Rotoruaenergy charitable Trust
connections
rotoruatrust.org.nz
panui honoga
s ’ y k S the it m i L
NOVEMBER 2013
Ruth Whitinui flying high at the MIGS gym.
A Rotorua Trust grant is helping light up the whole range of vigorously growing activities at the Mid-Island Gym Sports (MIGS) facility. MIGS received a $15,000 Trust grant, which helped them install new lighting and heating and undertake other urgent repairs for the rapidly growing venue based on Te Ngae Road. This grant was in addition to $50,000 previously provided for heating. As well as catering for top-level competitive gymnasts and trampolinists, MIGS offers an extensive range of programmes based on all aspects of healthy living and leadership. The facility has grown so that today it has approximately 400 members and is climbing. It is able to accommodate events
with up to 600 spectators, says Diana Brett, a MIGS management committee member and PR and media liaison person. Diana says it is crucial to the gym that it has good lighting for trainings and competitions. “We can have as many as 500 to 600 people coming here to watch competitions, so it is important for the gymnasts taking part and enables the spectators to clearly view activities and feel comfortable and warm in the environment.” Given the size of the facility, a number of events can be underway at any one time. This
is evident with senior competitive girls practising on a fast track or vault run at the same time as a school holiday group taking part in fun activities in another location.
permanent fixtures at MIGS. They have joined an established team of top coaching staff at MIGS, which includes head trampoline coach Lynette Farkash and head recreational coach Jo Squires.
MIGS numbers have continued rising as more and more parents realise the benefits their children can gain from participating in the kind of movement and coordination practised in gymnastics, trampolining and tumbling.
“We want MIGS to be a pillar of sport in Rotorua – to provide not only coaching but also a healthy environment – gymnastics is one of the best foundation sports for all other sports,” Diana says.
Coaching is a key element in this, and MIGS has recently secured the services of two professional coaches from Argentina, by way of the USA. Fabian Amor and wife Coki Verri have a combined gymnastics coaching experience of 45 years and plan to be
For more information, contact Diana Brett MIGS - PR and Media Liaison 021-949-968 diana.brett@xtra.co.nz
VIEW ONLINE Scan the QR code to read
Even though its gymnasts and http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust trampolinists are already multiple prize-winners and medallists at Share with both national and international friends events, MIGS plans to improveFor more information, contact: its comprehensive programmesDebbie Stewart Manager this year, with greater oversightWingspan Birds of Prey Trust regarding all aspects of theTel: (07) 357 4469 wingspan@xtra.co.nz further development of gymEmail: https://www.facebook.com/ RotoruaEnergyCharitableTrust sports in the community.
rotoruatrust.org.nz
Rotoruaenergy charitable Trust
Sculptures’ cleaning project labour of love carved by father and son artists Charles Francis Summers Senior and Junior. This is the world’s largest collection of their work and they have survived through all the building’s changes, from a medical facility through the years of the Tudor Towers restaurant and nightclub. However, wear and tear over the years saw the sculptures become increasingly grimy and more than 20 parts had been broken off, including fingers, thumbs, hands, toes, noses and arrows.
Members of the Friends of the Library cleaning one of the Summers’ Sculptures.
Funding from the Rotorua Trust is helping restore a remarkable set of sculptures at the Rotorua Museum.
The Trust gave $5,000 towards the cost of cleaning and repairing the collection of Summers’ Sculptures, bought
when the original Bath House building opened in 1908. Made from Italian Carrara marble, the sculptures were
The clean-up project started two years ago and an expert stone conservator Marco Burger was brought in from Germany in July this year. He helped train volunteers from Friends of the Rotorua Museum and museum staff on how to clean and care for the collection during the week he was in Rotorua.
small items on the sculptures. One tiny flower, for example, can take as much as an hour to clean. Marco spent three days training volunteers and they in turn have taught another 10 people the cleaning techniques. “We couldn’t have done this without the Rotorua Trust,” Tracey says. “It is great because we are on public display when we are doing the cleaning, so people can see how the funds are being used.” Tracey says the cleaning and restoration work will take a long time. In the meantime, the hunt continues for any parts of the sculptures people may have acquired over the years and which will be gratefully received if returned.
