yourself over to the meeting place; or no, you are unavailable. One of the reasons more volunteers are needed is because there are always going to be times when people are unavailable – teachers, farmers, shift workers – it happens. More volunteers mean more teams of rescuers so the search area can be widened and rescue time is faster.

If you’re thinking you couldn’t possibly be of any help, think again. Induction training includes search techniques, basic tracking and risk management; other LandSAR and in-house courses include GPS, radio, night rescue, basic navigation and First Aid. Training and maintaining training is vital.

Not every volunteer is cut out for field work, and there is a huge variety of other jobs – maintaining equipment, radio operators, fundraising and working on the Wander Search programme. FNSAR do not only look for people lost on tramping expeditions, but also for those who simply go missing from their daily lives – such as dementia sufferers or the elderly. The Wander Search programme provides tracking pendants for those likely to, well, wander. The pendants need updating every 6 months and this involves visiting families.

Dan, our ropes and stretchers instructor for the day, is a volunteer for LSAR in Rotorua. He said that all instructors were volunteers as well as being course leaders. Today our group included people with a wide range of age and experience. Volunteer groups tend to be made up of older folk with more time on their hands, and their wealth of experience is welcomed by LSAR, however this group had a great mix of younger members too.

Our day began familiarising ourselves with the equipment carried on a stretcher rescue, swiftly followed by learning to tie several different knots (my super power girl guide training kicked in here!) We then applied this to setting up a rope system using sturdy trees as anchoring points. Two teams worked together and as was pointed out to me, in a real-life situation you would never be expected to do something you weren’t comfortable with. Once Dan had checked our work and was satisfied with it, he explained that we were going to the top of a steep bank where a ‘patient’ had fallen to the bottom and was waiting to be rescued. Team leaders were appointed, and the work began. Anchor points were chosen, knots were tied, harnesses donned (and hard hats) and with a lot of co-operation and teamwork the ‘patient’ (Dan) was successfully raised on the stretcher to the top of the hill.

It was such an awesome day; I learnt so much and will seriously consider signing up as a volunteer for FNSAR – so get in quickly, before me!

Story by Diana Smith, Volunteer Reporter at Volunteering Northland.

Stories from the COVID-19 crisis

Community helping community
“You only needed to understand that it would completely change people’s lives.” This was all the motivation Danny needed to make himself available as a volunteer to help in any way he could during the COVID 19 crisis. He is one of a network of community organisations and individuals who have leapt into action. Volunteering Northland have taken a role as broker, linking people who need help to organisations and volunteers who can provide it. In the last few weeks Danny has shopped, delivered medications, taken goods to homeless people, and delivered luggage to someone in quarantine. “I know what it’s like to be stressed”, says Danny, “and now it’s my turn to put something back into the community.”

In Kaikohe, Nalini had experience as a volunteer, and in the lockdown, she found she had time on her hands, so she contacted Volunteering Northland to see how she could help others. She has since been supporting three people with shopping, medications and conversation. “I’ve always assisted with my kuia and kaumatua,”says Nalini. “They took the time to nurture me and I believe in that manaakitanga.” Her generosity has been returned. “I’ve been quite spoiled by the people I look after,” she says. “You get what you give. Anything that uplifts my community is beneficial to me”.

At Alert Level 3 Kim Trigg became concerned about the elderly people who could not get out, so she set up the Facebook page “Help Kamo”, invited all her friends to join, “and it just spiraled out from there”. She contacted Volunteering Northland for help to reach people in need, and a group of volunteers now support about 13 households in Kamo.

In Kerikeri Katy Pulham also used the power of Facebook to generate community support wherever needed. As the administrator of the Kerikeri Community Noticeboard it was easy for her to put the call out for volunteers which she linked up with Volunteering Northland. She then went on to set up about 40 different Facebook groups that she calls “neighbourhood pods”, based around a small geographic area with about 100 members each. The idea was that if someone needed something it could be dropped off or picked up while on a walk in their local area. “The response has been amazing,” says Katy. “It’s really inspiring to see how people can pull together, actually being neighbours, getting to know each other. People’s kindness to each other is just incredible to see. It’s been wonderful to be part of.” Katy can see the pod pages carrying on into level 2. “People will still be in need. It’s an easy way to find out about older people who need help. They can fulfill Neighbourhood Watch functions. I never would have thought the neighbourhood pods would be so helpful.”

With no job in lockdown Katy also offered her time to support older people in Kerikeri. She helped an elderly woman living alone to move to a new house, for example, supporting her until she can move to Australia to be with family. “I’m very grateful that I’m able to help her,” says Katy. “My main focus is the elderly. Many already have quite isolated lives, so I think lockdown is hard for them. I’ve gotten to know all these elderly people. It has really enriched my life.”

Te Ora Hou is a community organisation based in Whangarei, normally focused on providing youth mentoring programmes and support for whanau. At the start of the lockdown Te Ora Hou youth workers were already busy contacting children and families from home. Then, supported by the Salvation Army, Te Ora Hou began to put together and deliver food parcels to families in need. “We talked amongst ourselves about how to be flexible. We wanted to be open to opportunities and gaps”, says Lou Davis, so when Volunteering Northland contacted them about the needs of older people, they expanded their scope again. Some people need help with shopping; some people need conversation to relieve the stress of social isolation. Lou says they are open to what these new roles might mean for them after the lockdown. “It’s not a time for us to retreat. We need to step up and fill the gaps; we need to think about how we help people stay connected with the community.”

Fleur Massey from the education-based organisation I Have a Dream describes how they have worked to preserve meaningful connections between whanau, Dreamers and their communities. “We quickly scrambled to set up a COVID 19 relief fund,” says Fleur, which they have used to provide food parcels to support whanau in need. They set up a Facebook page and virtual classrooms to help their Dreamers stay engaged. “We know it’s been tough for Whanau, but the positive feedback we have been getting has made effort worthwhile.”

Zainab is the coordinator of WINGS, an organisation supporting migrant women. She set up virtual groups and activities for her members, but she wanted to do something extra. “I wanted to help others who were strangers to me. I deal with a lot of women aged over 60 who are on their own, so I know how they would feel,” she says, so she registered with Volunteering Northland and was referred two women in their 70s who needed support with shopping and someone to talk to. “It gives me joy to reach out to people,” says Zainab, “and we’re all in the same boat.”

Linda and Elizabeth are both in their later years, and both live alone with no family nearby, and needed help with shopping so Age Concern put them in touch with Volunteering Northland. “When Lucy rang me, I was so relieved,” says Linda. “It was Saturday night for goodness sake! It meant everything. Someone just took all that stress off me. My family felt so grateful that there was someone up here to help.”

“It’s so good to have these local contacts,” says Elizabeth. “Every couple of days I get a phone call which is neat. It takes that isolation away. It’s absolutely wonderful to know that I can get in touch about anything.”

All our lives have changed, and some things will never be the same again, but in the midst of the crisis, and in the months ahead, generosity, compassion, reciprocity, and community connections will make us all stronger.

Story by Helen Frances, volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland

New trustee of Volunteering Northland

Council Mark says: Your community needs you!

One of the things I stood for in the election was to promote ways of enhancing the contribution to “Kaipara Inc” which community groups can make. From my own experience in forming Otamatea HarbourCare and being on the board of the Kauri Museum, I have seen the benefits of help with governance training, strategic planning, and assistance with funding applications.

One of my new roles through Council is as a trustee of Volunteering Northland, a great fit for me (thank you Jason). I have previously attended a couple of governance training courses arranged by them, and have registered Otamatea HarbourCare with them too. Volunteering Northland acts as an introduction service, matching potential volunteers with volunteering opportunities. To do this, community groups need to register with Volunteering Northland.

I have learnt that Volunteering Northland is part of a nationwide network, but something I already knew was some of the benefits of volunteering; the satisfaction and fulfillment from making a worthwhile contribution to your community, and feeling part of something bigger than yourself.

The more groups which register, the more successful a service Volunteering Northland can provide. If you want to find out more, check out their website.

Mark Vincent

Otamatea Ward Councillor

A growing partnership

Jordan MacDonald probably didn’t expect running a native plant nursery would lead to learning a new language. Jordan is an environmental educator and Manager at He Kākano Community Nursery. And Sweetie Loeak, who mostly communicates through New Zealand Sign Language, is her “very hard-working and most regular volunteer”.

Sweetie has been volunteering at He Kākano, the native plant nursery for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, since 2018 when she first registered with Volunteering Northland. Sweetie, who started off using the services of a sign interpreter in her role, quickly established herself as a valuable team member and went on to teach Jordan basic Sign Language. Jordan followed up the learning processes with an 8 week sign language class. Although Jordan remains modest about her ability, she appears quite fluent when signing and having a laugh with Sweetie at the nursery.

Sweetie has lived in New Zealand for 5 years. She has an adult daughter in Auckland and is in regular contact with her extended family in mainland USA, Hawaii, Marshall Islands and Guam. Alongside her hobbies of jewellery making and coffee, Sweetie cherishes her friendships within the deaf community, and loves volunteering as it provides her with regular contact with the wider community.

Sweetie’s particular joy volunteering at He Kākano is in seeing the fruits of her labour; watching the native plants grow from seeds she has collected and planted, to witnessing the riparian planting projects all around Whangarei. Her other favourite activities include seed collecting trips and of course the Christmas party and other celebrations they have as a team.

Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust are always looking for extra helpers on Fridays at He Kākano. The work is in a fun, friendly and safe environment. Mountains to Sea also have plenty of community planting days during the winter season and share their seedlings with other community groups.

As for Sweetie, you can also find her gardening on a monthly basis at North Haven Hospice in Tikipunga, as well as joining in the regular volunteer days supporting the restoration efforts on Matakohe/Limestone Island.

All these organisations deeply value the volunteers that work with them. If you would like to volunteer and are not sure where to start call in to the friendly team at Volunteering Northland now based in the Civic Arcade on Bank St. They can guide you through the hundreds of opportunities to see where you can make a difference.

"Good Sorts Day" Huanui College

The recent successful Huanui College Good Sorts Day saw over 150 of their students and staff think of others by helping support community organisations.  The students undertook a variety of roles ranging from gardening, to working in charity shops, to performing concerts to just stopping by and having a chat.

“School was just buzzing when everyone got back from their work” said Carolyn Evans, organiser of the Good Sorts Day. “While our community benefited from the help they received, it was great to see how much the children and staff also got from this experience.”

The Good Sorts Day focuses on community service and is one part of Huanui College’s Positive Education Program. It has been running for three years and encourages gratefulness and mindfulness in life so students grow into great citizens.

Year 8 students Jade Culham, Ollie Brookes and M'Lago Morris were part of a team who worked at Pehiaweri Marae tidying gardens and chopping flax bushes.  Jade said, “The marae grows their own food and now they can grow more vegetables for themselves. It would’ve taken them a lot longer to tidy the gardens so it feels good to know that we have helped them.”  All their hard work was rewarded with a lovely meal at the end.

Other activities included a team at Falls Retirement Village who were paid by the residents to wash their cars with the money raised donated back to Foster Hope. A year 7 music duet, year 10 music group, and a dance group performed at Puriri Court LifeCare and Alzheimer's Society Northland, and then enjoyed spending time talking to the residents. Another group cleaned around Hatea Loop with Sea Cleaners, and many other students provided an extra hand or two to the Salvation Army, Red Cross, North Haven Hospice and Habitat for Humanity shops.

