2 minute read

Rallying support on the rail

Get along to the Memorial Park Railway Tauranga to support the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal this Sunday, February 26.

Using their railways and locomotives for good, the memorial park railway team will be providing rides to rally donations for the NZ Red Cross/NZ Herald Cyclone Gabrielle appeal.

All ticket sales will be donated, says club secretary Jason Flannery.

A programme to help young people in the Western Bay of Plenty community is on the lookout for 108 mentors from Katikati through to Te Puke – with 38 mentors needed for Te Puke alone.

Project K is a Graeme Dingle foundation programme designed for Year 10 students, building their con dence, teaching them life skills, promoting good health and encouraging a positive attitude. e programme runs for 14 months and the foundation is on the lookout for 108 mentors from Katikati, Mount, Ōtūmoetai through to Te Puke – with 38 mentors needed for Te Puke.

“ at’s a lot of students that need that one on one mentoring,” says Dave Gillies, who has been a Project K mentor for eight years and is now mentoring his fourth student.

“If you feel you can commit half an hour to an hour a week out of your life – then that’s a really good thing to do and you’ll see these young people develop.”

See a future

Dave says when he meets students starting Project K, they don’t see who they are as a person or possibility for themselves. at changes, however. “By the end of the programme they can see what they’re capable of. ey can see a future.

“ ey can see a possibility – that for me is the biggest thing because if you can’t see possibility for yourself, then you can’t see a future.”

So what does mentoring look like? Dave says: “Anything from sitting talking, playing cards, going for a walk, going for a drive, mountain biking, shing, all sorts of stu ”.

He adds good qualities for a mentor are: “good listening, awareness around what people say and what they don’t say, acknowledging, and ability to build trust”. rough mentoring, Dave’s developed greater awareness of himself. “I can re ect on my kids and how I could’ve done things slightly di erently as well, and I have been then been able to share that with students I’ve been mentoring.”

Give something back

He says you don’t know how good you can be as a mentor. “You’re always better than you think you are, so just give it a punt, give it a go, you can only help…and just believe in yourself that you can do something good for these students. It’s challenging and rewarding at the same time because every person is di erent. For me, it’s around wanting to give something back.”

Training for new mentors begins March.

For more information, visit: dinglefoundation.org.nz/project-k

Georgia Minkhorst

“ e railway doesn’t cost us anything to run, it’s time for us; if we can turn that time into something else that helps those in need.” e club also held a donation railway run last weekend for the appeal, which raised $2020. e Memorial Park Railway Tauranga trains will run this Sunday, February 26, from 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-3pm, weather permitting. Tickets cost $2 per ride or 12 rides for $20.

“ e day’s runnings could have gone in the bank and maybe it would be needed one day to repair a locomotive, but that is not what’s important this Sunday… it’s about the people who have been a ected.” Let’s hope this weekend sees another great show of community e ort!

This article is from: