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Kiwi delegates’ reflections from Tamarack’s Communities Collaborating Institute 2011 “ Leadership that transforms communities”

Communities Collaborating Institute 2011 was a week-long event and full of learning for four Kiwis who travelled across the Pacific.  They joined two hundred and fifty people from all over Canada to share experiences and successes from collaborative effort around complex issues such as poverty, homelessness, addictions, violence and the wellbeing of First Nations people.

The delegation included Roku Mihinui from Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Rebecca Harrington from Lifewise, Terri Eggleton from BayTrust and Barbara MacLennan from Inspiring Communities. They have compiled their reflections, and many links, in order to share the learning with others who are interested.  Click to download their report. 

Festival for the Future 2011 success

120 enthusiastic creatives, entrepreneurs and changemakers from around New Zealand took part in the very first Festival for the Future. This first-time event, organised in 10-weeks largely by two 25-year olds, was life changing for some.

You can relive the Festival by viewing all the inspiring speakers, young innovators and other highlights on the festival website.

Also featured at the Festival were the winners of the Inspiring Stories film competition in which 16-year old Johanna Hertwich from rural Murchison who took home the major prize.  Read more and watch the films at the inspiringstories.org.nz.

Christchurch City Councils ‘Share an Idea’ wins international applause

The Christchurch City Council has been recognised internationally for its Share an Idea community public engagement campaign.

2011 is the first time the Netherlands-based Co-Creation Association has given the award to an initiative outside Europe.   Share an Idea was one of 49 projects nominated for this year’s awards.

Read more about Share an Idea at the Christchurch City Council website

For more about the Awards see the Co-Creation Association website.

JigSaw’s Many Voices One Purpose campaign getting communities working together for stronger families

Jigsaw is taking on the challenge of reaching out and linking families in a spread out rural community as part of its drive to improve children's wellbeing and prevent child abuse.

The campaign aims to make it a normal part of everyday life for people to notice when children and families need extra help and offer support before problems escalate. It has already been embedded in the Thames region and adapted in Whangarei and Tokoroa, and is now expanding into the Tararua region.

Read more at the Jigsaw website

New Learning Link: A new approach to value and measurement from NEF

UK-based New Economics Foundation claims that £1 invested in high-quality residential care for children generates a social return of between £4 and £6.10.  NEF is creating new approaches to value and measurement so that those things that matter most to people, communities and to achieving a sustainable planet are made visible and measurable.

Read more about it at the New Economics Foundation website .

Check out other useful links and tools in our online Learning Links.

Report from Victoria: ‘Lessons Learned by Community Recovery Committees of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires:

Advice we offer to communities impacted by disaster: Written by a group of community members who each played a role in their community’s recovery and renewal and who then became inspired by our belief that as community members we can and should share their lessons with other communities impacted by disaster. This is not a formal report prepared by government bodies or any other organisation but a report by communities, and for communities.

At the website of the Premier of Victoria You can download the 22 page report and read about how it has been shared internationally.

Clara Miller on Community Social Finance - resources online

Clara Miller is President of The F. B. Heron Foundation in New York City, a private foundation helping low-income people and communities help themselves.

In a series of workshops with Philanthropy NZ and the Community Economic Development Network, Clara discussed the financial tools that funders can use effectively to invest in a strong and progressive not for profit sector and examined the characteristics of investment ready organisations and the role of the philanthropic sector in supporting their growth.

The Presentations and other materials are now available for viewing and printing at the Philanthropy NZ website.

Community Development Scheme – priority areas for 2012 Grants from Department of Internal Affairs

The 2012/13 funding round for the Community Development Scheme opened on 9 November 2011 and closes on Wednesday 21 March 2012 at 4pm.

“The Community Development Scheme (CDS) supports community, hapū, iwi, Pacific and ethnic organisations to work together, generate their own solutions to local issues, and work towards becoming more self-reliant and resilient. CDS supports communities to work together in new ways, to be innovative and to determine their own development priorities to achieve sustainable community outcomes.

The priority territories change from year to year. The territories for 2012 are:

• Rodney - within local board area
• South Waikato District
• Kawerau District
• Western Bay of Plenty District
• Napier City
• Carterton and/or South Wairarapa Districts
• Manawatu District
• Nelson City
• The Chatham Islands

For more details follow this link to the communitymatters.govt.nz website.

New Time Bank in Wellington South gains momentum

With over 65 registrations and 8 fully confirmed members (as of November 2011) and counting, the Wellington South Time Bank is off to a strong start.  Skills available include knowledge of local walkways, dancing, menu planning, funding applications and gardening.

Read more on stuff.co.nz or find out the latest on Wellington South Time Bank’s Facebook page

Event: ReGeneration Summer Jam 2012 (Taupo, January)

Summer Jam is ReGeneration’s annual national youth leadership event. Young people from around New Zealand who are already leading the change in their communities, schools and organisations gather to upskill, plan actions, have fun and consider the question "where to from here?"

The concept is youth teaching youth, and while there are facilitators, youth workers and invited speakers, all are part of the Jam.  See the ReGeneration website for more.

NZ Gardener of the Year Finalist: Great Start Taita's Julia Milne

It is a delight that Julia Milne, a foundation member of The Great Start Children's Garden Club, was the Wellington regional finalist for the New Zealand Gardener magazine, 2011 Gardener of the Year NZ Gardener.   Julia's projects include a recycled plastic bottle hothouse and butterfly house, and the inspirational Project Sunshine.

Read the Dominion Post "Your Weekend" supplement 10 December 2011 feature article:

• Kimberley Rothwell visits a garden in Taita and discovers that, thanks to Julia Milne, there's a community growing among the vegetables. Read the article on Stuff

Wellington groups scoop 2011 Dynamic Community Learning Awards in Adult Learning Week

Two outstanding community education providers from Wellington received Dynamic Community Learning Awards at this year’s Adult Learners’ Week launch, held at Putiki Marae, Whanganui on November 1.

The Awards, sponsored by Mary-Jane Rivers, the McCombs-Rivers family and Alison Broad, celebrate community engagement, excellence and energy in adult community learning.

Read more...

Porirua City Council’s Waitangirua Park Project judged NZ’s best for community engagement

The International Association for Public Participation’s Core Values Awards recognise and encourage projects that are at the forefront of public participation. The awards were created to encourage excellence, quality and innovation in public participation in Australasia.

A winter is chosen for each state in Australia as well as one for New Zealand - Porirua City  Council won for its Waitangirua Park project – “putting the heart back into the community”.  Waitangirua residents drove the development of the park, to create a heart for the suburb out ofunderused land. Residents worked alongside Porirua City Council staff at every stage from the concept to construction.

Read more details at the Porirua City  Council website  and IAP2 website.

Reflections from NZSEF Changemakers Masterclass: Social Entrepreneurs are everywhere

Are you a social entrepreneur? 

If you put social good before personal interest, can see a social issue, feel compelled to change it and apply business thinking in a community setting, then the answer is probably yes.

The New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellowship held its first open Changemakers Masterclass in September - a collaboration between the New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellowship and the ReGeneration Trust.  Gecko NZ Trust were there and have kindly shared some reflections. 

Read the article...

Workshop: The Social Enterprise Journey: balancing social mission with making money

15 November (Wellington) and 22 (Auckland).  By operating as a social enterprise, organisations can reduce their dependency on external funding. 

This workshop with Bice Arwan (Chief Executive, Skylight) is designed for a wide range of participants from the community and voluntary sector.  See Events section for full details...

Masters in Reflective Social Practice from the Proteus Institute (South Africa)

Applications are invited for this programme by the deadline of 25th November 2011.  The first residential session is scheduled to take place in July 2012.  Download the brochure for details about applying, including costs.

Wellington City Council supporting strong neighbourhoods with Community Preparedness Grants

It’s been encouraging to see Wellington City Council’s support of Neighbours Day Aotearoa, for which planning is now underway towards the 2012 celebration on 24-25 March – put the date in your 2012 calendar!

On 4 October at the Town Hall, Wellington City Council launched its Community Preparedness Grants pool, which was agreed in the Annual Plan process in June 2010 and is worth $100,000.

Mayor Wade-Brown said the whole idea behind it is to build stronger communities and encourage neighbours to get to know each other, because in times of emergencies they're likely to be the ones who can help first.

Read more at the Wellington City Council website.

Five minutes of inspiration: Vibrant Communities' Dan Meades' Pecha Kucha presentation on the theme: "Inspire"

Pecha Kucha is a fun, disciplined story telling style that can be used in any organisation or community setting to help people or groups share who they are and what is important to them.  With a strict 5 minute time limit (and a set format of 20 slides, shown for 20 seconds each), this fixed format can be a great “leveler” when bringing diverse presenters together. 

For an inspiring example see this video: Vibrant Communities Director Dan Meades gives a Pecha Kucha presentation in Alberta, Canada on the theme “Inspire”.

