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Local Awards evening showcases hardworking community groups and volunteers

Mary Dillon, Lifetime Service Award Winner. Photo: Andrew Warner...

University of Waikato Tauranga campus scholarships celebrated

Four adult learners have won Acorn Foundation scholarships, twelve students were granted TECT First-in-Family awards, and nine students were awarded TECT Returning Student scholarships.On Monday evening, the students from the University of Waikato Tauranga campus celebrated their awards with their friends and family. These scholarships are provided by Acorn Foundation donors and by the trustees of TECT to help students afford the expenses of tertiary education.The first scholarship from Acorn wa...

Music therapy - legacy of accidental activist

Nate grinning as he plays the drum at the Auckland Centre....

Whānau cooking for whānau

Generous local community members are giving up their time, money, and resources to cook nutritious family meals to keep freezers well-stocked around Tauranga and Western Bay through the charity Kura Kai. Kura Kai was established in 2020 after Founder Makaia Carr was asked to put the ‘call out’ for volunteers to cook for her local school’s compassion freezer. Inspired by this idea, Carr decided this concept had value across the motu and created Kura Kai.  Based on quality, no...

Local MenzShed benefits local men and wider community

To onlookers, it is a simple shed. To local men of Katikati, it is a common space to gather with others with similar interests to create, build, learn, meet new people and chat.The key benefit of the Shed is having a purposeful space to gather. Although all ages are welcome, MenzShed’s main purpose is to give older, retired men a place to share skills, experiences, stories, laugh and offer support to each other in various and meaningful ways.The Katikati MenzShed also benefits the wider commun...

Everyone can do something to help others, no matter how big or small

Imagine seeing someone suffering, and rather than continuing with your day, deciding to do what you can to help. Liz Kite did that ten years ago when she noticed multiple homeless people in Tauranga CBD.Initially from a trestle table outside the Tauranga City Library, Liz gave home-cooked meals to whoever needed them. She continued to serve the city's homeless for two years before moving her meals to the Cliff Road Community Hall in 2016.With the capability and availability to do so and a passio...

Theatre helps the community thrive

Found in a 100-year-old former church building within Tauranga’s Historic Village, Detour Theatre is a space which offers many a sense of inclusion and belonging.With drama classes and regular shows on offer, Detour Theatre strives to be an affordable option for the community to ensure participation is available for those who will benefit from their classes or shows.Offering four plays a year, regular drama classes for children through to adults, and groups with special needs, Detour Theatre f...

TECT supports Summer Lifeguarding across the Western Bay

Lined with beautiful coastlines and endless beaches and bays, the Western Bay of Plenty attracts thousands of beachgoers, swimmers, and surfers.With beautiful coastal areas comes the need for surf lifeguard patrols to ensure everyone using the beach and water makes it home safely.Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) has been saving lives for over a century, with 4,500 volunteer surf lifeguards patrolling over 90 beaches annually. Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty are home to six Surf Life S...

RainbowYOUTH Bay of Plenty, back in action

As one of the few Rainbow-focused youth organisations with the capacity to work on a national level, RainbowYOUTH reaches areas of Aotearoa where support is hard to find or non-existent.Rainbow youth in Tauranga and Western Bay, now have their local support charity available once again in a new space in the CBD.Founded in 1989 as Aotearoa’s first youth-focused LGBTQIA+ support charity, RainbowYOUTH provides support, information, and advocacy for intersex, queer and gender-diverse youth.With ce...

Pacific Island Trust supports community like its own family

Every week, 15 staff members of Pacific Island Community Trust Bay of Plenty (PICT) work tirelessly to provide services to their families throughout Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, and the wider Bay of Plenty region. Services cover social services, and health and wellbeing services.With services from Mobile Nursing Service, Outpatient and Support Service, Community Support Workers, Pasifika Playgroup, Whanau Ora Programmes, and Community Development Assistance. PICT aim for their programmes, ed...

Vital Update 2023 survey data available for all to use

The research project ‘Vital Update – Tauranga 2023’ findings are now available online at Tauranga.govt.nz/vitalupdate2023.Tauranga City Council, alongside the Acorn Foundation, TECT and BayTrust, recently conducted the second edition of this in-depth research. Facilitated by independent research company Key Research, the survey focused on understanding the needs, wants and aspirations of the communities within Tauranga.Commission Chair, Anne Tolley, says that the data collected will be use...

Youth encounter building self-worth and confidence

When a young man struggling with behaviour issues and lacking confidence was unable to make conversations and became more involved in criminal activities, he was referred to Youth Encounter.Through engaging with clinical counselling, matched mentoring and group therapy at Youth Encounter, he learnt about values, setting goals and learning self-control to handle his intense emotions.This young person continued to better himself by refraining from participating in criminal activities and expressin...

2024 Western Bay Community Award Finalists Announced

The annual Western Bay Community Awards which recognises the dedicated contribution of voluntary and not-for-profit groups and individuals, have announced the finalists for the 2024 awards, scheduled for March next year.The Western Bay Community Awards are delivered in partnership between Tauranga and Western Bay’s local funders: Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, TECT Community Trust and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.Thirty finalists have been announced for the 2024 W...

