Planning to sort through your wardrobe while doing a de cluttering chore on this long weekend.

Are you looking to trade some gently-used clothes and get some newer outfits in return?

In the spirit of Earth Day last month The Clothing Exchange was officially launched in Auckland.

“Clothing swaps are a  green and sustainable way of getting a new wardrobe while giving your own gently-worn clothing a second life,”  reasoned owner Cathy Mellett.  As a clothing exchange member, people will be able to swap gently-worn clothing and shoes  in exchange for swapping points. Once the clothes have been accepted you are able to head back to a ‘ Clothes Swap Boutique’ for some guilt free shopping.

Your Clothing Exchange membership is valid for one year.

“It is a fun alternative and is a great way for people to go shopping while also being ‘green,’” Cathy added.  With vacancies and plans to launch her business around New Zealand  via licensing agreements, Cathy believes that the nationwide opportunities for The Clothing Exchange  are endless.
For more information, contact The Clothing Exchange.

Hamilton’s young people have a chance to physically challenge themselves at this Friday’s Street Legends event.

A collaborative project between Hamilton City Council’s Community Development and Leisure unit and a group of Waikato University students, Street Legends reflects the city’s Active Hamilton strategy, says Community Sport and Recreation Co-ordinator Andrea Timings.

“Street Legends is by youth and for youth,” says Andrea. “We’ve got a range of physical skill tests young people can try, including a climbing wall, a basketball
hoop to test your shooting prowess, and the very entertaining inflatable volcano speed course.

There will also be touch rugby, football and volleyball to try, plus involvement from police and defence forces whose stands and demonstrations will reflect on some of the decisions young people need to make in their lives – for example, use of “beer goggles” to show the impact of alcohol consumption on motor skills.

Street Legends is a free event, and will be held at Melville Park on Friday, 10 May, from 3.30pm.  If wet it will be held on Sunday, 12 May, from 1pm.

A new web-based service will enable residents to share their stories of how they have got through the different issues faced in the recovery of Christchurch.

All of us have had many different experiences, some good, some not so good, some easily resolved and others have been a challenge, and many may not be over yet as we navigate the recovery processes.

By sharing the stories of issues, challenges, resilience and lessons learned, it may just help someone who is going through similar experiences.

Dr Rob Gordon, a disaster recovery clinical psychologist states to look for opportunities to talk, write, share, tell stories, compare how others are doing, and make sure you are part of a larger community. This service is a place where people can write and share those stories and compare their experiences on a popular web platform (rebuildchristchurch.co.nz) dedicated to the Christchurch Rebuild.

Deon Swiggs of Rebuild Christchurch says the project was inspired by the numerous forums where people have shared experiences offline, this brings it online and assessable to anyone at any time making this a powerful resource. 

“We have become a city that has learnt to support our neighbours in times of need. It was evident so much after the earthquakes when strangers helped strangers. This service will continue that legacy where sharing experiences will help others get through what continues to be a very difficult and stressful time.”
 

To view Your Story go to http://www.rebuildchristchurch.co.nz/Your-Story/Home

For further information please contact Deon Swiggs 0275794447 or deon@rebuildchristchurch.co.nz

Crossing the generations and valuing our heritage - that’s what Rangi Ruru’s Generations Day is all about according to Rangi’s Community Relations Coordinator, Amelia Davis.

On March the 25th, Rangi Ruru will host its annual Generations Day where girls in Years 7, 9 and 13 invite their mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers to share a chapel service and morning tea.

One family which has regularly attended, has had a particularly long and enjoyable relationship with Rangi as there are 43 sisters, cousins, mothers, grandmothers, nieces and aunts who are former and current students. Barbara Chapman (nee Royds 1951-1957) and her niece Hilary Royds (2012-present) represent the Royds family at either end of the Royds generational spectrum, with dozens of Royds in-between.

Rangi’s Community Relations Coordinator, Amelia Davis says Generations Day is a time to reflect on the women and their families who have chosen to attend and support Rangi Ruru, for nearly 125 years. She adds that meeting so many women with one school in common is an opportunity to learn a great deal about the history and personalities that help make a school what it is.