Story by Cindy Borrie, Volunteer Reporter at Volunteering Northland.

Bream Bay Trust; Caring for our Coastline

"This is how we help save our world – local people working on local projects" 

Since 2006 the Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust has been helping to care for the 700 hectares of coastal land held by the Department of Conservation in Bream Bay. The Trust is looking for more people to join in this important work.

A founding member of the Trust, Marilyn Cox is taking a lead in restoring native coastal vegetation at Uretiti. Dunes protect the natural character of beaches and protect them from coastal erosion. But dunes are fragile and easily destroyed, relying on the plants that grow on them to trap sand. When dune plants are destroyed, dunes are lost. “Our beaches are our greatest resource” says Marilyn. “If they’re not looked after, if people don’t value them, we’ll lose them.” Planting is well established at the entrance to the campground but there is much more to do, with restoration of native dune plantings along the Tahuna walkway a high priority.

The restoration of the Ruakaka Dunes Lake shows what is possible with dedicated effort; native forest is flourishing where there was once nothing but gorse. Luana Pirihi, from local hapu Patuharakeke, has taken the lead on this project. “This is the only dune lake between Auckland and the Far North. It’s important that we keep this remnant of our coastal ecology going, “says Luana. There is ongoing work to do; there are still threats to water quality and to water levels, and the invasive weed climbing asparagus is present on the lake side. “Volunteering and conservation can’t just be for older people. We have to pass the message on to younger people,” says Luana.

Robbie Jones joined the Trust in 2009. She is passionate about protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the Bream Bay area. “It is so important to look after the natural environment. There are so many threats to the survival of our seabirds.” One of the biggest threats is human disturbance. “Ruakaka estuary is a significant area for the godwits for roosting and feeding in the summer. It’s also a significant nesting area for the New Zealand dotterel and oyster catchers. But they really struggle because we get all the visitors at the same time.” The Trust provides education, fencing and signage to prevent people walking and driving through bird nesting areas, but judging by the number of fledged chicks “we’re only holding the line” says Robbie. “I wouldn’t call it progress.”

The Trust works closely with the Northern Regional Council CoastCare Coordinator, and the Department of Conservation. These links help the Trust to access funding, training and advice; ensures that health and safety and conservation standards are consistent with best practice; and connects Bream Bay Coastal Care to the network of groups around Northland committed to the same goals.

This is how we help save our world – local people working on local projects, sharing our connection to this special place. Everyone can help – keep to designated paths on the dunes, avoid the shorebird nesting areas, join a planting day, join the Trust. “Conservation is an enduring thread through my life,” says Robbie Jones. “I try to do something every day, even if it is just picking up plastic when I’m walking the dog.” Marilyn envisages a time when conservation is an enduring thread through our community. “Ideally we would have groups all along the coastline looking after their little patch”.

Help out, get in touch with Volunteering Northland.

Story by Helen Frances, volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland
 

Lew Lathrope, 90 years; keeping on, keeping on

"I like to be part of things. Without volunteering I don’t know what I’d do. It’s a very important part of my retirement.”

Carpenter and joiner, farmer, gardener, auctioneer, maintenance man, ballroom dancer, musician, a Freemason, a Lion, a family man – Lew Lathrope has had a busy and varied life, and at ninety years old he is still busy volunteering at the Mangawhai Museum and the Factory Op Shop.

Lew moved from Auckland to Mangawhai six years ago at age 84. He left the city he had lived in all his life, and his job on the maintenance team at Waipuna Conference Hotel where he had worked for 10 years. “It was the biggest change I’ve ever made. It was a real shock” says Lew. The move brought him closer to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, but also left him feeling idle and isolated. “I’m not talking to anybody, I’m not seeing anybody, so I started looking for something to do. I saw that no matter what I wanted to do there was a group doing it that I could join.” The museum was just opening so Lew signed up for maintenance and restoration work, and a regular stint on the front desk. He also polishes brass and silver and restores furniture for the op-shop. “I get pleasure out of making things look good again – I get pleasure from other people’s enjoyment. I like exercising the skills that I have.”

Talking to Lew is a lesson in living and ageing well. Keep busy doing something you enjoy, stay connected to people - this would be Lew’s advice, and volunteering has provided him with the opportunity to do that. “Volunteering is just a continuation of how I’ve lived my life. It’s the way I am - I like to be part of things. Without volunteering I don’t know what I’d do. It’s a very important part of my retirement.”

Fulfilling volunteer roles can be found throught the Kaipara district. Jump on the Volunteering Northland website to view them all, or ph 0800 865 268

Story by Helen Frances, volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland

Changing lives through Music

A radical way of learning to play music is opening up Whangarei children's lives to new possibilities and building their resilience.

That's what Sam Winterton, programme director of Sistema Whangarei has discovered since 2013 when the charitable trust began in Otangarei, freely teaching children the violin, cello, double bass and viola.

"Most people consider these instruments are for other people who are more special, more clever or have more money, " Sam says. "When a child learns to play them it changes their view of what is possible." 

Sistema means 'The System' as in an international programme which began in Venezuela. It uses ensemble learning, "radical inclusion" and community involvement to flip the traditional way of learning music. 

"They start with a whisper instrument made of ply and play together. By the end of the first session they feel they can play something, and by the end of a term, they can."

120 children are enrolled with Sistema Whangarei and once enrolled they stay as long as they like. They can attend up to three two-hour classes each week, for which there is no charge. 

Programme Manager Michelle Jones says their kaupapa is about more than music. 

"We are about creating resilience and a healthy community. It's important the children always feel welcome, acknowledged and treasured so they want to continue." 

Sebastian White began learning the violin with Sistema five years ago and says it is one of his most favourite things to do. 

"I like the actual fun of it, the people, the place, the sound we create," says the 11-year-old Tikipunga High student when asked why he keeps attending. "And Michelle and Sam are so kind."
Students are encouraged to practice at home but Sam says to really do their best they each need a music stand, shoulder rest, clear files, pencils and a music bag. Donations of any of these items would be gratefully received.

Other ways to help are joining the team as a volunteer driver or with musicianship, helping out with afternoon tea or supporting the young students during the afternoon sessions. Contact us at Volunteering Northland to learn more.

Story by Leah Ruskin

Brent Copeman about Volunteering; A Challenge with Purpose

Socialising, meeting people, contributing, feeling useful, a challenge; these were some of the ingredients Brent was looking for when he moved to the “big” city Whangarei, 3 years ago.

Brent's first challenge was to explore the maze of streets, widening his circle every day. Now he can find his way in the CBD, Okara, around the loop and most of Kensington without having to look up, which is handy because he is legally blind, not 100%.

He doesn't use any mobility aids, his natural sense of awareness helps him cross streets and use footpaths. Orange cones do pop-up, with parked and moving cars also using those same footpaths.

Next mission; Finding places to be, activities to start, people to meet, and things to do. A regular swim, the loop walk, and the Blind foundation monthly catch-up were all easy to find.

Doing something outside that circle was the next challenge;

“Meeting with Volunteering Northland was great for suggestions. I decided to try out The Hospice Shop processing centre. They quickly found a role to suit me, doing the first sorting of donated goods. I obviously can't see the difference between 2 books or 2 shirts, but the difference between a book and a shirt is obvious”.

Staff and volunteers at Hospice made him feel welcome and appreciated. The first few weeks were a learning process for most.

“In the beginning someone might say 'could you pick-up those boxes and put them over there', and would not explain where over there was, whereas now they will say put those boxes on the table next to the green cupboard. It didn't take long.

I look forward to volunteering at the shop each week, it has become a rhythm for me. It feels like a job and I have colleagues that appreciate me”.

Brent also is a member of WDC DAG (Disability Advisory Group), assists NRC with promotions and volunteers at Volunteering Northland researching data on the web. Having low vision isn't an issue when using the computer as all he needs is a big screen and a large font.

Brent's tip “If you feel you are stuck, stand up and look for something different outside your comfort zone. There are opportunities and there are ways to find them. Give it a chance and speak out before you give up. If one doesn't work, no problem, go for the next one”.

Story by Bart van der Meer, Volunteering Northland

Ruakaka Dog Rescue - volunteers making a difference to the lives of dogs.

It might be one of the most satisfying volunteer experiences of your life.

There is something special about Ruakaka Dog Rescue. Staffed entirely by volunteers and supported by sponsorship and donations it represents the very best of community effort to improve the lives of dogs. Puppies and dogs flourishing in new permanent homes are the obvious success stories, but RDR have a broader focus. They recognise that dog welfare starts with knowledgeable and responsible dog ownership. They undertake public education programmes; they visit owners and provide advice on care and management of their dogs; they will assist with the provision of food, kennels, worm and flea treatments, and de-sexing. No blame, no shame; just helping people provide the best for their dogs. Since starting in 2014 RDR have homed about 400 dogs and puppies, and de-sexed 600.

There is no RDR facility. Dogs are fostered until a permanent home is found. In foster care dogs experience life with a family and other animals. For puppies this is the time of early socialisation and training; for dogs this is often the beginning of the restoration of trust, and for some just learning to be dogs; perhaps for the first time learning to play. “Fostering grows a better dog”, says volunteer Matt Pedersen. “They are better equipped to cope with the world”.

RDR needs volunteers. There is a wide range of ways that people can help, and the work is rewarding. “There is such an obvious need to improve animal welfare, and being part of that is good”, says volunteer Stacey Cordes. “I see puppies in their new homes and I think I helped to make that happen. But everything we do is limited by the number of people on the ground on the day”. Most urgently RDR need people to foster dogs and puppies.

Maria Gabriel and her partner Cedric Marshall have fostered about a dozen puppies for RDR over the last three years. They love seeing puppies adopted, but they enjoy the time they have with each one. “It’s so easy to love an animal that’s so innocent, and it’s really cool to see how different they are all are.” Cedric notes that whilst it’s a lot of fun, it’s also a serious commitment. They aim to have every puppy go to a permanent home with basic good manners and reliably house-trained. “Puppies need time and attention; you have to be adaptable; you’ve got to be able to be quickly puppy-proofed, and you need a lot of digital storage for all the photos you take”. Of course they have been tempted to keep one or two, but so far have resisted. “If you let them go you stay open to helping more puppies”.

Fostering puppies has been so fulfilling that Maria and Cedric are planning to expand their capability by building a large fenced area on their lifestyle block so they can take adult dogs. They are well supported by RDR. “They are in contact all the time. They cover all the costs. Any issues and it's straight to the vet, and the vet bills them. If you can’t take a puppy it’s never a hassle, and if something happens and you can’t keep one they’ll arrange for someone else to take it. They’re pretty amazing – very positive and non-judgemental.”

If you think fostering dogs in need might be for you, or you can offer some time to RDR in other ways, contact us at  Volunteering Northland (Bay of Islands Animal Rescue also look for foster homes).

It might be one of the most satisfying volunteer experiences of your life.

Story by Helen Frances volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland

We are proud of what we do at Mangawhai Tracks

“Over the last 18 months there have been over 6000 visits to the tracks. That’s the reward – seeing people use it”.