Philanthropy NZ online newsletter

The latest issue of Philanthropy NZ has some interesting updates on philanthropy in NZ, research, evaluation and more.

Read it online.

Urban Food Hui plants fruitful ideas

Sustainability Trust and Innermost Gardens hosted an urban food hui on 3 August to discuss what is working well, how to strengthen connections and what we'd like to see grow - in the community, not necessarily referring to food! Concepts were mentioned such as co-ordination for centralised resources.

More than 50 people attended the hui at Wellington Central Library to explore ideas for creating linkages between the various gardens, orchards and other food producing groups around Wellington, and lots of great ideas were put forth.

The next hui is planned for November. If you'd like more info, or to be part of it, please contact Christina, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

New resource on working with communities: Shaping Tamaki's Future Together:  A Transformational Approach

The Tamaki Transformation Programme has just published a resource Shaping Tamaki's Future Together:  A Transformational Approach. This resource is for those who want to explore a new way of working with communities, and across organisations, and learn some tools to support them along the way.  It offers snapshots of work undertaken during the Tamaki Transformation Programme's two year foundation period as it evolves new approaches to bring together residents and groups from across community, government and private sectors, in service of common goals.

Click for the full article (with thanks to Jenny Chilcott) to know more and find out how to get a copy. 

Community of the Year nominations close 14 October

Time to make a song and dance for your inspiring community: The Mitre 10 Community of the Year award acknowledges “groups and organisations working together to build better communities”.

Nominations close Friday 14th October 2011 and judging will take place in December. Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner in February 2012.

Check out the New Zealander of the Year website for more information, to make an Online Nomination or read about the 2011 Community of the Year winner, Gibbston in Central Otago.

Kids in the City – Auckland study puts children “in charge”

How are children faring in our cities?  That’s a question which a three-year Kids in the City study funded by the Health Research Council is seeking to answer.  With children living ever more sedentary lives, physical activity levels decreasing and obesity rates rising, children need to be able to move safely around their neighbourhoods and have appropriate outdoor places to play.  This study aims to contribute children’s experience and voice to the urban planning process and to help ensure that the well-being of children is to the fore in urban planning.

For one week, 160 nine-to-11-year-old children were hooked up with data collection gear (accelerometers, GPS and cameras) and took researchers on walking interviews, being in charge of where they wanted to go.

Read the full article (supplied by Penelope Carroll, Massey University).

SBN Social Innovation Award 2011: entries close 30 September

This year's Sustainable Business Network awards have a new category recognising outstanding programmes, innovations or businesses that use entrepreneurship to meet pressing social needs.

For details on this and other award categories, and to download the entry form, see the Sustainable Business Network Awards 2011 website.

Applications open for the 2011 Dynamic Community Learning Awards

Update:  The 2011 Awards will be presented at the launch of Adult Learner Week on 1 November at the Putiki Marae, Whanganui.  Read profiles of the two winners and the Highly Commended entries.

Adult & Community Education Aotearoa (ACE Aotearoa), the McCombs-Rivers Family and Alison Broad are delighted to announce the seventh year of awards to recognise and celebrate Community Learning. The awards have been created by Patrick McCombs and Mary-Jane Rivers from Wellington, and Alison Broad from Invercargill. They want to celebrate the stories of education programmes that help strengthen communities.

If you are part of - or know of - an organisation making a difference in its community, please download an application form here. If the organisation meets the stated criteria why not nominate it for this award.

Applications due: Monday 3 October 2011

Queries: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The winners will be announced as part of celebrations for Adult Learners' Week - He Tangata Matauranga: 31 October - 6 November 2011.

Aquaculture and Opotiki – the future’s looking bright

The forward looking vision of Whakatohea Iwi and Opotiki people was celebrated and acknowledged at an August public event co-hosted by Whakatohea Maori Trust Board and Opotiki District Council. Seventy-five people packed the Council Chambers to hear about positive progress towards a viable local aquaculture industry for the District.

Trials to grow mussels eight kilometres off the Opotiki Coast are producing high levels of local spat (young shellfish) and great quality unique mussels – and they are growing at a rate more than double what was anticipated. This is great news, and the meeting was informed that current business plans estimate the need for 228 positions to operate the core business within five years of starting, rising to 547 by year twelve. These estimates do not include all of the additional jobs which will be necessary to support the industry.

Read more on Opotiki's Core Learning Cluster page...

The Inspiring Stories Film Competition – Call for Entries

Do you have an inspiring story to tell? Could you make a film about young Kiwis doing great stuff – making a difference in their community?

Inspiring Stories invites filmmakers of any age to make a short film and enter their competition, under one of the two categories:

1. Young Kiwis Making a Difference (2-4 Minutes)
2. Inspiring Stories Open (Over 5 Minutes)

Entries close 10 September 2011. For submission details see www.inspiringstories.org.nz.

Random act of Kindness Day: Thursday 1 September

Everyone can use a random act of kindness, and anyone can be inspired to give one.  We thought it worth mentioning that New Zealand’s Random Acts of Kindness Day is coming up on the 1st of September.

Read more online.

Highlights from the International Community Development Conference, Portugal, July 2011

What do Rosa Parks (who in 1955 refused to obey a bus driver’s order that she give up her seat for a white passenger), community gardens in the mid United States and a UK framework called “Voice” have in common?They all demonstrate how practically any opportunity can be taken to strengthen or build community leadership - especially starting ‘where people are at’ and using those skills, interests and resources as the basis for development.

Transformational leadership in communities was the focus of the International Association of Community Development (IACD) conference in Portugal in July 2011, attended by people from Portugal, India, England, the USA, South Africa, Uganda, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland and Canada, among others.

Click to read the conference highlights.

Courageous stories of journeys out of debt

In July a series of stories appeared in the Kapi-Mana News, Porirua's local newspaper, created with help from Good Cents Porirua and Porirua City Council.  The stories profiled real people in Porirua and their courageous stories about changing the cycles of debt in their own lives for the better.

We think these stories and the fact they are being shared publicly is a fantastic development, so we are pleased to share them – click here to read three courageous stories

Third visit from Tamarack's Mark Cabaj highlights growing interest in CLD

While Mark Cabaj was here in June 2011, following a series of workshops (click for materials) and our Learning Forum we were able to glean Mark’s valuable external perspective on Aotearoa New Zealand’s community-led development movement.  Some of his observations were:

We discussed the the similarities and differences between the approaches needed for Canada and New Zealand, and Mark noted that even with Vibrant Communities Canada's clearly defined issue (poverty reduction) and great partners around a table, community-led approaches can be as complex as the issues facing communities.  "It will always take time to form a shared direction and move forward at each phase, so the journey looks more like an upward spiral than a straight line."

Great Start Taita’s Project Sunshine teaches children around NZ about seeds, bees and cross-pollinating communities

“Project Sunshine” is an initiative of Great Start Taita’s Children’s Gardening Club. On 2 July 2011, a special event was held as a national launch for the project. Taita children hosted a delegation from the UN Youth Model UN Conference, at Great Start House in Taita of course, and together they learned a lot about the importance of bees and what they can do to protect bee populations, and how they can use sunflowers to help not only bees but also their community.

Read more...

Shona Hammond-Boyes honoured for celebrating children

Shona Hammond-Boyes, the woman who has driven the Opotiki Youth Murals Project, was in the US capital receiving a President's Volunteer Services Award for her international work.  The medal recognises her many years of support for the World Festival of Children. 

Read more and see Opotiki News photo.

 Nelson Mail 25 July 2011: Victory Village Forum 

Nelson Mail: Victory shares its lessons

Nelson's Victory Village is hosting a three-day national forum to share its experiences on how it transformed itself into a thriving community which became the 2010 Community of the Year.The conference will be attended by 250 people from a range of organisations throughout the country. Victory Community Health Centre manager Kindra Douglas said organisers were stunned by the positive response.When Victory was named the 2010 community of the year, there was a huge increase in people wanting to visit Victory Primary School and see what had been done, she said... read the full story in the Nelson Mail online.

Reflecting on NZ’s CED journey to date, Di points out there is definite progress. The first conference in 2010 was very much an introduction to the concepts and language of CED, while the 2011 conference had a stronger practitioner focus and increasing focus on social investment.  As with all emerging movements, ongoing support for the CED NZ Trust is going to be critical to see CED continue to grow in Aotearoa to where it can make a solid contribution to our communities. With good overseas mentors to draw from, local CED networks beginning to emerge in our regions and some good strong Maori input helping to shape the kaupapa for New Zealand, Di says there is a strong foundation to build on.

Read Di’s update for details of her thoughts on the way forward.

Resources from June Lunchbox to Toolkit forum now online

If we believe it takes a village to raise a child, what does this mean for relationships and collaboration between learning hubs and local communities?  This powerful question was the gathering call for the “Lunchbox to Toolkit” forum held at the Onehunga Community Centre in  June.