“There’s a wonderful connectedness amongst Rangi girls, both former and current students,” she says. “We have a close knit community that extends well beyond the campus which helps us to be resilient, informed and value one another, through good and difficult times.”

ENDS        www.rangiruru.school.nz

Once upon a time, kiwis’ surplus appliances and clothes would end up at the local school fair for their local fundraising drive. Now anything and everything is on-line and for sale  – with the popularity of on-line auction and trading sites, kiwis know that rather than giving away their unused second toaster or that treadmill they never got round to using, they can list it on an on-line auction site and get money for it.
Clear the clutter is on a mission to encourage kiwis to once again give their excess items to their local charity by providing an accessible, easy to use platform for kiwis to give, knowing that this giving will be used for work in the community.

On Clear the Clutter, members list items for auction.  However rather than receiving the proceeds of the auction themselves, members select the charity of their choice to receive ALL the proceeds from the auction.  There are

No commission fees

No hidden costs

100% of the proceeds from every successful auction is deposited back to the charity of the members’ choice. 

“We are not here to take on TradeMe, we provide an auction platform for members to list items for charities to receive the proceeds, a majority of TradeMe members auction items for profit but we are asking the community to list items to give.” States co-founder Renee Tuuholoaki

“Donors are getting more comfortable giving online as you see with growth of crowd funding websites like Telecoms Give-a-little. We encourage Charities to try all platforms to engage as many supporters as they can online. Having worked in the non-profit sector for over 10 years we have found that It is easy for a donor to part with an unwanted item than it is to part with money and that is why we are providing this platform.“ Says Mrs Tuuholoaki

If you would like to support a charity and list items for auction visit www.cleartheclutter.co.nz

Charities seeking further information contact
Email: charities@cleartheclutter.co.nz

The first step in helping local residents withstand an emergency begins tomorrow night (Tuesday) in Oakura.

Communities throughout the district will be encouraged to develop their own emergency plans. The first public meeting on the creation of a community emergency plan will be held in Oakura’s fire station on Dixon Street, with an open invitation to residents in the town and surrounding areas to attend.

The 7pm meeting is being facilitated by Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management (TCDEM) and New Plymouth District Council, but the intention is for the community to write their own emergency plan and operate it themselves.

“Each community has different needs in an emergency, and the people who know best what is required are those who live there,” says Mayor Harry Duynhoven.

“What we want is for communities to consider what they need to do to prepare for emergencies, what needs to be done during an emergency, and how they can cooperate to recover after an emergency is over.

“Ultimately, neighbours working together can reduce stress and suffering, and help save lives and property.”

Dates for meetings in other communities in the district will be confirmed after tomorrow night’s meeting in Oakura.

In 2010 the TCDEM report Emergency Preparedness/Awareness Survey and Focus Group found that while Taranaki residents appreciate it is very important to be prepared for a disaster, only 10 per cent of residents said they were fully prepared. Residents would rely more on their neighbours, friends and family than on emergency services to help them get through a disaster, although many still expect other agencies will be available to help out.

A project team comprising the police, Fire Service, Red Cross, Neighbourhood Support, Rural Support Trust, TCDEM and NPDC have developed the community emergency plan programme so that people in urban, rural and remote areas can organise themselves to be prepared for emergencies.

Related link

Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management

The Potter Children’s Garden, at Hamilton’s Parana Park, will be closed between Tuesday 12 February and Friday 15 February for minor work.

The garden has proven extremely popular this summer.

The work includes preparation of surfaces for installation of Astroturf, cleaning of the water feature, and a change to the set-up of one of the slides.

The work is being undertaken this week, now children have returned to school, and so the playground can be enjoyed for the remainder of the summer.

Council apologises for any inconvenience.

Sun is forecast to shine on this Thursday's Margaret St Market - the last for this season.