Eleven years ago Gordon Hosking, and a band of committed volunteers, started building tracks in Mangawhai.

They began at Mangawhai Community Park, where there was no access into the native bush, and put several tracks through. Then they formed themselves into the Mangawhai Tracks Charitable Trust, with Gordon leading as the Chair, and they got stuck into a 300 hectare DOC reserve in the Brynderwyns at King Road.

Walking Access NZ funded the bridge to get into the reserve, and Gordon and his team built 12 kilometres of track by hand, sometimes, says Gordon, “with forgiveness rather than permission”. About a dozen volunteers can be found every Friday morning at the reserve maintaining and improving the tracks. “We are very proud of what we do”, says Gordon. “Over the last 18 months there have been over 6000 visits to the tracks. That’s the reward – seeing people use it”.

The Tanekaha tracks project is coming to an end now and the group needs a new project. The first priority, currently going through the Resource Consent process, is a walkway around the harbour, from Back Bay to Pearson St. The team also has ambitions to get a 120 hectare block of native bush declared a Recreational Reserve by the Kaipara District Council. Gordon has an exciting vision for a mix of walking and mountain bike tracks.

Passionate about our native forests, Gordon is a tramper, and a keen mountain biker. Moving to Mangawhai from Rotorua meant leaving the fabulous trails of the Whakarewarewa Forest. But Gordon says that volunteering has more than compensated. “Working with a group of motivated volunteers is so rewarding. I get a lot of pleasure out of what I do and I try to spread that enthusiasm”. One way that Gordon does that is to provide leadership, but typically humble he is quick to acknowledge that “you can’t do it on your own. It’s a team thing”. People are always welcome to join. Contact VOlunteering Northland if you would like to be part of this proactive gang of track builders.

Story by Helen Frances volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland

Northlander Faye Grant loves her St John work

“At nearly 75 it’s nice to still be contributing and helping out . . . I think I’d be lost without it.”

When Faye Grant moved back to Whangarei from Auckland 25 years ago, taking a break from work, she really wanted to help others. Grant initially joined Age Concern, but the person she was looking after passed away, so she found out about St John through a lady called Margaret Suckling and joined St John’s Caring Caller programme.

She now wears three volunteer hats for St John. Grant has been a Caring Caller for 17 years and is now the district manager for Caring Caller in Whangarei. She is also the team leader for Friends of the Emergency Department at Bay of Islands hospital, Kawakawa, having been in that role just over a year. And, she’s also been a St John first responder/volunteer ambulance officer for eight years but is getting older so doesn’t go out much any more, but still enjoys doing things like children’s sports events.

Grant does her Caring Caller duties from home, spending around two hours per day ringing people, sorting interviews, matching Caring Caller volunteers and new clients together.

Every fortnight she goes into town to train new Caring Callers. Every Wednesday she goes into the hospital to serve a four hour shift, despite the hospital in Kawakawa being 40 minutes away from home. It involves sitting and talking to patients in the emergency department, serving meals, making cups of tea, grabbing a magazine, reassuring patients and their families and just keeping patients company while they endure a long wait in hospital.
Grant said she gets great satisfaction in just helping people and people realising help is there. “It’s very rewarding when you see the same patients in the hospital and they are very grateful to have you there,” she said.

“When you join St John they say you be come part of the St John family and my St John family has helped me so much through some very rough times, with the passing of my husband and health issues.

“You just get so involved and it’s immensely rewarding and it’s so good to be involved in some thing where you are really helping people and helping your community."

“At nearly 75 it’s nice to still be contributing and helping out . . . I think I’d be lost without it.”

Story by Staff Reporter (Northern Advocate)

Hail to the Volunteers helping Pets

In the years Anna Crum has been volunteering at the Whangarei SPCA she’s fostered hundreds of kittens and numerous mother cats. It gives her enormous pleasure and she does it be cause of her love of animals. And it’s this dedication that has seen her win the “Fantastic Foster Family” award in the 2019 SPCA Purina Volunteer Awards, one of six awards given by SPCA and Purina during National Volunteer Week.

The awards celebrate the 5000 volunteers who give their time, talent and energy to SPCA across the 39 SPCA centres and 56 SPCA Op Shops.

Retail manager for SPCA Op Shop in Kamo and Whangarei Alison Fromont nominated Crum for the award, saying she has helped provide care for hundreds of kittens over the years while also volunteering at the SPCA Second Chance Store.

“Anna has dedicated herself to saving cats and kittens, literally saving the lives of hundreds of them. During the last kitten season, she fostered 114 kittens as well as some mother cats.
She is such a compassionate person,” Fromont said.

More than 120 nominations were received from SPCA staff and volunteers across the country for the awards. They were narrowed to a short list and judged by Andrea Midgen, CEO, SPCA and Jennifer Chappell, country manager, Purina. Midgen said that SPCA simply could not function with out the loyal contribution of the national network of volunteers, and partners such as Purina, who have sponsored these awards since 2016 and ensure all SPCA’s cats and dogs nation wide are fed with Purina One.

“Our dedicated volunteer base is the lifeblood of our organisation, many of whom have worked with us for several years. It is because of these incredible people that SPCA can continue to help tens of thousands of animals each year. Together with Purina, we want to acknowledge the difference these volunteers make to the lives of animals in need,” Midgen said.

“Our volunteers help with every single aspect of SPCA’s work – from cleaning and feeding animals, to helping with administration and fundraising. Our op shop volunteers receive, clean and merchandise donated goods to help raise vital funds.”

Story by Staff Reporter (The Northern Advocate)

Donna knows the power of volunteering

“It gets you out there and meeting people... I would have found it much more difficult in Kaitaia if I hadn't volunteered.”

The benefits of volunteering go far beyond the sense of fulfilment to be gained from being an active member of a community, helping others and actively working for worthy causes.

The best outcome can be progressing from volunteer to paid employee.

So says Volunteering Northland, and Donna King is a perfect example of that.

Donna, originally from around the By of Plenty / central North Island area, has returned after 19 years in Australia, and is now happily ensconced in Kaitaia with her black Lab Pepper, who also made the trip from West Australia to the Far North (What did that cost? “You don't want to know”).

A former chartered accountant who had no desire to return to that occupation, Donna offered her services to bidders via Volunteering Northland's website, and soon found herself engaged with the SPCA and the Eco Centre, both in Kaitaia. Just weeks later she had paid jobs with both of them, in animal care and some computer work and as a funding and finance office respectively.

Together those positions, both of which benefit from her background and experience, employ her for 30 hours a week, and Donna is happy with that lot.

Volunteering Northland, she said, had been very helpful and actively supportive. She agreed that volunteering could be a very good place to start for someone who is looking to earn a living. Good references, showing an individual to be reliable, responsible and keen to work, could open a lot of doors, particularly when they did not have a great deal of previous employment, if any, to refer to. “It gets you out there and meeting people too”, she said.

“I would have found it much more difficult in Kaitaia if I hadn't volunteered. Even as an accountant by trade I probably would have struggled with no easily contactable references, so it was important that I had the chance to show what I could do.”

“This is me for now,” she added. “I have two jobs and I'm well settled.”

Both the Eco Centre and the SPCA would be always keen to enlist more volunteers however, and while there could be no guarantees of that evolving into paid employment, Donna was adamant that a great deal of satisfaction and benefit could be gained by active involvement in both.

Story by Peter Jackson (The Northland Age)

Still giving back at 100 years old

You’re never too old to care and help others, and it’s something Whangarei woman Doreen Alexander knows well.

Aged 100, Doreen is still volunteering at the Hospice Shop in Whangarei and reckons it helps keep her young.

Besides, the sprightly centenarian jokes, if she wasn’t there to keep the rest of the people at the Hospice Shop in line chaos could ensue.

And that’s just what she does, as well as keeping every body happy, entertained and inspired, Hospice retail manager Kathy McMillan said.

“She’s just wonderful and has such a great sense of humour. The customers love her and we just love her being herself,” McMillan said.

“She’s great with the customers and she has her regulars who come in just to see her on Mondays. She’s also been a regular at the Growers Market on Saturday mornings — she’s such a great volunteer. Her contribution is immense and she’s such an inspiration.”

Doreen has been volunteering at the Hospice Shop since May 2001, but has been volunteering “ever since I gave up work”.

She started volunteering at Hospice after having a friend go through its palliative services and seeing the outstanding job the organisation does.

“I just wanted to give something back. I love coming here and it gives me something to do. It keeps me young,” Doreen said.

She was born in Whangarei, and has lived in the city all her life, and Doreen said the best part about volunteering is being able to give some thing back to her community.

She said she’s an example that you are never too old to do some thing for others and volunteering gives her a real sense of purpose and she’s sure others will get a lot out of giving up some of their own time to help people.

“One of my regular customers (who had made her a birthday cake previously) was going to make my 100th cake, but sadly she broke her wrist so couldn’t do it. That’s the appreciation you get.”

In these days when everybody seemed to be busy and rushing, Doreen said taking some time out to do some thing good would help people cope with their busy lives as volunteering gave so much pleasure to the volunteer and those they helped.

“I love it here. I just get such a nice feeling from helping out and knowing you’ve been able to make a contribution.”

Doreen turned 100 on Thursday and there will be two celebrations for her today at the Badminton Hall, in Whangarei and then Hospice will have its own celebration with her on Monday while the Whangarei Labour Party, of which Doreen is a life member, will hold a birthday bash for her on Thursday.

That’s a lot of birthday wishes, but Doreen’s looking forward to receiving them all.

Story by Mike Dinsdale (The Northern Advocate) 

Mangawhai Museum "There’s so much here; so much to learn, so much to do.”

Volunteers are the life-blood of the Mangawhai Museum. Currently 88 volunteers fill a wide range of roles essential to the success of the museum, including reception, manning the café and the shop, taking care of the collection, maintaining the museum displays, looking after the grounds, fundraising, event management, research and writing, education, and genealogy.

Joy Wilson is a member of this community of volunteers. Joy started five years ago before the museum opened, first helping to clean collection items, and then moving into textile conservation. As the new collections database was set up she assisted with the numbering and descriptions of garments. In the museum display you can see the delicate stitching that is stabilising the fabric of an old dress. The storage rooms out the back are an exemplar of systematic organisation, all led and executed by volunteers.

Although Joy found learning about conservation and the technical aspects of caring for the collection hugely interesting, when the museum opened in 2014 Joy elected to take a role in reception. “I like the public contact and I think my back of house experience helps me do a better job front of house”.

“Retirement”, says Joy, “is not just the end of your working life; it is the beginning of the rest of your life. You have to do things, learn new things.” As a relative newcomer to Mangawhai volunteering at the museum has provided her with stimulation, new friends and a sense of fulfillment and belonging. “It is neat to be part of such a wonderful organisation. The people here are so professional, so organised. It makes you feel very proud. You meet people all the time; the volunteers become your friends. It’s a really good way of becoming part of the community. “

Mangawhai Museum is looking for new volunteers to help with front of house and Joy encourages others to join. “It’s an amazing place. There’s so much here; so much to learn, so much to do.”

Contact the museum administrator, Ana, on 09-431-4645, or go to the Volunteering Northland website.