The presentations and a summary are now available - click here to view and download.

The NZ Mural Bike Tour

“This is going to be a journey of long reaching proportions” said Mural Bike Tour organiser and long distance cyclist Max Levi Frieder before setting off on 24 June to cycle the North Island leaving a trail of locally created art behind him. His mission, to help ten communities create murals on canvas as a gift to their communities, working with Childrens Art Foundation Art Houses.

The Tour has seen murals installed in various places including a community art gallery, a library, a school, and in Opotiki, the police station!

Read more and see also: 

August workshops: Partnering for Results (Auckland and Wellington)

Join Thought Partners for an "opportunity to build knowledge and skills for successful partnering across organisations and sectors. This workshop, and tailored mentoring session, will provide you with inspiration, knowledge and tools to ensure your partnerships achieve results and move beyond good intentions..."

See Events Calendar for details.

28 July: Growing Resilience forum with Heart Politics (Wellington)

Growing Resilience - what does this mean for communities? For our most marginalized citizens? For you, as an active citizen in the world? Hear insights from sociologist Tracey McIntosh, and Project Lyttleton community worker Margaret Jeffries. Find out more in our Events Calendar.

Web based generosity project – Helena Francis

July 2011

In conjunction with Philanthropy New Zealand, Helena Francis of the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust is seeking stories from all over New Zealand that highlight and demonstrate the extraordinary good will and kindness shown to and within our community during and since our series of earthquakes.

The purpose is to collate the stories and photographs on a website with the view to appreciate the collective response to Cantabrians in their time of need and to record the creative and innovative ways people and groups have expressed their generosity, from random acts of kindness to information sharing, volunteerism and fundraising.

"While there will be room for some of the wonderful stories the media have covered since September last year this project is as much about representation of the 'unsung heros'," says Helena. “I believe it is important to our recovery that we try to balance our sence of loss and grief with the occassional celebration and reminder of all that is right and good”.

If you know of any person or group who has shown a spirit of generosity towards Cantabrians post earthquake, please email Helena Francis: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Early themes from the Families Commission’s 50 Key Thinkers forum

Several members of the Inspiring Communities team and Board were pleased to take part in this session exploring key thinking on social issues, led by the Families Commission. According to its website: “If there was one phrase that summed up the Families Commission’s 50 Key Thinkers forum at Wellington on 11 May 2011, it would be this sentence: “There is nothing wrong with New Zealand that cannot be rectified by using what is right with New Zealand”.

You can read more and download an initial report from the forum (more to come in following weeks) from the 50 Key Thinkers page on the Families Commission website.

A closer look at ReGeneration and the Road Trip

ReGeneration is a national network for young changemakers who are working to create positive change in their communities, workplaces, families, schools and the natural environment. Right now ten young New Zealanders from the ReGen Network, with different skills and backgrounds, are travelling the country in the Regeneration Roadrip. They are on the hunt for ideas, inspiration and stories of positive change!

Want to know more?

Community Economic Development Conference highlights

The theme of New Zealand's second community economic development conference was Making it happen: from possibility to profitability. Our CED section has links to key conference information, presentations, updates and reflections from participants including our Denise Bijoux, presenter Vivian Hutchinson and Hot House winner Guy Ryan.

Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2011 – celebrating and evaluating

It has been so inspiring to hear the stories that are still flowing in about neighbourly fun and connections made during Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2011 (spread over two weekends thanks to weather). We've received dozens of examples of neighbours sharing fun, respect, manaakitanga, hospitality and kindness. See many of them on the Neighbours Day website under Kiwi Stories and also at facebook.com/neighboursday.

Inspiring Communities at Philanthropy through the Looking Glass Conference

In 2009 when the newly formed Inspiring Communities ran a workshop at the Philanthropy NZ Conference the key questions people asked were why take this approach, what does community-led development mean, and why does it matter?

At the April 2011 PNZ Conference the discussion had moved from ‘why?’  to ‘how?’   How can we do community-led development effectively, what does it mean in terms of local leadership approaches, how can we work together better and what does it mean for funders?

Powerful stories of cross-sectoral collaboration and community leadership in Opotiki and Taita were shared, along with some useful theoretical frameworks. There was keen participation in the discussion and reflections that followed.

Read more at the website A DVD of the session is available at no charge:  email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Marfell community school and its community- why they stand out

In its March newsletter the Marfell Combined Culture Trust takes a look at the Marfell School and its role in the community over its 50-year history. Trust Coordinator Nigel Bates spoke with School Principal Janet Armstrong about what makes Marfell Community School unique and stand out amongst other schools in the West New Plymouth area. Highlighted are the schools’ relationships with the community including young leaders from the local college, and the commitment of many dedicated parents. Its Special Needs Unit is accessed from outside Marfell and enrichment and extension opportunities belie its Decile 1 status. Nigel has kindly shared his overview - read this and the full March 2011 My Marfell newsletter are on the website under Schools Families & Communities.

Opotiki’s aquaculture development highlighted on international stage

On 16 March, Local Government NZ President Lawrence Yule addressed the Commonwealth Local Government Forum conference.   His speech was titled The Role Of Local Government In Energising Local Economies.  Mayor Yule (of Hastings District Council) discussed some of the challenges facing local government in supporting local economic development, and outlined LGNZ’s five-point framework for the sector.

Highlighted as one of two examples of innovative and successful approaches by local government was Opotiki’s aquaculture development.  Excerpts from the speech are on our website and the full speech can be viewed at the LGNZ website.

Victory Village Forum: 27 – 29 July 2011

In case you have not already heard, there is still an opportunity to participate in the conference at this later date.  We are excited about this first national forum focused on family-centred, community-led development, centred on the learnings of Victory Village Nelson, New Zealand’s first Community of the Year (2010) and a source of many inspiring stories of local leadership, planning together for success and seeing tangible progress.

For full details and registration see www.confer.co.nz/victoryforum 

Inspiring Stories Trust and Project ReGeneration: Capturing New Zealand’s Most Inspiring Stories

Inspiring Stories is a new, innovative New Zealand initiative created to support young Kiwis to harness the power of storytelling through filmmaking and creative digital media for a better world.

Together with Regeneration Trust (a national network of young New Zealanders working to create positive change in their schools, workplaces, and communities) they have embarked on a nationwide road trip hosting workshops for young New Zealanders in every region.  Through two-day intensive workshops, young filmmakers and change makers will team up with industry professionals to produce short films.

In Southland the Road Trip has already visited the Murihiku Young Parents Learning Centre, (which IC board member Alison Broad and others worked hard to see opened earlier this year).  Watch the video.  

Read more on: the Inspiring Stories Trust website  and Project Regeneration website

Community engagement – look which sector wants to get closer

Can business and community both do better together?  Would you be surprised to see a major retail bank presenting on Community Enterprise at the NZ Community Economic Development conference this week?

Many businesses have an interest in mutually beneficial connections with community.  Overseas Tamarack, an Institute for Community Engagement in Canada, has many examples of business working with community and wanting to better understand how to contribute to community.

Back here, in February a major report was released by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development which discussed how business can play a greater role in setting priorities for New Zealand’s social investment spending.  The NZBCSD, which includes some of NZ’s largest businesses, says business’ involvement in the community “can be significantly leveraged to help deliver a more prosperous society”.

To read more, including links to the NZBCSD report, Canadian case studies and to find out which bank is represented at the CED conference, see the full item on our website.

Reflections from day one of 2011 NZ Community Economic Development Conference Trusts Stadium, Waitakere City (18 – 20 April 2011)

With a room brimming with enthusiasm and experience, delegates on Day One of the 2011 Community Economic Development conference in Waitakere, Auckland were treated to speakers from a range of backgrounds and situations.  All shared their lived experience of community economic development. Acknowledging the challenging contexts of our times, a key theme from the beginning of the day was that community is the centre and heart of life in 2011 and economic development is a critical aspect of a healthy community…

Read more on our website.

Showcase your community during Leadership Week 2011

Sir Peter Blake once said, "Having vision is not enough. Change comes through realising the vision and turning it into a reality. It is easy to espouse worthy goals, values and policies; the hard part is implementation."

For anyone who has embarked on a project of any kind, this sentiment will resonate strongly.  Sir Peter’s 16 year-long attempt at winning the Whitbread Round the World Yacht race is testament to his courage, dedication, passion and sense of vision.

In the first week of July 2011 communities, businesses and organisations up and down the country will be celebrating Leadership Week activities and Red Socks Day in a myriad of different and special events. Leadership Week will be ultimately successful if every organisation and community participates in some way.  For more information, including ideas on how to get involved visit www.sirpeterblaketrust.org/leadership

In his final log from his expedition to the Amazon on the 4 December 2001, Sir Peter Blake wrote, “The hardest part of any project is to begin. We have begun. We are under way. We have a passion. We want to make a difference.”

