FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2020
Cambridge & Te Awamutu
Investing in the next generation
CAMBRIDGE & TE AWAMUTU NEWS | 1
Honouring your loved ones wishes with sincerity and dignity
YES WE ARE STILL OPEN
Mortgages | Insurance | KiwiSaver | Investments
Your regular News papers will appear under a single masthead during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Call
Jared Wright-St Clair Kathy Wright-St Clair 021 766 744 027 270 6450 www.wrightfinancial.co.nz enquiry@wrightfinancial.co.nz
Got a news tip? Ph 022 317 9499
Jim Goddin
Grinter’s Funeral Home proudly serving the people of Cambridge, Hamilton, and the surrounding areas.
3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 07 827 6037 office@grinters.co.nz www.grinters.co.nz
Your Local Independent Papers
FDANZ
APRIL 17, 2020
Businesses battle
By Jeremy Smith
Business owners are facing “tough questions” as the Waipā’s Te Awamutu and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce look for ways to help members through the Covid-19 lockdown and its after affects. Cambridge chamber chief Kelly Bouzaid emailed a Cambridge Impact Study to her members late last week as a similar Waikato Chamber of Commerce poll showed that if the lockdown continued past eight weeks, nearly 20 percent of the businesses under the regional chamber’s umbrella may have to close. Te Awamutu chamber head Kris Anderson said the numbers would appear to be not too dissimilar to responses being received by the Te Awamutu and Waipā’ business community. Mrs Bouzaid told the News that in Cambridge there was clearly short and long-term detriment to the business sector and the organisation was committed to finding ways of supporting its members. About a third of the Cambridge chamber’s “business voice” of about 300 businesses had completed the impact study by the time the News went to print. The Waikato Chamber’s survey indicated nearly 40 percent of those polled would never close their business in the current situation, while from a mental health perspective the same percentage of respondents said they were “really struggling”. About 70 percent of regional respondents said the government
was doing a good job of handling the situation. Waikato Chamber executive director Don Good said they would run the regional survey fortnightly. It was “extremely positive that business owners were reporting their business “would and could” stay open beyond the eight wek time frame” Mr Anderson said rather than focus on how many Te
Awamutu businesses would close, it was better to look at how each individual industry was responding. While extending the lockdown beyond four weeks would make things hard for business, the worst thing to do would be to open back up too soon, he said. “We are here now, let’s deal with it properly and focus on the most important recovery phase. “We will come out of this
situation and there will be new opportunities for all business with strong fundamentals.” Kelly Bouzaid applauded the level of “resilience and robustness” on display across the Cambridge business community. “We have a large proportion of small and medium sized enterprise here in Cambridge and enjoy many driven entrepreneurs and astute business owners who have invested in professional services
• Continued page 5 • Chamber’s ‘Nxtstep’ – page 2
In the mood…
Derek Teague’s winning image of the gates above Lake Te Koo Utu. Inset: Derek Teague
Should you renovate Or move?
Unfortunately due to Covid19 we are closed. In emergency situation call 0800Lumino. Stay safe and stay home.
Call Vayle or Joan today!
PH 07 280 7536
during their journey. “They have adopted technology, adaptation and change early.” The Cambridge Impact Study asked respondents how they were coping with the mental stress the lockdown was putting on them. It also addressed how many weeks of lockdown business owners felt they could cope with before facing closure, the financial
We put you first
35 Alexandra Street
127 Shakespeare Street Leamington 07 823 4665 leamingtondental.co.nz
It was while on a quiet evening stroll with fellow Cambridge Camera Club members that Derek Teague shot the photograph that won him the 2020 Cambridge Photo Competition. The moody picture of the gates above Lake Te Koo Utu was selected from 89 entries received for this year’s competition, held as one of the surviving segments of the Cambridge Autumn Festival under the theme ‘Iconic Landmarks of Cambridge’. Derek said he took the picture some time ago, around 8pm. It was “just a case of the right place, the right time”. “A number of us had gone out that night, hoping to catch a shot of the supermoon. I knew where I wanted to try for it - at those gates.” Derek has lived in Cambridge for about seven years and works with Fonterra. Photography was a childhood hobby that he said he has enjoyed investing more time in during recent years. “I’ve probably been able to make more of it as a hobby.” Winning at a time when there was so much disappointment over the cancellation of the Autumn Festival makes it all the more special, he said. First prize in the competition, sponsored by People in Mind Ltd, was worth $250.