Story by Helen Frances, volunteer reporter for Volunteering Northland

Migrant Shashi loves to chip in and help through Volunteering

"At the end of the day, I just love the feeling of having done something good and accomplishing something"

When Shashi Kariyawasam came to New Zealand from Sri Lanka in 2018, she'd never done any volunteering.

Within the first few months since she had arrived, the 29-year-old had volunteered at Special Olympics and been involved with Multicultural Whangarei for a re-settlement programme at the Whangarei Migrant Centre.

“I worked as a coordinator at the Special Olympics, so I would go to trainings and practices and help cheer up the athletes and help them”. she said. “I also worked at the Migrant Centre on a new project, helping to empower new migrants gain employment”.

Having left Sri Lanka to get a better education, Shashi fell into volunteering through her course at NorthTec. “On the first day at NorthTec they dragged us to the Volunteering Northland Centre and told us we could volunteer as a firefighter, we could cook, garden”.

She said she loves volunteering for the sense of satisfaction she gets out of helping people. “At the end of the day, I just love the feeling of having done something good and accomplishing something”. Whenever they (the migrants) see me now they’re excited to see me and I'm like 'yay, somebody knows me',” she said. But volunteering has served another purpose for Shashi – making friends and meeting people. “Earlier I didn't know anyone here, and now they all know me so that's really good”.

Continuing her volunteering efforts throughout the year, Shashi has since been helping Volunteering Northland at community events and both her and her husband Manoj have enjoyed volunteer face-painting at the Pasifika Fusion Festival in Whangarei. Other volunteer roles included being an Area Coordinator for Pink Ribbon Street Appeal and supporting Cancer Society – Relay for Life. 

During National Volunteer week in 2018, the Northern Advocate published a small piece on Shashi's volunteering experience. Whangarei South Rotary's Club members saw the article and immediately reached out to Shashi. Shashi is now continuing the good work of Rotary International as one of South Rotary Whangarei's newest members. Rotary's aim is to "make a difference locally and globally" and club members are very active in supporting community initiatives. Shashi's efforts in the Whangarei community are really making a difference.

Story By: Northern Advocate/Volunteering Northland

Meeting People and Gaining Connections

“I am passionate about this role and I really enjoy helping in the community”

Vaida Sirutyte-Hughes did a great job of keeping herself busy as a new arrival to NZ in late 2017. With her kiwi husband and two sons, (a preschooler and a 20 year old), there was a house to renovate, but most importantly a desire to get out and meet new people, learn new skills and to get a job.

Vaida is originally from Lithuania, but previous to arriving in NZ she worked in London for 15 years. The first step to meeting people was to head to Multicultural Whangarei where she was introduced to Volunteering Northland. Volunteering with the team, Vaida helped administer a project for National Volunteer Week 2018 working with the local business community. In 2018, while also volunteering at the Quarry Arts Centre in their accounts department, Vaida completed a 20 week Smart Step to Business Course through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and a Professional Speaking course through Multicultural Whangarei and Speech NZ.

While volunteering with Volunteering Northland, Vaida said she was interested in the Emergency Services and the work of the local police. Trish from Volunteering Northland explained all the voluntary emergency service roles including the Fire Service, St John and the city CCTV operators. Another volunteer role keeping the community safe is Whangarei Community Patrol.

Whangarei Community Patrol act as eyes and ears for the police by patrolling residential, business and industrial areas around the city, Vaida is now one of the regulars, heading out once a month on patrol on either a Friday or Saturday night from 10pm to 1am.

Not stopping there, Vaida mentions “I must have explained to Community Patrol that my background is in accounts so they have asked me to also come on board as their treasurer”.

Vaida has now secured a full-time job (on a temporary contract) and continues volunteering with Whangarei Community Patrol. “I am passionate about this role and I really enjoy helping in the community”

“I am learning all the time volunteering, especially picking up Kiwi phrases. I am meeting lovely people and making new connections. I am sure it has contributed to me securing a job as I have also gained Kiwi references and local knowledge”

Story by Trish Clarke (Volunteering Northland)

"Your volunteering efforts never go unnoticed" says deputy Whangārei mayor Sharon Morgan

FROM THE MAYORS DESK

Volunteering takes many shapes and forms. The offering of advice, the selfless giving of your experience, your time, or your energy. You may be a volunteer already, without even realising it!

In our community, I'm always heartened by the number of volunteers who raise their hands on a daily basis.

From my observations, we have many unsung heroes in our District who put themselves forward without any expectation of acknowledgement or reward.

I'd like to take a moment to tell you all how much your donations of time, energy and care mean to us all, you are more important than you may realise.

Have you ever offered to help a fellow school parent with taking their child to an after-school activity? That's volunteering.

Have you ever helped your elderly neighbour take their rubbish out? That's volunteering.

Have you ever helped a stranger carry something heavy to their car? Stepped in to offer directions to a lost tourist? Given someone a lift, served on the PTA, or helped your colleague with their workload?

These may not seem like the actions of a volunteer – but this is where it all starts. These small acts of selfless behaviour cause larger ripples of goodwill to flow out into our community.

My personal experiences with volunteers in my local community over the past two years have been absolutely overwhelming.

The Maungatapere First World War Memorial Church is a far cry now from how it looked just two years ago. This is a volunteer project that sits particularly close to my heart, as I have been involved in some capacity from the very beginning.

The Lions Club of Mangakahia chose to restore this church as their Lions International Centennial Year Project, but they had no idea how it would bring the entire community together.

Volunteers came from every corner, wanting to donate their time and skills into renovating this valuable piece of history; and the results are simply amazing.

Even now, the volunteers are continuing to add the "final touches", including the stitching of nearly 100 heritage-design tapestry cushions in keeping with the history of the building.

Of course, the Maungatapere Church is just an example of what is happening throughout our District, all the time.

The old saying "where there's a will, there's a way" is so apt. I really believe Northland has some of the strongest willed people in New Zealand!

When there's something that needs doing – rubbish clean-up days, community food gardens, community hall renovations or school working bees – Northlanders will just roll up our sleeves and muck in.

I want to say a big thank you to all of the wonderful people who take time out of their own busy lives to give back to our community.

You may not always get the recognition you deserve, but please know that your efforts never go unnoticed.

I know I speak on behalf of every community organisation when I say - you are invaluable.

Ngā mihi nui (kind regards)

* Sharon Morgan, deputy mayor of Whangārei, is filling in for mayor Sheryl Mai this week.

Article republished with permission, Northern Advocate 15 April 2019

Could you be a Lifesaver? Merrin's Story

Whilst you read this you may find yourself thinking, ‘That could be me’. If you’re inspired by Merrin, get in touch with St John. There are many ways you can volunteer with them – from becoming part of the front-line crew in an ambulance to attending events as a First Responder.

Merrin Townley is on most days a quiet, shy resident of Russell, Bay of Islands. But twice a week, as she puts on her St John uniform, she metamorphosises into Merrin, passionate, knowledgeable Operational Volunteer for St John. “Out there, making a difference.” Merrin says.

Merrin’s role

Merrin is a First Responder. She assists the Lead Officer who is either a Paramedic or EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Her role involves finding out the patients’ medical histories, taking and recording ‘vitals’ (blood pressure, temperature) and driving the ambulance. She volunteers for 2 shifts a week, 6am - 6pm and 6pm – 6am. Merrin does not have to physically be in the St John Station for this time, she has a pager and responds from home. When the pager goes off she dons her uniform and can be at the station in 6-8 minutes.

Why did Merrin volunteer?

With her grown up children having ‘fledged’ 6 years ago Merrin and her partner moved to Russell where they have been for three years now. It had been a quiet first winter, and Merrin didn’t know a soul. She felt she wanted to ‘become part of the community in order to help and meet people’.

When she was growing up her ambition was to be a nurse, however life got in the way (as it often does) and her plans changed. Upon reaching the age of 50 Merrin was persuaded by a friend that the time was right to apply for nursing.

She began her application, but in her own words, she ‘chickened out’. The move to Russell was the kickstart she needed to ‘make her dream come true’ and she took the bold step of volunteering for St John. After an interview which was a friendly, welcoming chat she walked away feeling really good about it and the people she would be working with.

Merrin’s volunteering role began with observation shifts. It was then she knew that ‘this is what I was meant to do’. She loved it from the beginning, being part of a team, helping the community, meeting people and learning, learning, learning. At first she was worried – it had been a long time since school. But with support from her mentor and the rest of the ‘St John family’ she has successfully completed her ORM (Operational Risk Management), First Aid, Driver training and First Responder course.

What does Merrin get out of giving her time voluntarily?

Merrin absolutely loves her volunteer work, she shines with enthusiasm and confidence when explaining what she does and her response to this was priceless. She described it as the feeling she had inside when a patient – often scared, worried and in pain - gave her hand a squeeze in gratitude, or she saw the look in their eye when she reassured them, or the heartfelt hug she received from someone unable to express thanks verbally. It was making a little bit of difference to vulnerable people, just being there for them. She never thought in a million years that she was capable of doing this and she gets back tenfold by just giving up a few hours of her time.

Merrin said the opportunities within St John are incredible. All the training is paid for. She has just embarked upon an EMT qualification which she is thoroughly enjoying. Merrin believes that life experience has given her compassion and understanding, age is not a barrier.

After every job there is a debrief during which she can speak freely with her partner. As a ‘newbie’ she has never felt judged and realises there are no ‘silly questions’. Merrin has not yet attended a major cardiac arrest or car accident and confesses that the first time she tried to take a pulse she was concentrating so hard that she found it very difficult. But practise makes everything easier and Merrin has now even worked a few shifts at Kawakawa when needed there.

Merrin summed up her volunteering experience like this: “It’s become my passion, I love it. Everyone at the station is willing to give their time to help you as a volunteer, you are never alone, and it is such a rewarding thing to do. The closest ambulance station would be Kawakawa if it were not for Russell, so volunteers are doing this for the community."

- Diana Smith (Volunteer reporter at Volunteering Northland)

Volunteering at Artbeat 2019

It really was an Artbeat festival full of sound and colour. And how wonderful it was to be part of it all. My special jobs on Saturday, 3 February was to read out loud books to kids of all ages and then to help plan and execute the pirate’s treasure hunt. What could be more exciting?

The Artbeat Festival is an annual event held by Creative Northland in the Cafler Park near the local Whangarei library. The day dawned bright and cheerful and promised to be not too hot and not too cold with no rain forecast at all. And it was all that and more, with tantalising aromas of food to be bought and coffee and teas to be sampled.

And kids, so many of them everywhere enjoying the sounds and sights. So much for them to participate in. Hundreds, literally hundreds of children were getting their faces painted with the the queue nearly circled the block. They could also try their hands at carving stone, making paper, painting on spinning wheels, making the hugest bubbles I had ever seen and of course listening to my “dulcet” tones reading The Cat in the Hat books to any that wanted to listen.

We are not sure, but I had a sneaky feeling that the kids were watching us plan out the treasure hunt because their brilliance at finding the clues was superb. They found all the clues in record time and were soon sharing out the spoils of treasure. Not gold but lollies. A treat for everyone. I even managed to snaffle one or two away for later.

Crafts in one corner set the scene for me being a crochet fanatic. I loved seeing the creativity coming alive. Made me want to get home and get my own crochet out. Paintings, pottery, knitting, eco friendly gear, bags, aprons, tee-shirts, trousers, calendars, pin holders, necklaces and bracelets. The list is endless and such a joy to see so many creative people come to show off their wares.