Read more on our website:

“My Story” a journey of leadership for children in Taita/Pomare and their whole community

February 2011

Taita’s ‘My Story’ journey is an inspiring example of what can happen when a good idea and supportive community come together with a determination to make things better for their children.  Through “My Story” 33 local school children are learning about what being part of a community means to them, and what they mean to their community.  From children baking cookies for the bakery after it was broken into, to developing a Timebank and actively connecting across generations, Taita is seeing the impacts of “My Story”, supported by Great Start,  ripple through the whole community. 
Read the full story on our website 

Sharing Conversations that made Good Cents in Porirua

February 2011

Good Cents is leading for positive change in Porirua, working together with all sectors of the community towards solutions to the cycle of unsustainable debt.  In April last year a ‘watershed’ gathering drew people together to start collaborating, and a core group committed to take forward a four step plan.  Since then they and Good Cents have been continuing “Conversations that made Good Cents” with others in Porirua, bringing more and more key members of the community into this work.  Matt’s updates are an inspiring read and are kindly shared with us. 
You can read them in the Good Cents, Porirua page on our website. 

A Time for Maui?  Thoughts on Leadership from Leadership NZ 2010 participant Puamiria Maaka

February 2011

"We begin with the belief that the community holds a wealth of knowledge and has been able to learn and reflect together.  Collective leadership will increase the breadth and depth of leadership abilities that can be galvanized in a particular cause," says Puamiria Maaka in the Leadership NZ 2010 Yearbook.

Puamiria, Manager of Te Waipuna Puawai in Tamaki, was a participant in the 2010 Leadership NZ Programme receiving a Tindall Foundation and Inspiring Communities scholarship.  Life was more than full-on for Puamiria and she was also actively contributing to a fascinating local initiative of residents and organisations in Tamaki defining how they wanted to be engaged with.  In this article on our website Puamiria explores the leadership issues of courage and optimism involved with this initiative and for communities to lead their own development.

Inspiring Communities is proud to be a partner of Leadership NZ in our quest to support “leaderful communities” See the Leadership NZ website.

Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Awards 2011 get underway

April 2011

Applications are now open for the Sir Peter Blake Youth EnviroLeaders' Forum, which will be held in Auckland in April. The Sir Peter Blake Trust and the Ministry for the Environment are seeking 48 young New Zealand leaders with a passion for the environment and the desire and ability to take action.; See the Youth Enviroleaders Forum website for further information and to download an application form.

The first of Marchis the start of the 2011 nomination season for the next Blake Medal and Emerging Leader Awards. Read more about this at the Sir Peter Blake Trust website.

Low budget, high passion, huge neighbourhood impact: West Lynn Street party Grey Lynn (video link)

The West Lynn Street Party was held in Grey Lynn in March 2010. Organiser Pippa Coom humbly describes it as “a good story of neighbourhood and creating something with lots of volunteers but not much money - whole budget $100!" (held in March 2010). View the video.

Margaret Wheatley and Berkana Institute: A Toolkit for Building Healthy and Resilient Communities 

February 2011

Learn more about the Engaging Community Toolkit and many other inspiring articles and resources on Margaret Wheatley’s website.  

To quote the site regarding this toolkit:
“Whatever the problem, community is the answer”.  

The Berkana Institute has worked with many communities who’ve made this statement come alive; “they’ve discovered the wisdom and wealth present in themselves, their traditions, and their environments.  We believe wholeheartedly that community is the best resource to get through difficult times.  This is even more important in this age of fractured relationships and extreme politics when it can be difficult to remember what good community feels like, how joyful it feels when we’re working well together.”

Mark Cabaj: How to Generate Powerful Results in Addressing Complex Social Issues

February 2011

What do a region-wide effort to strengthen watershed management in Virginia, improving farming practices and farmer incomes in Cote-d’Avoire, a comprehensive initiative to prevent childhood obesity in Massachusetts and a campaign to improve student achievement in Ohio have in common?  They are all examples of collective impact initiatives that work across multiple sectors to generate powerful results in addressing complex social issues.
Read Mark’s article in the latest Maytree newsletter

Transforming Leadership: Hints from Tamaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy

December 2010

Puamiria Maaka, Manager of Te Waipuna Puawai, said in the December 2010 Leadership NZ Yearbook 'there is so much potential in our communities for leadership... (and) there is a growing awareness that different leadership models are being called for, from all sectors as more people become interested in innovative outcomes and constructive change."  Puamiria was living these words as  an active member of the Tamaki Inclusive Engagement  (TIES)  group that promotes the active participation of Tamaki communities in decisions affecting their future. TIES developed some key elements on "Transforming Leadership":

TIES has these handy hints for noticing and building on potential

-- lead by example
-- act with integrity of purpose
-- stay true to the kaupapa of TIES and encourage others to do likewise
-- keep the community in the drivers' seat
-- be clear about expectations
-- promote opportunities for active participation so that local residents and communities shape decisions affecting their future
-- work in ways that build community and foster a collective approach

Visit their website for more about TIES story and to access their book with more practical hints from their ways of working. 

Seven lessons that help communities to be full of leaders

An extract from Inspiring communities’ December 2010 publication What We Are Learning :

"Rather than power and authority concentrated in the hands of a few, we understand how communities can be truly strengthened when leadership comes from all corners of the community - we see this as 'leaderful communities'...

-- create opportunities for new leaders at decision-making tables and support them to be there
-- look more broadly at community leadership
-- value and celebrate local leaders
-- create and hold leadership spaces for others
-- servant leadership actively empowers others
-- proactively develop local community leadership strategies
-- communities are looking for integrity and authenticity in their leaders

To read more, you can download What We Are Learning from our website.

OVCS January newsletter: E-news from the Office for the Community Voluntary Sector ~ Issue 39

January 2011

The January E-newsletter from the Office for the Community & Voluntary Sector (Issue 39, 27 January 2011) has many interesting and practical links on various topics including new opportunities, resources and publications for Kiwi communities; a whole section on international initiatives about communities and government (including an update on NZ’s Kia Tutahi relationship agreement), and lots of reading about volunteers.  Read the newsletter online

Mitre 10 Community of the Year announced

February 2011

The Gibbston Community Association of Central Otago has been selected as the Mitre 10 Community of the Year as part of the New Zealander of the Year Awards for 2011. The citation says the Gibbston Community Association (GCA) “has united the community of Gibbston in a spirit of co-operation that can only be achieved through working and celebrating together. From a new school bus route to a walking track that spans eight kilometres, the GCA have revitalised their community through a good dose of Kiwi ingenuity and sheer hard work.”

BoP CLD Network workshop: Telling and Sharing our Stories  

February 2011

This forum is aimed helping improve our ability to notice, tell, share, store and more effectively use our community stories and knowledge.  Facilitated by Anna Kominik, a leading New Zealand communications professional and supporter of community-led development and Inspiring Communities.  You can expect to learn :

-- Ideas for helping communities tell and share their stories
-- Some really effective story telling techniques and tools
-- How stories can communicate change and progress in Bay of Plenty communities

Organised by the Community-Led Development BoP Network

International Assn for Community Development Conference: Portugal, July 2011

Call for Papers. Closing date for submissions is 28 February 2011.  The Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicologia Comunitária will host the 2011 IACD Conference at ISPA, Lisbon from 7th to 9th July 2011.

The chosen theme for this Conference is transformative leadership and empowering communities.  Guidelines for submitting papers are available on the conference website  (http://www.cdconference.com/).

Art of Place Making and Creating Resilient Cities workshops

(Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland)

On day one of these two-day workshops, David Engwicht will discuss ‘twelve secrets’ to creating vibrant neighbourhoods, prosperous shopping streets, and magical public spaces.  Day two explores the ‘secrets’ to creating resilient communities, resilient local economies and resilient local government organisations.

Visit the Creative Communities website for details and to register.

Development Action workshops

(Auckland, Wellington) 

Development Action will be running workshops from March to May which are of interest to community sector organisations, starting with Taking Stock of your Monitoring & Evaluation: http://www.developmentaction.co.nz/services/professionaldevelopment/training-and-pricing/2011-training-calendar

Neighbours Day Aotearoa 26 – 27 March

Neighbours Day Aotearoa is about turning streets into neighbourhoods.  Imagine if all New Zealanders knew our neighbours and lived in a friendly neighbourhood?  It’s as easy as putting the jug on, doing some baking, firing up the BBQ, or just getting outside to chat over the fence with your neighbours.

See http://www.neighboursday.org.nz for more information, ideas, and to sign up to show your support for kiwi neighbourhoods.

Brought to you by the Neighbours Day Development team from LIFEWISE, Inspiring Communities, and Methodist Mission Aotearoa.