Heartfelt and helpful funding provided to Heart Kids BOP

Every week, 12 babies are born with or acquire a congenital heart condition in Aotearoa – affecting about 600 whānau a year. Other children will also be diagnosed with a heart condition due to childhood illness, such as Rheumatic Fever or Kawasaki Disease.Heart Kids NZ is a not-for-profit organisation that services children, teens, young adults and whānau living with a childhood heart condition. It is the only national organisation in Aotearoa dedicated to supporting heart kids throughout li...

Te Aranui Youth Trust strives to allow local youth to thrive

For tamariki and rangatahi, life should be fun, filled with laughter, playing and learning. Unfortunately, without positive role models and guidance, not all children and young people see a positive pathway for their futures.Te Aranui Youth Trust is a charity working alongside Police and Ministry of Education to support young people and provide a great pathway by surrounding children and young people with positive role models, and a positive path.25 years ago, local Police staff and business own...

TECT’s first impact investment, The Kollective turns five this month

One of TECT’s ways of working is through collaboration, believing it is important to work with people with strong community connections and understanding. Working together to bring about sustainable and equitable change in the region.The Kollective is New Zealand’s largest co-working space dedicated to the success of not-for-profits, social enterprise, and charitable organisations. It’s an award-winning building next to the Historic Village on Ngāi Tamarawaho whenua.TECT developed the ide...

Creative sector’s lead organisation gets funding boost

Murals by Millie - Chorus Cabinet Art Project. Photo by Jess Lowcher...

Volunteers Key to Coastguard Services this Summer

Coastguard New Zealand | Tautiaki Moana is Aotearoa’s primary maritime search and rescue provider. The Eastern Region comprises of 14 volunteer units from Whitianga to Hawke’s Bay, including Lake Taupō and Rotorua Lakes.Local units, Waihi Beach (Bowentown), Tauranga and Maketu provide 24/7 rescue support and education to the community around water, bar awareness, and boat safety. Maketu oversees three shallow, dangerous bars; Waihi Beach received over 5,200 radio calls in the last year, and...

Nine environmental groups receive over half a million dollars in TECT funding.

Through a single funding application from Bay Conservation Alliance, nine environmental conservation groups across the Western Bay recently received a share of $500,575 towards their initiatives over the next two years.Bay Conservation Alliance’s (BCA) vision is that through collaboration, the natural ecosystems and indigenous biodiversity of the Bay of Plenty are restored. They’ve led the way in environmental collaboration by providing essential back-office systems, environmental conservati...

Community groups gather to celebrate funding for Tauranga and Western Bay.

On a recent September evening, 32 community groups attended a Grants Function, the first held by TECT since 2021. This function celebrated 32 of the community organisations who have received TECT funding since April. This included 16 new applicants receiving funding from TECT for the first time. As TECT strives to make a difference for Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty communities, these grants will positively impact the lives of current and future generations.Of the 78 grants approved thus far...

Fishing Offers Therapeutic Power

Fishing and boating are some of the most popular activities in New Zealand, providing sport and recreation opportunities, time spent in the outdoors, fun, and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the shores. People with physical disabilities or mental unwellness often can’t enjoy these activities due to accessibility.Wish4Fish is a charitable trust enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities by providing opportunities to enjoy the freedom and pleasure of being on the ocean...

Step back in time with the tranquillity of The Elms Te Papa Tauranga in springtime

Tucked away alongside the bustling city centre is part of the rich history of Tauranga Moana, where you can step back in time and experience The Elms Te Papa Tauranga, formally Otamataha Pā. The Elms Te Papa Tauranga is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest heritage sites, with hundreds of years of rich history at the centre of Tauranga’s identity.Originally home to a thriving Māori community before becoming the place of early contact between Māori and Pākehā. Today, the site is visited ...

Nominations for the 2024 Western Bay Community Awards Now Open

Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford, Chief Executive of Poutiri Wellness Centre accepted the 2023 Heart of the Community Award on behalf of the Poutiri Wellness Centre....

Storytime strengthens family connections and children's development

Storytime is a fond memory for many when thinking of their childhood. Having parents, older siblings, and wider family members bringing stories to life with funny voices and extravagant expressions provides more than a bonding experience for children.Research shows a wide range of benefits of reading to babies and young children, especially throughout the first 1,000 days of their life. Children read to frequently are more likely to do better at school in reading, language, numeracy, and compreh...

Brain Tumour Support NZ helps make a tough time that little bit easier

When it comes to a negative health diagnosis, most people will know where to turn to for additional assistance and support if they’re one of the unlucky people to suffer from a stroke, heart attack, or breast or prostate cancer. That’s because these conditions are widely spoken about. What still isn’t widely spoken about are brain tumours.When Mandy Bathan was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019, she looked for additional support and information and realised there was nothing outside of ...