I didn’t really get to hear many of the sounds and sights of the stage, but by the size of the crowd watching from the grassy incline it seemed to being very well received. I did notice belly dancers, choirs and out back I managed to spy a rapper or two. An MC with boundless energy was keeping the audience up to date with what was going on.

Food in another corner of the park. The smells making my mouth water every time I had to walk past. Rather special were the Waka Burgers I can’t really explain how extra special these burgers are but if you ever get to try one go for it, you won’t be disappointed. There was also a vast variety of foods you could buy: fresh fruit ice blocks, Chinese, Indian you name it and even a man singing his products so we would buy his baklava. Oh, and the doughnuts, bring extra money to next year’s event so you can buy one. Yummo.

It was a long day, from 7am to 4pm. But the work was totally rewarding, and not at all stressful (that was left to the well oiled organising team). They did very very well and need a great big pat on the back. I will definitely be back next year volunteering at ArtBeat. I had as they say; a ball doing my bit.

- Janette Morrison

Diana Digs in with Sea Cleaners

It’s Tuesday, it’s 8 am down at Opua Marina, and I have easily spotted Tracy in the large Sea Cleaners Ute, ready to go collecting rubbish from the shore thus preventing it entering (or returning to) the sea.

With recycling and sea pollution a big issue in the news world-wide, this was my opportunity to see one way in which New Zealand was tackling this challenge. I’d volunteered to accompany Tracy on her daily job of scouring secluded shorelines. Tracy is Bay of Islands born and bred and now works for Sea Cleaners, a charitable trust based in Auckland whose vision statement is:

‘To preserve the New Zealand coastline for the benefit of marine life and enjoyment for all users.’

Tracy’s Sea Cleaners patch ranges from Warkworth up to the top of the far north, a huge stretch of coastline. It wasn’t until later that I realised just how enormous the task ahead of her really is.

She was so friendly and funny I knew immediately that however hard the work was we’d have a good day. Equipped with borrowed gummies and gloves and accompanied by Paul, a regular volunteer, we set out to clean up Skudders Beach. No Sea Cleaners boat necessary today as the high tide was exceptionally low and a boat wouldn’t be much use in the mangroves.

Like a kid on a school trip I ate my lunch as soon as we arrived (which was just as well considering how disgustingly mucky I was about to get!). Then, tucking spare rubbish bags in her waistband, Tracy led the way. Paul definitely had a knack for this job – before he’d gone more than a couple of paces, he scooped up, of all things, an abandoned garden gnome and an alarm clock. We all soon amassed a treasure trove of rubbish along with heaps of more mundane bottles and plastic waste. As we filled more and more sacks Tracy advised focussing on plastics, so the rusty tractor (yes, really) and the dilapidated boat had to stay for another day.

Clambering through the tangled web of mangrove trunks and spindly branches, tugging rubbish from thick mud and then hauling our loads back to the truck wasn’t easy. A short water break was essential, then back to business. Refreshed, we retraced our (sinking) steps through the pungent mangrove, wads of spare bags now tucked in my gummies. I was honestly pretty appalled by the amount and variety of rubbish either washed in by the tide or abandoned from the shore.

33 large blue sacks of rubbish (plus a plastic garden chair, two car tyres, a starter motor and several lengths of hose) had to be hoisted into the back of the ute. It took 2 trips to the transfer station to offload it all. Both Tracy and Paul agreed it had been a tough day but although we were all coated in mud, smelling pretty rank and at least one of us had a leaky wellie full of black goo (ok, it was me!) it was totally satisfying to have cleared so much from that section of the shore. Countering that was the knowledge that we could return the next day and probably collect just as much again. I’m back home now, looking like a Jackson Pollock mud splatter, pretty much worn out, but left pondering the massive challenge of littering and how to deal with it.

Fortunately, the local beaches here are regularly cleaned, and many people pick up litter as they walk (or actually don’t drop it in the first place) – our beaches are fairly pristine as a result, but Sea Cleaners is another level. Getting into difficult to reach areas where debris becomes trapped or washed out to sea in the next tide is a never-ending task which people like Tracy tackle in incredibly cheerful fashion day after day.

If volunteering to help collect litter which could, if left, ultimately contaminate the New Zealand coastline and sea, sounds like something you could do, I would highly recommend dropping Volunteering Northland or Sea Cleaners an email. Just take your wellies and be prepared for some hard work!

- Volunteer reporter, Diana Smith

Meet the Team

Thanks to our volunteer governance members and staff who attended a planning and strategy meeting last weekend. 
Meet the team, left to right:
Fiona Morgan (Volunteer Trustee & Chairperson, Senior Commercial Manager at ASB Bank), Chris Anderson (Volunteer Trustee, Strategy & Design at Level), Megan Wills (Volunteer Trustee & Treasurer, Director of Wills Westenra Ltd), Lucy Schuurman (Administrator, Projects, IT Specialist), Bart van der Meer (Manager, Volunteer Secretary), Colin Kitchen (Volunteer Trustee, Councillor Far North District), Libby Jones (Volunteer Trustee, Manager Jigsaw North Family Services, Councillor Kaipara District) Trish Clarke (Outreach Coordinator, Media Liaison), Chris Carey (Volunteer Trustee, Artist). Apologies from Cherry Hermon (Volunteer Trustee, Councillor Whangarei District).

Thank you to our Awesome Team for all your hard work.

Comprehensive First Aid Training

Story by Diana Smith attending the First Aid Training in Kaikohe, May 2018

If it were up to me, Triple One Care First Aid courses would be awarded a Triple A Star badge to sew on its sleeve! That's what I would award Simon after attending his two day First Aid in the Workplace course.

Simon's key message is, in the words of Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, 'Be Prepared'. Be prepared for an emergency with up-to-date first aid skills and fit for purpose resources. Many of us on the course were surprised to discover that quite a lot we thought we knew had changed. No more improvisation!

In: Organised Emergency Plan with location GPS coordinates, nearest defibrillator and other relevant info, Out: mad panic to find phone numbers, guessing how far along the Karikari peninsula you are, frantic search for defibrillators...

In: CPR now 30 quick and firm compressions to 2 breaths, Out: Compressions in time to 'Staying Alive, uh, uh, uh, uh ... ( too slow) and so much more.

Instantly, Simon made us feel at ease with his sense of fun and friendly banter. He cleverly introduced an element of competition and as we were teamed up randomly we soon got to know each other. We were encouraged to learn by our mistakes with a healthy dollop of good humour thrown in.

A combination of Simon's paramedic experiences, real life video footage, demonstrations and hands on activities kept things lively. We were actively involved in our learning and time just flew by. When he related incidents he'd attended he held us in the palm of his hand, none of the fidgeting, coughing or surreptitious phone checking that often occurs on courses. We liked and respected Simon, he liked and respected us. We wanted to learn. We did!

We learnt how to identify, prioritise and treat life threatening injuries. We practised CPR on adult, child and infant size dolls, and used something that I'd seen on TV programmes but not in real life, a defibrillator. What an amazing piece of tech, it actually speaks and tells you what to do! 'I have a defibrillator and I'm not afraid to use it' (Well, I haven't actually got one, but I know where the nearest one is now, thanks to my phone app AED)

As with all courses there was assessment, but Simon made this completely non-threatening - we marked each other using guidelines from our booklets. I loved acting out the scenarios he gave us. One team had to identify and treat the injuries of a man in a car 'accident'. Apologies to Simon's colleague who was the 'casualty', but he was a large man, stuck in a small car! How to get him out to treat him without a tin opener or crane?! Team Adele scored many points for asking the just about 'conscious' victim to get out of the vehicle by himself. Seems obvious? But maybe not in a stressful situation.

I returned home with red marker pen 'wounds' and 'burns' up my arms and reflected on how much I didn't know, or had forgotten, before the course. I even know how to hold a fire extinguisher properly (horizontally to mix the powder and compressed air). That evening I added two apps to my phone. GoodSam, a community of lifesavers - doctors, nurses, paramedics in our neighbourhood we can call in an emergency, and an AED app which maps defibrillators in your area. I would wholeheartedly recommend attending a Triple One Care First Aid course, not only do I now own an Israeli roller bandage and packs of burn gel, but I am armed with the confidence and knowledge that if faced with a life threatening injury I would be able to administer first aid and pass on vital info to the Emergency services.

Volunteer Northland organises these training sessions which are partially funded by Foundation North and a number of gaming trusts. Training is available for volunteer and paid staff from non-profit organisations in Northland. First Aid trained staff in the work place reduces pressure on St John and the fire service. Amazingly, 30% of Fire Service call outs are medical calls. So give Simon a call, get yourself 'prepared' , learn in a fun way and who knows, you may one day save a life.

Breaking news! (Fortunately just breaking news, not breaking bones!)
Jodele, manager of a busy local cafe, had been on our course and just two days later was called upon to administer First Aid, not once but twice! First up was Haki, a Cafe Assistant, who slipped whilst carrying a hot water urn. Jodele treated burns to his leg using burn gel pads provided by Simon, glad wrap and a calm manner (also, in a way, provided by Simon!) She said that she was glad she had done the course and was able to help. Nurses and the doctor at Whangarei hospital praised Jodele's action, telling her she had done such a good job that they thought paramedics had treated the burns. Haki was soon back to work with no scarring. Then, a couple of days later, Jodele was again called into action when another staff member slipped and fell hurting her hip, shoulder, neck and elbow. Jodele checked her over then sat with her until they were both certain there was no need for further treatment. Coincidentally, the patient had also attended the same first aid course! For the second time that week, Jodele had been "caring and took control." On both occasions Jodele was able to phone Simon who confirmed that she had done the right thing.

Volunteering Provides Pathway to Paid Work

Whangarei migrants Vinkal Gaur and Astrid Kelly found volunteering helped them successfully find paid work, assisted by an employment program at Multicultural Whangarei.

International Northtec student Vinkal Guar came to New Zealand in 2017 to study a Bachelor Degree in Sport and Recreation. He wanted to build networks and connected with Multicultural Whangarei and Volunteering Northland through the Northtec International Student orientation. He also applied for advertised jobs but found the lack of response frustrating, plus he really wanted to work in the sports industry.
“I applied for jobs in the supermarket,” he says, “but I never heard back from anyone.”

As part of the Multicultural Whangarei employment program he volunteered to lead Yoga classes. This led to a referral to the Whangarei Aquatic Centre, which resulted in a few weeks working as a volunteer there until he was offered a paying job.

“I have learned a lot, and I continue to learn.” Gaur says of his six months working as a group fitness instructor. He says his job wasn’t advertised, and his hours have increased since he started work.
“This is the ideal job for me in my current situation” he says, “it is an amazing place to work… and it is very satisfying.”

Migrant Astrid Kelly had a similar experience after migrating to New Zealand from the Philippines to join her kiwi husband. By late 2016 she had a visa allowing work and through her own research into job searching she learned volunteering could help in finding paid work.
“Volunteering can give you exposure… it can be a stepping stone to work,” she says.
Like Gaur, she had no success in applying for advertised jobs but worked as a volunteer through a Multicultural Whangarei employment program and joining Volunteering Northland.
“My first volunteering in administration was for Plunket,” says Kelly. She was also a volunteer event photographer for Multicultural Whangarei.

