A message from Neighbourhood Support Rotorua Chair, Aroha Bray

Message from the Chair

Kia ora koutou - greetings everyone.

Once again it is my privilege to be in the role of Committee Chairperson for the Rotorua Neighbourhood Support Committee. We have a really energetic group of people representing you all and I really enjoy our regular meetings. As you all are aware there are some big issues affecting many Rotorua neighbourhoods, namely the homelessness in our city and the crime associated with many whanau who have found themselves without a home. It is very sad that in this day and age people from all walks of life have no proper place to call home. It is equally sad that their children are suffering because of their parents and caregivers’ situation, so I was really pleased to know that a meeting was called, as now Rotorua can rally together to come up with solutions to the issues. On the positive side, Richard Perkins from our group is busy co-ordinating and organising neighbourhood workshops which you will all hear more about soon. Please, if you are able to attend Richard’s workshops, make the time as they will be a really good way to get to know your special communities better. Our group recently held our first sausage sizzle fundraiser stall at Bunnings which was a huge success. We will do more of these and are so grateful to the staff at Bunnings for ensuring we had all the resources we needed and more on the day. Each month Neighbourhood Support NZ launches a national campaign where they focus on a theme or topic relevant to the time of year, or which ties in with another extensive campaign in the community. This month it is ‘Safer Communities’. This month is all about prevention! From locking up every time you leave to removing hazards around your homes. There are many ways we can all make our communities safer and more secure places to live. Taking part in the event could be as simple as installing a smoke alarm, engraving your tools, or even helping a neighbour trim back their hedges to improve the line of sight into their property. Next month’s campaign is ‘Supporting our Young People’. Please make yourselves familiar with the Neighbourhood Support NZ website where you will find lots of good information. ‘Wrap up Winter’ is on its’ way - so it’s all about fires and other good heating sources for your home, enjoying hot soup and hot chocolate drinks!

Noho ora mai ra - stay safe.