2^nd NZ Community Economic Development conference

Auckland 

Due to popular demand a second CED conference will be held this year, at the Trusts Stadium Waitakere (organised by Community Waitakere on behalf of the CED Trust).  The theme of this conference is Making it happen: from possibility to profitability and will feature a host of leading practitioners from New Zealand and overseas.
Visit http://www.ced.org.nz for full details.

Victory Village Forum 

27-29 April. Nelson

All are welcome to join in celebrating the Victory community's growth and change and engage in lively discussion about how they created a more vibrant community.  This is a chance to learn from cutting edge examples of community-led development in Victory and across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Victory Village Forum (http://www.confer.co.nz/victoryforum/) is brought to you by Victory Village in partnership with the Families Commission and Inspiring Communities.

Hutt News 7 Dec 2010: Teacher tunes Taita students into love of violins 

This story is a great example of the new opportunities  than can arise for children in a community that is connected.  Twenty-one 6-8 year olds at Taita's St Michael's primary school are being taught the Suzuki method, on violins loaned from a local business, through a connection made via Great Start Taita.   

Read the full story in the Hutt News online.

Victory Village: Research report launch : Paths of Victory

November 2010

Victory Village in Nelson was 2010 Community of the Year.  Word of Village achievements is spreading and more than 1000 copies of a DVD of their work have been snapped up. Paths to Victory – a valuable case study prepared by The Families Commission was released on 29 November. It explores Victory’s achievements, approach, principles and systems change.

Read the article on the website

Porirua named one of world's most liveable communities

November 2010

At the 2010 International Liveable Communities Awards (LivCom), Porirua City was recognised with three Gold standard awards - the only one of the 43 city finalists to do so.  Endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme these are the world's only awards recognising excellence in the sustainable development of cities.

Read more on the Porirua City Council website

Hub of a Community, The Story of Parnell Community Trust

November 2010

After 25 years of providing services to the community Sally Mclean has written the completion of its history Hub of a Community, The Story of Parnell Community Trust.  This has given the Trust an opportunity to reflect upon its successes and failures, the reasons for its  survival and the achievement of providing for an increasingly diverse and demanding community.

Read the article

Porirua Village Planning wins international gold trifecta

November 2010

Porirua's Village Planning Programme has added to its growing list of awards, achieving an international 'gold trifecta' in the international "Liveable Communities" awards.

The Community Sustainability award is hugely significant because Porirua was judged alongside all the cities that entered (43 in total) including some of the biggest in the world like Montreal, Vancouver and Beijing.

Porirua's mayor Nick Leggett says: "Porirua City beat them all for our excellence in community engagement and empowerment".

Read more about this news on the PCC website community projects page.  

A Day With Paul Born

November 2010

Paul Born, President of Tamarack (http://tamarackcommunity.ca),  recently spent a day in Auckland as part of a six city stop in Australasia presenting workshops on his book “Community Conversations, Community Engagement and Change”.

Read the article

8 December BoP workshop : Telling and Sharing Our Stories

This forum is aimed helping improve our ability to notice, tell, share, store and more effectively use our community stories and knowledge.

The workshop will cover: Ideas for helping communities tell and share their stories, Some really effective story telling techniques and tools, How stories can communicate change and progress in Bay of Plenty communities.

See the Events Calendar for details

Book Launch: Ordinary lives of extra-ordinary people in Tamaki: Creating TIES that strengthen.

November 2010

The TIES Team is a group of community contributors who came together in 2008 to explore better ways of working together across the Tamaki communities of Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure, and with government and interested others. The initiative responded to the government-led Tamaki Transformation Programme.

Read the article

Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management 2011

The Unitec Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management is a qualification for managers, coordinators and board members working in Community, Voluntary and Tangata Whenua organisations.

The programme consists of eight courses exploring the fundamentals of managing in a complex community setting. All assignments and assessments are based on the student's organisation and provide a rich opportunity for their organisations to benefit from this dynamic learning community.”

Offered in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

For full details see the Unitec website.

Picnic for Westies turns into festival

October 2010  NZ Herald

This NZ Herald article reports on the story of Viva Waitakere, (a 'farewell' event for Waitakere City the day before it became part of the new Auckland). Its an inspiring example of a "slightly rebellious, community-driven event done in a very uncontrolled, organic way"  by a community that clearly shares a vision and a local sense of identity.  

Read the full story at the NZ Herald online

Marfell Community News, New Plymouth

November 2010

The November copy of the newsletter from the Marfell community, New Plymouth, has been released. Download it here.  Read the covering email message.

November "Engage!" from Tamarack, an Institute for Community Engagement (Canada)

November 2010

November's "Engage!" e-newsletter from Tamarack has lots of particularly thought provoking material for those following community-led development appraoches: The “best-practices” paradigm is challenged by the idea of positive deviance; the way schools and community engage together is explored, and the soul of community discussed, among other things.

Being leaderful

November 2010

Following on from our July newsletter, Inspiring Communities uses the term “leaderful communities” to describe what we want to see in New Zealand – local leadership being drawn from every corner of our communities.

Read the article

Paremoremo Community-Council partnership

November 2010

This link  takes you to the story of the Paremoremo community and their journey towards becoming more sustainable. Under the banner of “Caring for ourselves, our families, our neighbours and our environment”, the newsletter tells the story of the place, as well as of the project.

Read the article

New Economics Foundation

November 2010

Following on from last month’s learning link, check out the latest nef newsletter .  There is link in this to a pod-cast of an event  called ‘The Great Transition’, held in London in October. 

There is also a link to ‘Right Here, Right Now’ (no not the Rugby World Cup anthem!) – a publication about taking co-production to the mainstream. The report charts ways of co-producing for public services, especially in coalition government.

Read the article

Telling and Sharing our Stories of Community-Led Action and Change

October 2010

The Telling and Sharing our Stories forum was held on 5 October 2010 at Te Mahurehure Marae in Pt Chevalier.

The concept for the workshop came from a growing acknowledgement of the important role that community stories now play in helping to capture, communicate and celebrate community-led action.

Read the article

Hunt in Pt Chevalier Finds More than Just Treasure

October 2010

It began with the aim of getting more residents involved in their local Transition Town initiative.  The end result was a community building event that inspired Pt Chevalier residents to connect to each other as well as their local environment, and has already inspired spin off events.

The idea came from wanting to have more people involved in the community action group, Transition Town Pt Chevalier. The group works to promote community resilience and local forward planning but it was hard to get people to come to meetings. Members decided on a creative approach to engage locals in thinking about their community – hence the Treasure Hunt was born.

Read the article

Asset Based Community Development

October 2010

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is a system that is revolutionising the traditional practice of place-based social development throughout the world. The philosophy behind ABCD is that every community has the power to achieve what is most important for them by capitalising on their collective skills and talents (or assets), rather then focussing on their deficits. Furthermore, ABCD warns against needs or deficit based community development, which can reinforce negative perceptions about communities.

Inspired by this new way at looking at Council/community relationships, Hutt City Council began to incorporate ABCD philosophy into the way it worked in local communities, making it part of their strategic framework. By using ABCD tools such as “asset mapping” and “community conversations” the counccil broken away from the traditional appraoches to working with communities.

Read the Hutt City council article

TV3 3 Oct 2010: Modern day bartering in the form of Time Bank

October 2010

Its no surprise to us that Time Banking is spreading throughout New Zealand, from Kaitaia in the North, to Gore in the South.  On 3 October TV3 visited New Zealand's first Time Bank, in Lyttelton - you can read or watch the item on the TV3 website. http://www.3news.co.nz/Modern-day-bartering-in-the-form-of-Time-Bank/tabid/423/articleID/179438/Default.aspx

See also the article from our February newsletter, "Time banking reveals wealth in communities":

Tamarack announces the release of its Vibrant Communities Evaluation Report

October 2010

Tamarack has just released a report on Vibrant Communities - a place-based, community collaborative initiative focused on  poverty reduction in Canada.  It covers the  results and learning from 9 years of  several initiatives actively learning together across Canada.  Vibrant Communities built on an earlier 4 year initiative  in Waterloo, Ontario.

Read the article

Sept-Dec 2010: Evaluation Workshops by Paul Duignan

October 2010

These are free training workshops in evaluation offered by SHORE, a high quality organisation for people linked to public and community health organisations, targeting communities, groups and environments rather than the delivery of personal health services. Different workshops are being run around the country, including in smaller centres and registration can all be done online.

Introduction to Evaluation workshops: The three day Introduction to Evaluation workshop provides an introduction to evaluation. Topics covered include Planning and Programme logic development, Building your Evaluation, data collection and drawing evaluative conclusions. Wellington 2-4 November. Christchurch 23-25 November.