Wind and rain have marred the season of 10 outdoor markets in Margaret St, Lower Hutt, but the final market is set to end on a high note.

Thursday's market starts at noon and runs until 8.30pm. Popular Cuban-born musician Roberto Rodriguez will provide entertainment from 5pm to 7pm.

Public meetings organised by the Marlborough District Council will be held next week to enable public discussion about the impact on the Marlborough region should the government decide to relocate the Picton ferry terminal to Clifford Bay.

The meetings will be a chance to bring people up to date on the Council’s understanding of the project and to give people a chance to express their views.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Ministry of Transport has stressed that, at this stage, the financial feasibility of the project is still being assessed and any decision by the government to move to the next stage is still some months away.

However, it was important to begin the task of assembling information on the impact on businesses and communities at local level even though the government is still in the early fact-finding stage itself, said Mr Sowman.

“This will be a central government decision but we do want to make sure that Council can relay to those politicians an authoritative report on the regional impact; both the upside and the downside of such a decision.”

As a first step, it is intended that a report to the District Council will be prepared from the public feedback received at the four public meetings that are scheduled.

Meetings are being held at the following venues:

1. Monday, 11 February at 7.00 pm at the Queen Charlotte College Hall, Picton
2. Tuesday, 12 February at 12 noon at the Awatere Memorial Hall, Seddon
3. Tuesday, 12 February at 7.00 pm at the Marlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim
4. Wednesday, 13 February at 12 noon at the Havelock Hall, Havelock

Enquiries to Council Executive Projects Manager Jamie Lyall, phone 03 520 7400.

A week of drop-in sessions for Hamiltonians wanting to become more familiar with the Proposed District Plan begins next Monday, 11 February.

The Proposed District Plan, which is currently open for public submissions, governs the way Hamilton looks and feels and sets the rules for future development.

It includes tighter development and design rules, plans to manage the city’s growth more effectively and measures to protect the character of neighbourhoods.

The aim of the drop-in sessions is to provide more information on key aspects of the Proposed District Plan.

Display panels will provide detailed explanations about some of the key changes and expert staff will be on hand to answer questions on the plan and the submission process.

The sessions are being held in the Reception Lounge, ground floor, Hamilton City Council, Garden Place between 10am and 7pm Monday to Friday, 11-15 February.

The public are invited to drop in at any time between those hours.

In addition the Proposed District Plan is available online at www.hamilton.co.nz/districtplan along with instructions on how to use our simple online submission process.

Work to install new play equipment at two Hamilton City Council-owned parks begins this week.

The work, budgeted in Council’s 10-Year Plan, will see new items installed at Donny Park in Chartwell and Ashurst Park in Te Rapa.

Council’s Parks and Open Spaces Manager Sally Sheedy says the work at Donny Park will be near the Bankwood Road frontage.

“Our contractors will be installing a new rotating cargo net, Diabolo junior play unit, a spring-loaded rocker, plus what is known as an aeroskate - the user holds on to the grips and gains momentum by gliding along the rail on skateboard-type fitting,” says Miss Sheedy.

“This equipment replaces an aging playground we removed last year.”

At Ashurst Park, the work is the second phase of a playground upgrade which began in late 2011.

“We’re installing a new 50-metre flying fox, along with a swing set which includes a basket seat swing,” Miss Sheedy says.

Work on both projects is expected to be completed on 1 March.

Keep an eye out around town this month for people asking the question, “What do you want, Wairoa?”.

Members of the YROA YNOT crew will be out in force, collecting opinions on where our people see the future direction of Wairoa.

The street appeal is part of the campaign to determine the vital elements of our community that must not change in the face of local government reform.

People are encouraged to think about aspects of our community they aren’t prepared to live without in terms of the way the district is run.

Everybody will receive a freepost form in the letterbox soon. Otherwise, get in touch with ideas either online (www.wairoadc.govt.nz), via email (info@wairoadc.govt.nz) or post a letter to Wairoa District Council, PO Box 54, Wairoa 4160.

People now have until the end of February to get their views to council.