Tracey Friend, president of the Friends of Rotorua Museum, says Marco trained them in how to scrupulously clean even
http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust For more information, contact Tracey Friend President Friends of the Rotorua Museum (07) 347 9428 tracey@friendwholesale.co.nz
New signs boost Neighbourhood Support presence A Rotorua Trust grant is helping boost the work of Neighbourhood Support Rotorua. The Trust and Pauline and Richard Evans from Rotorua Rentals have combined to contribute a total of $13,600 for new signage and labelling to ensure participating neighbourhoods are well-identified. Bruce Quedley, co-ordinator for Neighbourhood Support Rotorua, is one of a team of three part-timers maintaining Neighbourhood Support groups from Reporoa through to Lake Rotoma up to Kaharoa across to Mamaku and back down again. They currently maintain 529 groups, covering about 8,500 households, which represent just over 35 per cent of the Rotorua district. This is quite good coverage compared to similar-sized districts, with many
others in New Zealand being as low as 20 per cent. Bruce says where a neighbourhood support group is established, there is generally about 10 per cent less crime, which he puts down to the vigilance of the people in the groups – if they see something, they report it. “We’ve got a saying ‘if you see something, do something’ and that is to call the police.” The groups also look after their neighbours, promoting a community spirit that has diminished over the years. Bruce carried out an audit of Neighbourhood Support signage in the Rotorua suburban area and found a large percentage of the signs were sun-damaged, old, damaged in other ways, or missing. The funding has helped provide 850 new signs - at least 650 new signs for existing groups and others for expansion. “The signs warn burglars or
Neighbourhood Support Rotorua co-ordinator Bruce Quedley (right) attaches a new sign with help from Ron Taylor, Ngongotaha co-ordinator.
those acting suspiciously, people will report it. It gives the group profile and lets neighbours know that Neighbourhood Support is working in the area.” As well as the signs, labels are being ordered to go on neighbourhood support members’ letterboxes, so
people are able to say ‘hey, I’m here and I’m a member’. The cost is about $13,600 for the signs and the labels and Rotorua Trust has supported with a contribution of $8,654. http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust
For more information, contact: Bruce Quedley, Co-ordinator, Neighbourhood Support Rotorua (07) 349 9470 nsrotorua@net.nz
rotoruatrust.org.nz
Rotoruaenergy charitable Trust
Trust helps as demand grows for Hospital Auxiliary garments
The Rotorua Hospital Auxiliary members are buzzing about their meeting place at the Rotorua Trust boardroom.
Once a month, the Rotorua Trust boardroom becomes a hive of activity as members of the Rotorua Hospital Auxiliary gather. The Auxiliary members sew, crochet and knit woollen garments for babies and elderly folk at Rotorua Hospital. Changes at the hospital meant the members had to look for a new meeting place and were grateful when the Rotorua Trust was able to offer the use of its boardroom. A few members left during the changeover and the group was about 20 members
when the shift was made. However, membership has now risen to 38 people, says Shirley Manks, secretary/treasurer, Rotorua Hospital Auxiliary
prudently to make the money go further.
The group averaged about 140 articles a month over the past year, ranging from very small items for tiny babies to larger items, such as shoulder wraps and lap blankets to help keep elderly folk warm.
The members also make dolls for nippers who might be frightened about receiving injections when in hospital. Mostly the crocheted and knitted items go to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), the children’s ward, orthopaedic, and elderly services. District health nurses also take items out to the various outposts of the Lakes District Health Board region.
The group was spending about $300 per month on wool for items but, with the extra people on board, this has gone up to $500 per month. “That’s a lot of wool,” says Shirley, adding that the auxiliary ladies buy
The Rotorua Trust contributed $5,000 to help with purchases of new supplies of wool.
Although some people offer wool in
return for just a donation, the wool is mostly bought in town wherever the best deal is available. The Rotorua Hospital Auxiliary meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 9.30 am in the Rotorua Trust boardroom, unless the room is required by the Trust at that time. http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust For more information, contact: Secretary / Treasurer on 348 7272
BOP Science Fair lift students’ skills Mark Franken, Chairman of the Bay of Plenty (BOP) Science Fair Inc. which organises the NIWA Bay of Plenty Science Fair, has welcomed funding from the Rotorua Trust. The Trust contributed $2,500 towards the costs for the 37th fair, held in August this year. The budget to run the Science Fair is about $20,000, including costs such as hiring the Rotorua Convention Centre and the Concert Chamber for the prize-giving. There is also the cost of hiring trestle tables for exhibitors, white boards for judges, prize money for students and lunch for the 50 judges. This year, 210 students attended the fair from 19 schools, with a total of 174 entries.