Read about the courses on offer

Interactive website: Seeking Community

October 2010

This newly launched website offers an online community for those who share a curiosity for community and are seeking a space to explore and reflect on how it can be strengthened.  Community is vital to our health, happiness, prosperity and safety. The Seeking Community website is a place where you can explore your questions, connect with other seekers, and access the information, inspiration, ideas and resources to help you on your journey.  www.seekingcommunity.ca

Opotiki murals contributing to a "flourishing community"

October 2010

We were pleased to see this story about Opotiki's murals and the project's benefit to the community on Happyzine.co.nz.  The item also covers other communities where positive things are happening, in the name of good mental health.

Read the article

Community Action work nominated for award

October 2010

The Wesley Community Action Hutt Valley Community Team received a nomination for the Wellington Regional Airport Awards held in September, for community contribution, Hutt Valley region

Read the story

Opotiki Youth Murals at Te Papa

September 2010

Opotiki's youth have been making beautiful murals, which are now on show at Te Papa. Click here to see the full article and accompanying presentation.

Community of the Year 2011: Nominations close 22 October 2010

September 2010

As part of the KiwiBank New Zealander of the Year, nominations are now open for the Community of the Year (sponsored by Mitre 10).

See full detais and nominate at the New Zealander of the Year Awards website.

You can also read about Victory Village, Nelson, winner of the 2010 Community of the Year:

- On the Awards website
- and on Stuff

Announcing Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2011

September 2010

Last year we shared stories about Neighbours Day happening in Auckland and many groups from around the country who heard about it said "yes please - we'd like to be involved in this too". So, put the date of 26/27 March 2011 into your diaries - it's the official date for the inaugural Neighbours Day Aotearoa celebration!

Inspiring Communities, LIFEWISE and Methodist Mission Aotearoa (which comprises 8 Methodist social/community service organisations from around the country) are now working together on a nationwide campaign, which will build from the success of Auckland's Neighbours Day (championed by LIFEWISE) in October 2009.

We're now in the process of forming strategic community alliances, selecting potential sponsors, planning and developing communications for a national campaign. It's exciting, ambitious and there's lots to do!!

Read more...

Fostering Leaderful Communities through Community Gardening

September 2010

Community coming together at Hannahs Bay Reserve, Rotorua

For nearly a decade, Hannahs Bay Reserve on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua has drawn hundreds of people to it - no longer just as a place to walk dogs and play by the lake - but as a place to work together on the restoration of a wetland, community plantings and landscaping, and community gardens. A place to "build community".

Read more...

Encouraging resident involvement in community solutions

Wellington City Council Housing: Community Action Programme making a difference for residents.

A special project involving some exceptional people is coming out of the Wellington City Council (WCC) changing how many Wellingtonians feel and act in their community.

Rosie Gallen is one of these people and she loves her job; fostering friendships between neighbours, supporting budding artists, gardeners, hip hop musicians and occasionally picking up a paint roller. She's part of a team working from strength-based community development approach and is making a difference in Wellington city.

Rosie and four others form the WCC's Community Action Programme (CAP) team, which works 'to increase social inclusion, community spirit and pride within City Housing tenant communities'. The team understands that to achieve their goals, they must "take the time to build relationships and trust with the community and that quality engagement requires innovative thinking and commitment".

The team works within communities of the city council's 2,400 city housing units between Miramar and Tawa, encouraging tenants to be a part of solutions for their community improvement.

Read the full story.

New, free social lending resource - Social Lending: A (free) Tool for Grantmakers, an Opportunity for Communities

August 2010

See here for the full article on Laura Benedict's work.

Awards showcase amazing community initiatives

Hon Tariana Turia, has congratulated the recipients of the Dynamic Community Learning Awards 2010.

"One of the criteria of the awards is that the initiatives help to promote active citizenship and strengthen the whanau and community, and both winning initiatives clearly demonstrate this," says Mrs Turia. "We all know that our lives are made immeasurably better by the people around us who use their diverse knowledge, skills and capabilities to make a difference." Read her press release.

Opotiki's community-led economic initiative receives major boost

August 2010

See here for the full article on how Opotiki's drive towards sustainable economic and social development has been helped by an aquaculture deal with China.

These opportunities for NZ are in large part due to the determination of local iwi, Te Whakatohea, to create sustainable jobs and wealth, through aquaculture. For nearly a decade they have invested heavily in this potential. Their efforts have been strongly supported by the local community and by Opotiki District Council. More recently broader regional and national interests and organisations have come on board and are recognising the significance of this community-led initiative.

Mataura Messenger - SwedeFest success, and more news

August 2010

The August 2010 Mataura Messenger shows what is keeping this Southland community and the Mataura Taskforce busy. Highlights include the success of the inaugural SwedeFest, and news of Department of Internal Affairs funding under its Community Development Scheme to progress the community's vision. Download the PDF from our website.

Opotiki's China mussel deal breakthrough - NZ Herald articles

August 2010

See here for more on the breakthrough deal with China which is offering new hope for Opotiki.

Micro-action advocate Cindy Gallop in New Zealand

August 2010

"The single biggest pool of untapped natural resource in the world is human good intentions that never translate into action. I'd like to change that" says Cindy Gallop in a youtube clip of one of her presentations. Her website, 'If we ran the world', is designed to 'help change the world one microaction at a time'.

Ms Gallop was interviewed during her recent visit to hear more, listen to her interview with Kim Hill on Radio NZ Saturday morning 7 August 2010 here.

The town that Levi's built

August 2010

A fascinating example of placemaking initiated by a major corporation and documented in several videos, which you can watch here.

Sustainable Paremoremo bringing people together for a stronger community

August 2010

Sustainable Paremoremo is an umbrella name for the network of people in the Paremoremo area contributing to the vision of... "Caring for ourselves, our families, our neighbours and our environment." One of the most significant outcomes of the regular events and workshops held is that it has brought like minded local people together.

Kate Jackson is compiling a booklet on Sustainable Pare along with help from many others. This will be a great celebration of all the wonderful things that people are doing, and also an inspiration to other communities and councils.

To read more, or to sign up for email updates, visit the Sustainable Pare page here.

"It's not OK" campaign for action receives sector awards

July 2010

On 13 July the people behind the Families Commission's "It's not OK" campaign received not one but two awards at the IPANZ Geni- Public Sector Excellence Awards.

Both the Talent2 Award for Public Sector Communications AND the Prime Minister's Award were given to the campaign.

Read more under "2010 Winners" at the IPANZ Awards website

CLD Forum reports now online

July 2010

Community-Led Development Auckland Network "Surviving and Moving with the Times" (2 June) presentations are now online.

The link includes the video of Deb and Ngahau Davis' inspiring presentation.

See also:

The website Community Gardeners have been waiting for

July 2010

Community gardeners in Waitakere now have this one stop website full of useful information, including guidelines to start a community garden, a list of community gardens in the Auckland Region, different garden models that can be used and a large collection of resources, from books to local workshops. "We hope that these pages will also be used by gardeners outside of Waitakere as a lot of the information is transferrable" says Brooke Walker, Ecomatters Environment Trust's Community Gardens Facilitator.

Community Economic Development Bulletin

July 2010

Hello CED supporter,

Through the many conversations I have participated in over the last month about next steps for CED in New Zealand, it has been increasingly clear to me that we are continually being hampered by limited access to social finance.

Read more...

Community-led Wellington PHOs enter a new era as Well Health

July 2010

From 1 July 2010, Wellington's South East and City Primary Health Organisation - popularly known as SECPHO - will embark on a new road under the name Well Health.

The change in name and identity has come about as a result of a merger with the Porirua Health Plus PHO and in response to a Government directive for there to be fewer PHOs throughout New Zealand.

Read more...

2010 Dynamic Community Learning Awards

August 2010

Entries for the 2010 Dynamic Community Learning Awards close 2 August. Download the entry form here: Dynamic Community Learning Award-entry (38 kB)

Entries are invited from groups who are learning together and meet the Award criteria. Please pass this invitation on to others who you think would be eligible for the Awards.

Read more...

Community Economic Development Bulletin

June 2010

Hello CED supporter,

Through the many conversations I have participated in over the last month about next steps for CED in New Zealand, it has been increasingly clear to me that we are continually being hampered by limited access to social finance.

Read more...

TV ONE Country Calendar: "Kiwi As" BoP Kiwifruit

June 2010

On 19 June TVNZ's Country Calendar ran an article titled "Kiwi As", featuring the highly successful gold kiwifruit development at Te Kaha. Also covered is the sustainable employment initiative being driven by Te Whanau A Apanui Fruit Growers Inc.

You can read more and watch the episode at the Country Calendar page on TVNZ's website.

The Waitakere Community Economic Development conference: what next?

May 2010

From Di Jennings and Lindsay Jeffs, CED Conference Organisers

At the Community Economic Development (CED) Conference held in Waitakere, Auckland in February this year, leading practitioners from Scotland, England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand made presentations on social enterprise development, social lending, community banking, asset development and creative approaches to community building. The conference catch cry was "people, place and prosperity".