She used these local work experiences and references when applying for paid work as her other references were from the Philippines. In 2017 she applied for a job suited to her skills at Literacy Whangarei, a vacancy she discovered through her Multicultural Whangarei network. She began work as a Literacy Whangarei administrator in May.
“Volunteering is good for foreigners to know how it works here in New Zealand,” Kelly says about work experience and the job application process.
Multicultural Whangarei Centre Manager Jessie Manney agrees. “Lots of New Zealand employers want local experience” she says. “And we have our own volunteer program here… I can give a reference when someone has volunteered for us.”

As well as gaining local work experience and references, Manney has found
volunteering helps migrants find work through developing networks which give them access to more opportunities. It also helps migrants get to know their community and to learn how things are done in New Zealand.
As a migrant herself Canadian Manney has experienced this and says there are a lot of small things to learn about a new country, “Here it is ‘A4’ and I never heard that before,” she says of standard A4 sized paper, “We call it ‘letter size’.”

She has observed that being a successful volunteer helps newcomers build confidence as well as providing opportunities to practice language skills in a work setting, all of which help with success in getting paid work.

- Cathy Robinson

Bay Beach Clean

All ready for the off at 8.45 am: bag packed ready (sun cream- check, sunnies - check, hat - check, rubbish bags, gardening gloves - check errr, rubbish bags, gardening gloves?! ) They're packed because it's Bay Beach Clean. Bay Beach Clean is a group of volunteers who meet alternate Sunday mornings to collect rubbish from Waitangi to Te Haumi. There is an 'A' team and a 'B' team who start at different ends of the Bay and meet in the middle at Alongside Restaurant in Paihia for a generous free coffee and chat afterwards. 

John and I have only taken part three times so far. We were a little bit surprised the first time when we realised  that  there were only three of us. We checked the time and place, 'B' team, 9.00 by the boat ramp at Te Haumi. We looked around at dog walkers and ramblers wondering if they were part of the team, but no, so the three of us got on with it. With some advice from the other volunteer we collected not only glass, cans, paper etc but treated wood that can leak chemicals into the sea. Amazingly the most common debris washed up on the shore was pegs. Between us we also found an assortment of woolly hats, socks and  undies (possibly from faraway peg-less washing lines!)

The next time we took extra collection bags with us thinking that there may be detritus from Christmas and New Year's Eve revels. Pleasingly the good folk of the Bay had mostly cleaned up after themselves (or the council had got there first!) 

It's a really nice way to start the day.  We have lots of cheerful chats with people we meet along the way, a few shout outs from well wishers, a lovely coffee from Alongside, a warm feeling inside and best of all we made friends with another Bay Beach Clean volunteer. Sadly, we haven't managed to meet up with any A team volunteers yet, we must keep missing each other. 

Check the Bay Beach Clean website for dates and times to help keep the bay beautiful.
http://www.baybushaction.org.nz/BayBeachClean

 - Diana Smith

Friends of Waitangi

It was a call for help from the Friends of Waitangi which led my husband John and I to volunteer to support the team behind the scenes at the Waitangi Treaty Commemoration celebrations. 


Ngā Hapū o Ngāpuhi supported by Waitangi National Trust were going to be setting up food and beverage stations and providing refreshments for the public attending pōwhiris for the Governor General and the Prime Minister.  As they were also hosting buffets for the Governor and Prime Minister on two consecutive days they were asking for volunteers to lend a helping hand with preparation, cooking and clean up afterwards. 

We turned up at 8 am and were pretty amazed at the buzz of activity already in place.  Security seemed to be high, and after a bit of to and fro-ing on radios we made our way to the Hobson building to meet Rowena and her team. John quickly made himself useful in the kitchen - he buttered and jammed a mountain of bread alongside a very welcoming group of women who were busy preparing bright orange crayfish, huge crates of raw fish in coconut milk, moist dark chocolate steamed cake, platters of fresh fruit, pipis piled high and smoked fish amongst many other sweet and savoury dishes for the buffets. 

Meanwhile I was busy in the marquee setting up tables, laying places and making new friends! Rowena, the aunties and the rest of the team, including young staff from the Waitangi cafe, the Whare Waka, were probably under pressure, but still found the time to be patient with us newbies and I felt very privileged to be a part of this occasion. There were three other volunteers and we pitched in wherever necessary. As the morning rolled on we drew near to our 11.00 deadline. This was when the pōwhiri for Jacinda Ardern was due to finish and her party of guests would be making their way over for 'morning tea'. 

The  marquee was undergoing transformation into a beautiful dining space. The sides of the tent had been adorned with wall hangings and tapestries and now gorgeous flower decorations (courtesy of the 'aunties') were displayed on the tables dotted amongst an abundance of amazing kai, spectacular in colour and variety. Morning tea? This was more like breakfast, lunch and dinner combined! 

We had reached that time when there was nothing else to do until the guests arrived, so we popped out to watch the guests being greeted by the welcoming Haka, and then listened to speeches. This was the first time a woman had been accepted to speak at the Pōwhiri, and it felt like an historic occasion. The atmosphere was traditional yet super friendly.  Jacinda Ardern was obviously well respected, doubly so, not only for appearing at the Treaty Grounds but for her open humility. 

The day was heating up, the sky was blue, the Navy were rehearsing for their big day on Tuesday, I was unbelievably happy to be there. Once the guests arrived and were seated we served steaming hot hangi, squeezing the dishes in like jigsaw puzzle pieces as the tables were so full of food. Not for long though, the Powhiri appeared to have worked up some appetites as we were soon clearing away huge piles of empty plates.   We took them to John and Graham who were recycling and stacking everything to be magically washed by the cafe staff ready for the next buffet at 2.00 pm. As we worked many people thanked us, complimenting the food and appreciating the hard work. The marquee was filled with the sound of chatter and laughter, and some intense networking! 

The wonderful Ngā Hapū o Ngāpuhi team had been extremely busy for many days with preparation; the scale of organisation was incredible especially as they were feeding the public too. Their philosophy was that we were all special guests, today was for everyone and their unflaunted aim was to feed everyone and offer their warm hospitality to all. 

Later in the afternoon we gathered together as the Prime Minister wanted to meet the workers to say thank you. Everyone was pretty excited as Jacinda and her partner came over, spoke to us all and happily took part in the many 'selfies' and photo opps. What a day! John and I made our way home to showers and to put our feet up knowing that we had been a very, very small part of a very special occasion. I had learnt a lot about New Zealand's past and present. Thank you Rowena and the rest of the team, we'll always remember this day fondly. 

-Diana Smith
 

ASB Bank adds a Sparkle this Christmas

For the third Christmas running, staff from ASB Bank Commercial and Rural teams have been decking out the Selwyn Park Village and Rest-home with Christmas decorations.

Recently 8 staff members headed up to Maunu with an 8.30am start, decorating the large Christmas trees at the village.

As part of Volunteering Northland's Employee or Team Volunteering program, this initiative is about making lasting connections between corporate and non-profit organisations.

Senior Commercial Manager at ASB Bank Fiona Morgan is also the Chair at Volunteering Northland. She says all the staff at ASB Bank love the chance to help with the Christmas decorations. “With a group of us working together we can get this done quite quickly around our work commitments and then of course Selwyn Village provides us with a delicious morning tea”. Like most corporate organisations, staff love the chance to do something meaningful for other groups in the community.

During National Volunteering Week in June this year, staff from ASB Branches in Whangarei and Kaitaia also sent out teams volunteering. Part of a garden clean-up project was tackled at CCS Disability Action in Kamo, and Kaitaia Hospice Shop had a team helping out sorting donations.

Trish Clarke from Volunteering Northland says "Employee volunteer programmes provide benefits for organisations, individuals, community groups and wider society. Projects broaden a team’s outlook, extends thinking beyond a work desk and is generally fun in the process. Business skills applied to community projects add capacity and new ideas".
Try it in 2018!

Growing a Strong Connection

The Falls Estate and The Papermill – Growing a strong connection

Staff and residents of the Falls Estate jumped at the chance offered by Volunteering Northland to support The Papermill by tending to their gardens.

Recently two of the Falls Estate gardening team , Chris Allen and Sam Camocamo, the Village Manager, Ros Martin and a resident Ken Barber, spent a morning pulling weeds and chopping back overgrown plants in readiness for planting gardens which will be colourful and vibrant, but easier to care for.

Village Manager, Ros Martin says that she sees the gardening effort as a wonderful opportunity to create a lasting connection between the Falls Estate Village and the Papermill. “Many of our residents have been keen gardeners and love the chance to do something meaningful and special for a group of people in the community who are achieving to their highest ability,” she said.

“We anticipate that we will take these refurbished gardens under our collective wing and keep them looking attractive over time. We also hope that the papermakers will visit us at the Village to inspire us with their amazing art work. It’s the beginning of a long term relationship between the two organisations.”

The Papermill Business Manager, Paula Lang says that they have been thrilled to have the Falls Estate become associated with The Papermill. “While we would love to tend to the gardens ourselves, it’s just not possible – so we are very grateful to The Falls Estate. What they achieved in a morning is more than we could have ever imagined, and we look forward to keeping in touch in a variety of ways with the staff and residents.”

Boomerang Bags in Paihia

Boomerang Bags in Paihia, watch out, they return in two weeks!

As newbie volunteers my niece Connie and I were a little apprehensive. Why? Because with our sewing paraphernalia tucked under our arms we were on our way to the 35 Degrees South restaurant on the sunny Paihia waterfront. This was the venue for making Boomerang Bags, a charity set up in Australia and now over here, which involves making shopping bags from recycled material to replace plastic carriers. It sounded great but, really, what had we let ourselves in for? We'd have to speak to people we didn't know, would our novice needlework skills be given scant regard? Brave faces on, we giggled that we were off to save the planet (a side effect of volunteering!!) with a pillowcase, scissors, pins and a sewing machine.

Sarah Greener, the organiser, greeted us and filled us in on the tasks. Although it was only just past 9.00 am there were already lots of busy people cutting out fabrics, pinning, sewing, ironing and screen printing. I was actually amazed. Connie and I set ourselves up on the cutting out table. Boxes galore of gorgeous fabrics had been donated by a local curtain making company, a huge array of t shirts, vests, pillow cases and other recycled fabrics had all been generously given by local people and charity shops. We enjoyed choosing material for bags we thought we would like, then sensibly realised it wasn't about us, it was about making as many as possible. Sarah told us that the Paihia FourSquare used at least 300 plastic bags a day. Boomerang Bags had a mission. Get people to use a fabric bag to take home their shopping, then return it to the shop on their next trip in so others could use it.  

We were too busy to be nervous now, we were part of a team generating a real buzz. Sarah, and her family, had kindly provided coffee and muffins (yumski btw), and I joked that we were working in the most beautiful sweat shop in the world. Seriously, have you seen the view from 35 Degrees South? Sun was pouring in through the windows. The bay was at its best.  If a unicorn had flown overhead it couldn't have been any better! 