Mark Franken says the fairs are important because they introduce students to methods of scientific investigation and technology development. The judges are looking for the correct methods when applying a scientific investigation and an understanding of the science involved. “It’s a definite bonus if the students come up with something original.” Mark says there was some original work at this year’s BOP Science Fair, including the overall winners who were two boys from John Paul College. They studied oxygen levels in Lake Rotoiti after the construction of the groyne (a wall built out from the riverbank) designed to reduce sediment flows from Lake Rotorua
causing algal blooms in Lake Rotoiti. The Science Fair is run in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of Roto Whenua, which has been largely responsible for providing the required manpower for the past 14 years. The BOP Science Fair accepts school entries from Katikati, Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Rotorua,Reporoa, Taupo and Whangamarino schools. http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust For more information about the BOP Science Fair, contact: Mark Franken, Chairman, BOP Science Fair Inc. Kiwanis Club of Roto Whenua Inc. 07-348 9213 Osteo399@gmail.com
John Paul’s Robin Basra, left, and Sam Kelly, overall winners of the NIWA Bay of Plenty Regional Science and Technology Fair 2013. (Gould Photography)
rotoruatrust.org.nz
Rotoruaenergy charitable Trust
Grant helps Community Law Centre widen legal info message centre employing solicitors in the country. The Trust grant has been vital in helping the centre give important legal education and information seminars at any venues in the Rotorua area and for any community groups or agencies. “This has a potential to make a big difference in the community, because if people are more aware of their legal rights and responsibilities, then they are less likely to present with legal problems down the track,” says Ellie. As part of its preventative thrust, the Centre has also developed a package for senior students in high school to help them with the legal aspects around flatting, buying cars, and employment rights and obligations. This can also be delivered in Te Reo Maori from February 2014 onwards. From Left: Marcus Ridge, Renee Douglas, Ellie Herbert, Zalene Douglas, Logan Rosanoski. Rotorua for 17 years. The Centre through to advice around Rotorua District Community Law provides free legal services mediating disputes. Ellie says the Centre is providing much-needed legal information to the community, for anybody in the community impact of legal problems is often thanks to a grant from the Rotorua who cannot afford to pay for a compounded by other issues Trust. lawyer and who is not eligible for such as family violence, so referrals to and collaborating with legal aid. The Trust gave $2,762 to Between 4,000 and 5,000 other agencies is an important the Community Law Centre clients use the centre’s services part of their role. for the purchase of a data projector, laptop computer and a screen. The Centre employs two solicitors and one case worker, manager Ellie Herbert and an administration officer making a total of five staff members, and has been operating as a trust in
In the six months to 30 September the Trust has approved 182 grants totalling $1.44 million.
annually, and Ellie says the need is increasing as more people are becoming unemployed and the economy tightens. A large range of legal matters is covered by the Centre – from consumer matters, such as debt and finance, employment, tenancy and immigration law
The data projector will play an important role in helping meet the increasing demand for legal information for individuals and community organisations.
The Centre is also participating in discussions over the possible establishment of a community justice panel in Rotorua as an answer to low level offending. It hopes it will bring systemic change to how the people are dealt with in the criminal justice system. http://tinyurl.com/rotoruatrust
Despite the high unmet legal need in the Rotorua district, the Centre is the lowest funded generalist community law
For more information on the work of the Rotorua Community Law Centre, contact: Ellie Herbert, Manager 07-348 8060 ellie.herbert@rdclc.co.nz
Meet your Trustees
Grahame Hall QSO JP CHAIRMAN
Jo-Anne La Grouw MNZM DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
Rt. Hon.
Paul East QC CNZM
Sandra Kai Fong
Closing date for Trust Scholarships Applications for the Trust scholarship programmes close on
Trevor Maxwell MNZM
30 November 2013 The programmes cover attendance at any New Zealand tertiary institution and also specific scholarships for those attending the Waiariki Institute of Technology. Check out the website for details. http://www.rotoruatrust.org.nz/ Management Team
Rotoruaenergy charitable Trust
Lyall Thurston QSO JP
1358 Eruera Street Rotorua 3010 Phone: 07 347 6239 Fax: 07 347 6305 Email: admin@rotoruatrust.org.nz
www.rotoruatrust.org.nz (Left to right) Andrea Thompson, Peter Halligan, Aaron Gabbie Lee-Anne Thompson, Edith Tissink, Alison Perrin, Stuart Burns.
Produced locally by Business Media Services in association with Kerry Grant Photography and Mortimer Design and Print.