Read more...

Community Economic Development Bulletin

May 2010

Hello Community Economic Development supporter,

It is now three months since the successful Community Economic Development (CED) Conference that was held in Waitakere - and the ripples are still flowing out into our communities around the country.

Read more...

Opotiki District Council Harbour Project up for Excellence Award

May 2010

Opotiki District Council has been named a finalist in the 2010 IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Excellence Awards.

Read more...

Community Gardening on Radio NZ

May 2010

Heard on Radio NZ Sunday Morning (Sunday 2 May), Chris Laidlaw and Jeremy Rose talked about about Britain's greenest town and Wellington's (NZ) newest community gardening project, the Owhiro Bay Community Garden.

Read more...

140 attend first Auckland Community Development Alliance forum

April 2010

The first gathering convened by the recently formed Auckland Community Development Alliance, on 28 April, was a huge success in numbers alone. A "diverse and positive crowd" of over 140 people attended. Those present offered strong support for ACDA's establishment, with many organisations wanting to take an active role in helping strengthen regional community voice around the Region...

Read the full article and download information

Moving Beyond Cycles of Debt for Porirua

April 2010

Recently we shared a link to Kay's Story in Wesley Community Action's (March) newsletter. This story of overcoming debt and finding confidence was a highlight from the work the Good Cents initiative has been doing in Porirua for three years, seeking to address the cycle of unsustainable debt for some families in the community.

On 27 April 2010, the forum Moving Beyond Cycles of Debt was another highlight, and more - a turning point for Porirua.

Read more...

First Bay of Plenty Forum on Community-Led Development

April 2010

14 April 2010 saw 50 people from across the Bay of Plenty gather at Te Ao Marama, Ohinemutu Village, in Rotorua. Inspiring Communities, along with BayTrust and Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust had co-convened the day which included presentations, small group discussions, and time for networking. Participants came from communities across the Bay of Plenty and included people working with Iwi, hapu and whanau, community organisations and networks, local and central government, research and business.

Read the full story and download the Inspiring Communities presentation

Asset transfer as a means for community empowerment

April 2010

Our thanks to Di Jennings of Community Waitakere for this article.

At the Community Economic Development Conference held in February in Waitakere City, UK presenter Annemarie Naylor regaled delegates with inspiring stories involving the asset transfer of facilities from councils to communities.

Read more...

Village Planning Programme visits the North Shore and Waitakere

April 2010

We have highlighted the work of Porirua's Village Planning Programme in 2009 newsletters. Once was to congratulate them on winning the Supreme Award at the 2009 New Zealand Post Group - Local Government Excellence Awards.

In March 2010 those involved with the programme were invited to Auckland to share their experience with North Shore, Waitakere and Manukau councils and communities. Sharing and learning are at the heart of Inspiring Communities so we were keen to find out some of the key issues that were talked about.

Read more...

Judith Timpany on community development pathways for grantmakers

April 2010

In April 2010, Mary-Jane Rivers interviewed Judith Timpany.

At the end of this article are links to Judith's workshop presentations from the Community Trusts Conference held in Napier, NZ, in February 2010

Read more...

The Grantmaker's Toolkit Launched

April 2010

Philanthropy New Zealand's Grantmaker's Toolkit was launched in Auckland in March 2010, and was immediately put to good use providing the basis for two seminars on the Essentials of Grantmaking.

The Toolkit contains ideas, observations and challenges to support any grantmaker, whether a beginner or a seasoned player, whether staff, trustee, personal donor or advisor.

Read more...

Taranaki Daily News: Okato community centre plan takes off

April 2010

Okato could soon be celebrating a new community centre, playground and skate park if a "visionary" plan proposed by the village goes ahead... Read the full story from The Taranaki Daily News

Good Cents tackles budgeting blues

March 2010

Completing a Good Cents budgeting programme has had many benefits for Kay (not her real name.) A $2,000 debt with the IRD has been re-accessed; she has managed to repay outstanding debts with 2 loan companies that were costing her $110 per week; and perhaps the main benefit; she has regained confidence in herself.

Wesley Porirua Manager, Makerita Makepulu noted that when Kay started the 8 week programme, she was by far the quietest in the group.

Read more...

Time Banking Taita workshop

March 2010

Time Banking in Taita is one step closer to getting up and running. People representing a number of social organisations, health services, churches and the community came to a workshop hosted by Hosanna Church, St Matthews and Great Start at the New Dowse, and time banking was the hot topic...

Read more...

Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards 2010

March 2010

Nominations for the 2010 Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards are now officially open. Six of our Emerging Leaders have made two short videos which aim to inspire all of us to consider nominations.

Read more...

Great Start Taita Newsletter

March 2010

Download the latest newsletter from Great Start Taita to hear about the latest news in the Taita community.

Great Start newsletter March 2010 (434.72 kB)

North Shore Times: Community award

March 2010

IT ALL started when Barb Cooper got the Paremoremo community together to look after the environment... Read the full story from the North Shore Times

Happyzine

March 2010

Happyzine.co.nz: The World of HANDS - New Zealand's Most Successful Complementary Currency

My decrepit old laptop turned into a wide variety of locally grown vegetables... read the full story at Happyzine.co.nz

Western Leader: Dynamic duo lead community war on weeds

March 2010

A primary school teacher and a polytechnic lecturer have teamed up to tackle the weeds in the Waitakeres... Read the full story from the Western Leader

Otago Daily Times: Groups launch "Lend a hand" fund

March 2010

Trustpower's Lend A Hand Foundation has been launched in Central Otago as a joint initiative with the Cromwell, Alexandra, and Roxburgh Rotary clubs. Read the full story from the Otago Daily Times.

Dulux helps paint a brighter future for Glen Innes

March 2010

Dulux has teamed up with Auckland based charity Life Centre Trust, to help give an Auckland school an extreme makeover. The ambitious makeover project will see hundreds of volunteers donning their overalls... Read the full story at Scoop.

Trust reaches out to families of struggling students

March 2010

A youth mentoring programme started by former All Black Michael Jones has inspired a new body to help young people from struggling families in West Auckland. Read the full story in the NZ Herald.

Flour power cleans up town's parks

March 2010

A team of community-minded workers are this week making their daily bread by tackling litter in Masterton's parks... Read the full story from the Wairarapa Times Age

Pool makes a splash

March 2010

If you made a list of community success stories in Kaikohe, the reopening of the swimming pool at Northland College this summer would be near the top... Read the full story from the Northern News

Communities come together to share enterprising ideas

February 2010

Observations from the February 2010 Developing the Social Economy Conference in Waikatere, Auckland

Members of the Inspiring Communities Exchange team were excited to be part of New Zealand's first Community Economic Development Conference, held in Waitakere City. Here's a report back on what they experienced.

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Opotiki community-led innovation and enterprise

February 2010

Inspiring Communities has been working alongside Opotiki leaders over recent years, especially in support of the community's aspiration for a sustainable future through new industry and jobs for local people. For years, Opotiki has been struggling economically, and the population has been in decline. But this community is positive, determined, and working outside the square towards a viable and prosperous future. Already people in this District have become experts in Kiwifruit production, and Gold Kiwifruit orchards on Opotiki's East Coast have won national recognition for production and efficiency. This 'can do' approach is about to be applied to another area of food production for world markets - farming the sea.

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Victory, Nelson: New Zealand's top community

February 2010

Victory, Nelson won the Community section in the inaugural New Zealander of the Year awards...

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Time Banking reveals real wealth in communities

February 2010

By Anneleise Hall

Time Banking is transforming New Zealand communities one hour at a time.

Based on the core value of reciprocity, Time Banking is also getting health, social service and other organisations excited about its potential to create more effective and meaningful partnerships with the community.

Read more...

Whangarei Leader: Busy Community Centre

February 2010

One woman's idea to connect residents to essential services has brought a Whangarei seaside community together...

Read the full story at the Whangarei Leader online

Happyzine: In the face of no agreement

February 2010

The following story to me is a prime example of how intention and collaboration work. Over three years ago I moved to Whangaparaoa and joined an arts group... read the full story at Happyzine.co.nz

Green Business: Samoa's organic bananas making NZ inroads

February 2010

Samoa's organic banana exports are set to get a boost from a new partnership between a New Zealand food company and a Samoan women's group.

To know more about this great example of community economic development, read the full story at the New Zeland Herald online

East & Bays Courier: Make your voice heard

February 2010

Have your say on the social fabric of Auckland. Feedback closes on 21 May. Read more from the East and Bays courier

Gisborne Herald: 'Max' a community winner

February 2010

Every cloud has a silver lining, and in the case of the economic clouds over New Zealand a silver lining is the Community Max Programme... Read the full story from the Gisborne Herald

Pool, library top Picton wish list

February 2010

Picton residents would like a swimming pool, a bigger public library, better routes for ferry traffic and maybe even a fountain off the foreshore... Read the full story from the Marlborough Express

Manawatu Standard: On the beat to secure patrol members

February 2010

Satisfaction with keeping the streets safe is not enough to drag most people out of bed in the morning, but it has kept Palmerston North's community patrol going for 10 years... Read the full story from the Manawatu Standard

Christchurch City Council Community Funding

February 2010

Anyone applying to the Christchurch City Council for
Community Funding will now be able to submit their application online...