Many of the volunteers had responded to facebook posts, others word of mouth and local shop window posters. I think there were also a couple of ladies who just walked in to see what was going on! Out on the deck they would have seen a hive of activity. Boomerang Bags logo was being screen printed onto pockets which were to be stitched onto the front of each bag. The team included some hard working children, some of whom were wielding hair dryers. Their job was to heat dry the logos before passing on the pockets to the ironing team (and obviously to stave off any unwelcome intruders with their hairdryer weapons!) 

About 12.00 people began to drift off as the restaurant was filling up.  It had been a very productive morning, many bags made and many volunteers took some home to finish them. Thanks to 35 Degrees South's incredible venue and Sarah's excellent organisational skills Connie and I had a brilliant introduction to volunteering and although the planet isn't quite saved yet Boomerang Bags is certainly raising awareness and doing something about it. I'll be back next time, hope to see you there too. 

- Diana Smith 

National Volunteer Week 2017

Most successful of the NVW 2017 program was the “Team Volunteering” project.

Connecting local business leaders with Not for Profit organisations. 21 projects were actioned with 26 different teams joining up. That's 120+ volunteers! A couple of individuals have offered on-going support to the organisations they were involved with. Also, the local press have responded favourably with a number of editorial stories and photos in the Northland regional newspapers.

    This initiative also highlights how 'episodic or short term' volunteering is a growing trend globally, evidence shows that with today’s busy lifestyle, volunteers are looking for flexible arrangements and are often willing to commit in the short-term. (State of Volunteering Report, VNZ 2016). - Trish Clarke (Volunteering Northland)

    As part of National Volunteer Week (18 - 24th June), the Northland Advocate took on our challenge to spend time with us to brainstorm on how we can better promote WINGS within our community and increase our paid memberships. A team of three people form the Northern Advocate (Craig, Greg and Jan) generously spent two hours with Caroline, Jackie and Rosalind throwing around idea's and strategies. A big 'Thank you' to Volunteer Northland for providing an avenue for businesses to help each other within Volunteer Week. And a massive 'Thank you' to the team from Northern Advocate for taking on the challenge. - Caroline Hudson (WINGS)

    Last week for National Volunteer Week a few of the ladies from our centre and myself visited Dress for Success and had a lot of fun learning about their services. We helped with the ironing, polishing shoes and sorting clothing for the upcoming sale. We worked alongside volunteers from Dress for success as well as Alison Geddes the new General Manager of Planning and Development for WDC - Jessie Manney (Mulitcultural Whangarei)

Team Volunteering Hitting a High this June

The temperature may be dropping, but the enthusiasm and uptake of Volunteering Teams in Northland has already hit a high this month.

In recognition of National Volunteer Week (18-24 June 2017), Volunteering Northland asked a number of businesses and organisations to rally a group or team to volunteer on a project at a non-profit for a half day during the week. The response was phenomenal, with teams ranging from large corporate organisation's leadership teams and big business groups, through to other non-profits, migrants and student crews taking part.

Some teams are using their business skills to help a community group, others are gathering teams to carry out projects as diverse as book-sorting to tree-planting, painting, cleaning and even unpacking 1000's of Teddy Bears. Over 24 teams have already committed to help out various non-profit organisations all over Northland.

Manager of Volunteering Northland Bart van der Meer said the response was incredible, both from the non-profit's project ideas to the teams wanting to volunteer. He says the key this year was simply asking people, such as getting organisations to come up with short term projects and asking teams to come on-board. “We know that most people volunteer because someone asked them to, this year our role was to start the asking and then be a conduit between the various groups”.

The aim of Team Volunteering is for groups to have fun, make valuable connections, all the while helping to build a connected community, and to boost a team's morale through an enriching activity. “By the end of the day, a team will have achieved something worthwhile for a good cause”.

This initiative also highlights how 'episodic or short term' volunteering is a growing trend globally, evidence shows that with today’s busy lifestyle, volunteers are looking for flexible arrangements and are often willing to commit in the short-term. (State of Volunteering Report, VNZ 2016).

- Trish Clarke (Volunteering Northland)

Love and be Loved this Valentine's Day

Come February 14th will you be looking for more love and/or friendship in your life? Surprisingly, the answer isn't speed dating or splashing out on an expensive meal. It's volunteering.

Research by leading universities, including the London School of Economics and Harvard, reveals that by giving your time and help to a worthy cause you will receive multiple benefits including feeling happier. And let's face it, when we look happy we are far more fanciable.

Go to Town, Make a Bike

Whare Bike Whangarei is not your typical bike shop. Run entirely by volunteers and with parts and funding coming from mostly donations, this is a place that with a little time and effort turns fantasies to reality, part of a revolutionary co-op known as a ‘bike kitchen.’ It’s a not-for-profit, bicycle cooperative focused on making cycling and bike repair accessible to everyone.

30 year old cycle enthusiast and entrepreneur Ash Holwell is at the forefront of the Whare Bike recent re-emergence and blossoming success.

“I guess I had no idea at the beginning, it was just opening up and seeing what happens, then we had a whole lot of bicycle enthusiasts come through and a whole lot of people donating bikes. People tend to think it’s a shame to send old bikes to the land fill. Within the second week of re-opening we got 9 bikes on the road, so there is definitely a demand” Ash also points out how Whare Bike provides the regular volunteers a home and a purpose.

Whare bike is located next to Chipmunks on Woods Road Whangarei and opens Thursday evenings from 5:30- 7:30pm, and is also on Facebook as Whare Bike. Ash is keen to grow and welcomes everyone; those in need of a bike, to new volunteers and special interest groups.

“Just come down to this space and see how it is in its rebuilt state and find out how easy it is to make a bike and how easy it is to volunteer” Whare Bike is currently working on getting systems sorted out to the point of being a sustainable organisation that can support itself and the volunteers into the future. “It’s a hands on way of learning which fits better than school for a whole lot of people. It is a useful skill you can use for yourself, and has a whole lot of applications into the future”.

Ash got the idea of recycling cycles from his travels in Vienna and the Netherlands where he discovered bicycles as a key mode of transport there. “I started cycling in the Netherlands where everyone bicycles. I think there is 19 million bicycles there and only 17 million people”.

Shortly after Ash moved to Vienna he discovered a couple of community bike workshops. “I was a poor student and had no money so I went there to build bikes and I really loved just putting the bikes together… There was one that had a great culture around young kids that were helping out other people. The cycle couriers would also come in after work and have a beer and then everyone would work on their bikes for a while and then have food together, it was a really cool biking community. It seemed to make so much sense that there were a whole lot of bikes that were rusty, lying in sheds and back yards potentially going to the rubbish dump to get them to a place where people can come together and work on them to keep them moving.”

Overall it was refreshing and inspirational to meet someone so young and passionate, willing to give back to the community. I encourage you to see for yourself what Whare Bike is all about on a Thursday.

Tim Schmidt

Team, Employee or Corporate Volunteering

Volunteering Northland's corporate volunteering programme organises half day to day long community projects for corporate groups or Volunteer Teams. These projects can generally be achieved in a day and usually during work hours.

We work with over 150 community groups around Northland. They provide essential services in areas critical to the well-being of our region.

"Making Time" during National Volunteer Week 2016

Kathryn Ross (GM Strategic Planning & Policy FNDC) about volunteering at Hospice Mid-Northland: "Volunteering at Hospice during National Volunteering Week was a privilege. The work of volunteers makes our communities better places to live and enhances the lives of others.  I was amazed at the range of skills people have, and the talented way that organisations tap into these skills to match the person with the volunteering roles they perform.  All skills are valued and if you didn’t think you had anything to offer, you’d probably be very pleasantly surprised.  The deal is not one-sided.  Being a volunteer gives you your own rewards.  The work done by volunteers in our society is to be celebrated.

Special thanks to Hospice Mid-North for allowing me to join them.  They are exceptional people, doing exceptional things and if you’re looking to contribute, especially if you are young, I know they’d love to hear from you."

Sjoerd Post (CEO Refining NZ) about volunteering at Citizens Advice Bureau: "Very stressful job...Respect!". Moea Armstrong about Sjoerd Post: "Quick learner – would be happy to employ him!"

Nikki Davies Colley (Chair Northpower Ltd.) about volunteering at North Haven Hospice: "There is nothing better than a community supporting those in need in their own community.  I was privileged to spend some time with the North Haven Hospice team and learned just how much it takes to provide this wonderful service for patients and families at the most vulnerable time of their lives.  I was astounded by how many people it takes to run this service, and by how many of them were generously volunteering their time.  To learn that it is a 24/7 operation so that even people with full-time jobs can contribute in some small way was an eye opener for me. On top of that, everyone I met was great - welcoming, friendly, professional and compassionate.  Thanks for taking the time to educate me.  I will certainly be putting out the good word on behalf of your team!"

Changes to our homepage

Goodbye to the five paintings that have been on our homepage for three years. They were painted by Kito, Kate, Sahara, Hayden and Hori at Mairtown Kindergarten in 2013, representing youth, enthusiasm, structure, energy and growth.

No worries, all above still apply to Volunteering Northland.

National Volunteer Week 2016

Each year New Zealand celebrates National Volunteer Week to recognise and celebrate the vital contribution of New Zealand’s approximately 1.2 million volunteers to social development, the economy and the environment.
This year, the week focuses on time through the following two sayings:

• Make time - Whai whā
• Thanks for making time - Kia ora mō tāu whai whā

The 2016 campaign is therefore a call to action. We believe that for volunteering to flourish, and the various benefits of volunteering to be realised, people and volunteer organisations are increasingly going to need to make time, now and into the future.

This year’s theme recognises that volunteering can fit into a busy schedule and that there are volunteering opportunities suitable to people’s individual needs and commitments. People who are volunteering this week include:

• Brent Eastwood (Chief Executive Sport Northland) volunteering at RoadSafe Northland
• Debbie Evans (CEO Kaipara Community Health Trust) volunteering at Dress for Success
• Rob Forlong (CEO WDC) volunteering at Quarry Arts Centre
• Sjoerd Post (CEO Refining NZ) volunteering at Citizens Advice Bureau
• Kate Malcolm (Owner Dive Tutukaka) volunteering at Idea Services
• Kathryn Ross (GM Strategic Planning & Policy FNDC) volunteering at Hospice Mid-Northland
• Craig Cooper (Editor Northern Advocate) volunteering at Food for Life
• Eru Lyndon (Regional Commissioner for MSD) volunteering at Literacy Whangarei
• Maggie Dixon-Lester (Director Maggie Dixon Real Estate) volunteering at Cancer Society
• Malcolm Nicolson (Chief Executive NRC) volunteering at BOI Vintage Railway
• Nikki Davies-Colley (Chair Northpower Ltd.) volunteering at North Haven Hospice
• Graham B Wallace (Chief Executive Marsden Maritime Holdings) volunteering at Whangarei Budgeting Service

Community Matters with Libby Jones

The week of 19 to 25 June is National Volunteer week. The theme this year is “Make time and Thanks for making time.” It is both a call to action and an appreciation of those who make such a significant voluntary contribution to our communities.

In our busy lives, time is what many people feel they lack most. Trying to make time to fit in anything else can seem like an impossible task. In fact, lack of time is the most commonly cited reason why people don’t volunteer, even though they say they would like to be able to help. Of course sometimes this can be a handy excuse to avoid getting involved, in other cases, if it is not made clear to potential volunteers how much time is expected, what they will be required to do, and importantly how they exit an organisation, they may hold back from coming on board.

Community groups often rely on the goodwill of volunteers, without considering the value they bring to the organisation. Volunteers need to know their involvement is making a genuine difference and that their contribution is both recognised and appreciated.

Good volunteer management creates a win-win situation for the volunteers and the group. A bit of planning and the right person leading the team can make all the difference to volunteers’ motivation to become and stay involved.

Looking after volunteers

• Effectively respond to enquiries and create a welcoming environment – including time requirements
• Find out what motivates your volunteers so you can keep them interested, it may be different for each person
• Match volunteers to the roles available in the organisation
• Share the workload
• Provide orientation and training where needed
• Invest time and money into practices such as expense reimbursement and role expectations
• Have a mentor or someone available for new volunteers to call with queries

Keeping volunteers

• Understand there are many factors that contribute towards volunteers staying in an organisation, including personal e.g. motivation, life stage, and available time, as well as organisational e.g. length and usefulness of meetings, good leadership and communication
• Ensure cost is not a barrier to volunteers’ involvement
• Have an organisational culture that welcomes, values and respects volunteers
• Ensure you communicate with volunteers and keep them up to date
• Recognise, appreciate and thank your volunteers and supporters regularly and genuinely - take the time to ask them how they might like to be recognised and rewarded/thanked
• Ensure that staff (if you have them) involve and support volunteers
• Have fun
• Have well run effective and time limited meetings

There are organisations available to support community groups if they need help in this area, such as Volunteering NZ and closer to home Volunteering Northland, as well as businesses who offer training and support such as Exult, and others help with specific purposes such as CreativeNZ and SportNZ.

If you haven’t acknowledged your volunteers recently, then Volunteer Week brings the perfect opportunity to recognise and thank them for the work they do in your group and community, and to check in with them about how it is going for them.

Celebrations at North Haven Hospice

On wednesday evening North Haven Hospice celebrated their volunteers, at the town shop, with awards for 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 years of service. Sharon Morgan (Deputy Mayor) was one of the guests, she helped Murray Lints, their Patron present three very special awards to volunteers with 30 years a piece. They represented the in-patient unit, the community team and the shop and received a commemorative pin signifying North Haven Hospice’s 30 years activity in this community.

The pictures above are of volunteers based at hospice receiving their badges for 1 year’s service, and of the 30 year service awardees.

Patron Murray Lints made the perfect introduction to this trio by asking the 200 people present at the function to give them a standing ovation, people did stand up sooo quickly :-)

0800 Number

We can now be reached by an 0800 number, organised for all volunteer centres by Volunteering New Zealand.

0800-VOLCNT (0800-865268) can be used from land-lines and mobiles.

A voice menu will ask if you are looking for a volunteer centre in the north of the North Island, press 1, and after that if you are looking for us, Volunteering Northland, press 1 again.

Recognition by WDC of volunteers, keeping carparks safe in summer.

Dozens of volunteers across the District have helped to keep car park crime at bay for five summers now.

The Summer Safe Carpark campaign is focused on reducing theft from vehicles and is supported by volunteer ambassadors who patrol high risk carparks over the summer period.

Sharing a photo from the Mayoral Presentation on Wednesday 4 May for the Summer Safe Carparks ambassadors.

Education and Environment Project join

Have you heard of the Dragonfly Springs wetlands project? Situated in Onerahi between Ngaio St and Raumati Crescent, it’s a co-development initiative of husband and wife team Jeremy Busck and Pamela Winter.
The sanctuary has been developed over the last 7 years and utilises 15 acres of low ground to act as drainage and run off filter for rain water and a buffer in times of excess rainfall – Jeremy describes it as the liver and kidneys of the land. As well as its practical function, it forms a pleasant wild-life refuge and an asset for the local community.

I spoke to one of the volunteers about the work. Fiona is studying environmental science and she feels this is an opportunity to get first hand practical experience on a large project, experience that will stand her in good stead once employed in that discipline.
There are many other volunteers who give time and a community project team do a weekly planting stint, but keen gardeners, handy men and indeed anyone interested is always welcome.

The resource is used as an educational facility by Unitech and the Northland Polytech, the Mountain to Sea trust use the Dragonfly Springs in their field environment education programme.
Guided tours are offered to the Whangarei district gardening clubs, U3A and the local pre-school and primary schools who are considered a very important target group, especially Onerahi Primary, who have their own nominated area.

In addition to the on-site planting programme, the plant nursery supplies the Onerahi Coastline Action Group. Kiwi North, Parahaki Mountain Bike Park and other community projects.

So if you fancy spending a bit of quality time in the fresh air helping to develop a pleasant and positive asset for the area, feel free to put your name down. The project has occasional open days and the next new is due in the spring and will be advertised on the volunteer web site.

Story by Tony Mullinger

Minister kicking-off NVW-2015 in Whangarei

The regeneration of Matakohe/Limestone island is a community project, driven entirely by the zeal and hard work of countless volunteers. There is always plenty to do on the island to maintain and grow it’s capacity as a sanctuary for native species, from administrative roles on the Friends of Matakohe/Limestone Island Committee to hands-on tasks like tree planting and pest control.
Any help makes a big difference, and there is no expectation to commit to regular volunteering. Even as a one-off, getting stuck in on the island and working alongside the rangers and other passionate volunteers is a remarkably fulfilling experience.

Island Ranger Bernie Buhler leads the tour, keeping the group well entertained and informed with his expert knowledge of the island’s history and eco-system.
Over the past 25 years, the generosity and helping hands of countless local volunteers have transformed island into a safe haven for endangered species, including kiwi, banded rail, New Zealand dotterel, moko skink and forest gecko.

The island has been cleared of mammalian predators, creating a pest-free haven for a proportionately huge population of Kiwi, with 40-50 chicks calling Matakohe home at any given time and the two permanent breeding pairs roaming the island’s 37 hectares.
The island operates as a kiwi crèche, with over 150 chicks having been raised there and released into the wild since the early 2000’s.

The Minister is clearly delighted at the opportunity to get her hands dirty and contribute to the ongoing regeneration project.
“This has truly been a community project thanks to the leadership of the committee who have created family friendly voluntary activities suitable for everyone that wants to be involved”

Story by Miranda Rose, Photo by Blandine Chilese

We've got Northland covered

With statistics showing northland has the highest number of volunteers per capita in the country, Volunteering Whangarei’s job just got a lot bigger.
That is because the not for profit organisation has had a name change, now operating as Volunteering Northland.

This means they will help coordinate volunteers in all of northland, including the Far North District, which is in the top five percentages of volunteers for local authorities nationally, and the Northland electorate, which ranks as number one in voluntary work per resident.

Community and voluntary sector minister Jo Goodhew, who was at the launch at the Kamo Voluntary Fire Brigade, says the rebrand is a positive one. Northland has always had strong regional towns and cities which have a sense of pride in their history,” she says.
“It is also a region which has a very strong identity. I have no doubt volunteers consider themselves to be supporting the region as a whole.”

Volunteering Northland manager Bart van der Meer says although the move was a natural progression, it also shows the strength of volunteering in the area.
“That this is happening within two years of us starting has to do with local success and also the support from the Far North District Council,” he says.

Although the expansion will see an increased workload, the organiastion has processes in place to ensure the transition goes smoothly.
“Our website, our main point of access for non-profit organisations and volunteers, can easily be modified to handle different locations. We have experience with other ways of communication, like local papers and our stall at public events, and there are opportunities to do the same in the other districts.
“Many organisations that work with us operate in the whole of Northland or have sister organisations outside the Whangarei District.”

Van der Meer says he thinks the northland attitude plays a big part in volunteering being so popular.
“It must have to do with the approach to life where taking care of each other seems to come natural. I myself come from a crowded urban area where it is normal not to engage with neighbours.”
“In Whangarei, in town, in a store or on the beach, I often have a spontaneous friendly chat with a stranger, which of course in most cases turns out to be a local.”

“I guess this attitude results in the willingness of people to put their hand up, especially when someone asks them.”

It is asking that is the main purpose of Volunteering Northland; asking volunteer orgainsations where they require assistance, but mainly asking local people to help their local community.

Story by Jared Dennis, Photo by Blandine Chilese

Developing skills, showing motivation

Volunteering as an unpaid reporter has really paid off for Ayla Miller. After a stint as a volunteer journalist she has now landed a full time role as a writer.

Ayla says she always had a passion for English and writing, so after finishing her degree in Media Studies at Victoria University, she intended on completing further study in Wellington towards a course in journalism.

However, she decided to return home and took up a volunteer position with Volunteering Whangarei as a reporter. She says she realised experience was far more valuable than an expensive course and the job could be quite rewarding.

The position helped her gain experience with writing and interviewing people.
“Actually getting published was a big thing to put on a CV,” Ayla says.
“It helped with getting a job later on”. As part of her position she met with various volunteer organisations and covered events around Whangarei.

Several of her pieces were published online and in the local paper, and she helped draw attention to some of the wonderful community groups and events in Whangarei who need volunteers and helpers. “Meeting people, finding out what everyone’s doing, so many people get up to things that you never would hear about, unless you go out and talk to them,” she says of her time as a volunteer.

Ayla is now a reporter at the Kaipara Lifestyler and covers stories about news and events in the Kaipara community. She says she enjoys her job because she gets to work on positive stories about her community. “When you meet little sub committees of people who have visions and ideas toward improving your town; it’s quite exciting.”

In the future Ayla says she would like to keep writing, and perhaps use it to supplement her love of travelling, and pursue a career in travel writing.

Story by Rachael Machado

Letter from FIFA Volunteer

As I write this, I’ve just completed 10 shifts amounting to 40 hours of voluntary work for the 2015 FIFA under 20’s World Cup. What a unique experience it was. The event was proudly held at the “Northland Events Centre” known locally as Toll Stadium.

I applied as a volunteer back in September 2014. It was easy to do online, where they captured all your personal details to carry out identity and police checks etc. In early Feb I was called up for an interview where my strengths and preferences were discussed with the aim of identifying the most suitable role from the numerous and various opportunities available.
There were lots of positions to be filled such as stadium dress, drivers, sorting and distributing uniform, processing accreditation, ticketing, and spectator services to name just a few.

Having volunteers was an essential part to making this event a success. In particular I was driven by the keen desire to be an ambassador for our country. I wanted to be a part of the team that showcased Whangarei as a place that can cater for and deliver such professional events to perfection.
Football is the world’s biggest sport and the World would be watching us! It was great to be involved, make the tournament a success and bring beauty and a special atmosphere to the four games held here.

I enjoyed my time making new friends and learnt new things especially around event planning and security. The training provided was online as well as via flexible group training sessions. Procedures were set out by way of clearly documented job cards.

Apart from game days – work shifts were flexible so volunteers could state online their availability and work allocations were fitted around your personal commitments. Volunteers got to wear and keep a smart Adidas uniform, food needs were catered for and contributions recognised with an after event party.

If there was one thing I wish would have been better, then that would have been an increased attendance on game days. I had hoped that more locals would have supported this event and ultimately our city.
The stadium is a real asset to our community and I hope it brings in many more events for the benefit of our city. If new facilities emerge and improvements take place around our place then it will contribute to more tourist dollars for our economy.

I “Love it Here”.

Dawn Pugh
June 2015