Read in full the Christchurch City Council's press release at Scoop.co.nz

Hokianga Harbour project video

January 2010

After returning home to his ancestral land in the Hokianga, Will Stensness witnessed the wide spread pollution of the Whirinaki River and the Hokianga harbour. For many years Will has, and still is, battling to clean up both the river and the harbour.

Brett Collett has produced a video on Will's efforts - watch the video on You Tube or visit the Kaitiakitanga Network website to read more about the Hokianga Harboucare initiative.

Community Economic Development Conference to be held in Waitakere

22 January 2010

As Auckland's councils prepare to merge into a single body the hundreds of community and social organisations they fund face uncertainty - but is it a threat or an opportunity?

This is one of the questions the Community Economic Development Conference will aim to address in February, as it investigates social enterprise and alternative finance models and explores how community groups and not-for-profits can journey from grant dependence towards financial independence.

Read more...

Mataura community gets together for growth

January 2010

A once-empty section in Mataura has been transformed into a bountiful vegetable garden that was feeding the community... Read the full story from The Southland Times

Shannon: Small town, big plans

January 2010

Once notorious for its gangs and crime, the small Horowhenua town of Shannon has been transformed into a thriving boutique shopping centre, with a new cycleway expected to boost tourism...

Read the full story at the Dominion Post website, stuff.co.nz

Tuatapere: The little town with a big backbone

January 2010

When 29 of Tuatapere's 30 sawmills closed in 1987 the Southland town was handed its death sentence. Forestry was its lifeblood, and Labour's decision to end native logging was a hammer blow. But southerners are a resilient breed...

Read the full story at the New Zealand Herald website

Adam Awad; Refugees want to participate full in NZ life

January 2010

New Zealand accepts about 1000 refugees a year. These people come from increasingly diverse ethnicities. Many struggle to establish new lives in New Zealand. Their keenness to contribute to New Zealand life is hampered by unemployment and lack of acceptance.

When I arrived in New Zealand eight years ago...

Read the full story at the New Zealand Herald website

Teacher wanted, must like island life

January 2010

Luring someone to teach at the "ends of the earth" is never a simple task, but parents on remote Stewart Island say the bureaucrats are not making their quest any easier.

The island at the bottom of New Zealand lost its last early childhood teacher in November, and is trying to find a replacement for its 12 "Rakiura Rugrats" aged under 5 (and another seven on the way)...

Read the full story at the New Zealand Herald website

Engage! Tamarack newsletter January 2010

January 2010

'Beautiful thinking for January 2010' from our allied organisation, Tamarack - an institute for community development.

Articles in this issue:

Read the full newsletter via the Tamarack website

Strengthening Auckland from the Streets Up: December 2009 Community-Led Development Forum

December 2009

Auckland is buzzing with locally-led, neighbourhood initiatives and people happy to tell their stories and learn from others. Street and neighbourhood development offers some new, exciting ways of enabling amazing community change... and it often starts with one person who has the belief and hope that things can be different.

And on a scorching hot Auckland day just before Christmas who would have thought that close to 80 people would want to meet and share stories and handy hints about local communities...

They came for a forum, Strengthening Auckland from the Streets Up, organised by Inspiring Communities, Waitakere Hot House Group and Lifewise. The focus was on street and neighbourhood level action in the Auckland region, particularly:

Read more...

Rod Oram's A summer ride into our past - and future

December 2009

AH, SUMMER! A time for visits to family, friends and fascinating places around the country. Good for the soul, good for the economy. Both need refreshing after a couple of rough years.

Maybe a tiki tour of business can help. So here are suggestions of places to visit and things to think about on your travels...

Read the full story at the New Zealand Herald website

Project helps homeless find their roots

November 2009

A group of Auckland's homeless have become part-time gardeners, thanks to a collaboration involving Ngati Whatua and the city's young business leaders.

Ngati Whatua has given up part of its "whenua rangatira", the land of its chiefs around Orakei Marae at Bastion Point, for homeless people to start a vegetable garden to supply the Auckland City Mission's foodbank...

Read the full story at the New Zealand Herald website

An Oasis for families in Roskill South, Auckland

October 2009

The Roskill South Oasis Early Years Services HUB has as its vision "Healthy Lives and Transformed Communities." They have kindly sent us this article outlining the great community strengthening work the Hub is doing.

"The centrality and availability of our premises in the heart of Roskill South enables our community to have easy access to a 'one-stop-shop service provision'. Although our focus is primarily on families with children 0-6 years it does not stop there; we are naturally conscious of the needs of the wider family and community as well.

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Auckland City's Community Safety Awards 2009

November 2009

Several community-driven initiatives were recognised at Auckland City's annual Community Safety Awards - this story from Auckland City Council:

"The Auckland City's annual Community Safety Awards evening was held on Wednesday 9 September in the concert chamber of the town hall and was a great success. The Awards ceremony has become an important event on the council calendar and gives us a great opportunity to celebrate some of the excellent work that is happening in the communities.

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Celebrating the story of a community-led PHO: The South East and City Primary Health Organisation

November 2009In September 2009 a publication titled "Doing Difficult Things Differently", telling the story of the South East and City Primary Health Organisation, was launched at an event in Newtown, Wellington. Inspiring Communities was delighted to be a part of both facilitating the book, and attending the launch event.

As an example of true community-led development, this quote from a CEO says it all: "We are so community-driven that I know, if the community didn't want me in this role, I wouldn't be here!"

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Champion of Community-Led Development: The Community Trust of Southland

November 2009

The Community Trust of Southland is pioneering a community-led development approach to funding.

John Prendergast is Chief Executive of the Community Trust of Southland. In 2007 he was sent by the Trustees on an exploratory excursion to Canada, led by Mary-Jane Rivers of what is now Inspiring Communities (then an idea and a broad network of parties interested in or simply curious about the concept of community-led development). John admits he boarded the plane with some scepticism, unsure how community-led development was relevant from a funder's perspective.

"Before Canada I really didn't understand what community-led development meant in practice. Afterwards, as I thought about the people we'd met and what we'd seen, I realised a funder can have a pivotal role to champion the idea."

The Community Trust of Southland lost no time finding a way to apply the new way of thinking, adopting a proactive approach. The same year, community leaders of the Southland town of Mataura had received some concerning research about the health of the community, and rallied the locals to come together to do something about it. The Mataura Taskforce was born. John met with them and expressed that the Community Trust of Southland (CTOS) was keen to help and support - asserting that the ownership would always remain with Mataura and the Trust was not offering an open cheque book.

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Great Start recognised with Award

November 2009

In the December 2008 Network News we pictured a group of Lower Hutt school children meeting with the Hutt City Council to present their ideas and desires for a planned park in the suburb of Taita.

This unique and highly successful approach was instigated through Great Start Taita, a community force that has been successfully building better connections and outcomes for the Taita community since it began getting to know residents in 2007.

Fast forward to September 2009: The Great Start team were surprised and honoured to discover (only a few days before the Awards evening), that Great Start had been nominated in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2009. The nomination was in the Education and Child Youth Development category, for their ongoing work with families in Taita.

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Research proves it - kindness happens

October 2009

Coinciding beautifully with Neighbours Day in Auckland, Inspiring Communities was delighted to receive some research in November which demonstrated that New Zealanders are generally the kind of folk who make good neighbours and strong, resilient communities.

The Sustainable Priorities Monitor survey undertaken in February found that New Zealanders are not only good at giving; we often do it right where it is needed to build a strong community - that is, over the neighbourhood fence. Whether its five minutes of time for a friendly chat, helping out a neighbour with a practical need, or volunteering in the local community; up to 69% of respondents had given in some way in the six months before the survey.

The Sustainable Priorities Monitor is conducted by Sustainable Advantage, a research and strategy consultancy with a special area of focus on community. It aims to survey 500 - 1000 people from around the country twice each year for the Monitor.

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Calling all Community Gardeners

November 2009

Have you noticed that community gardens are popping up everywhere? And so they should be!

Community gardens provide a fantastic way to grow healthy, affordable, locally produced food and to build stronger neighbourhood connections in the process. But if you wanted to start a community garden where would you go to find out how they work, what the different options are and who might be able to help you get started?

There are many regional community gardening networks now established and District Health Boards are also helping fund many school and early childhood based garden initiatives. Many local authorities have information on their websites. However in our discussions around the country, there seems to be interest in a New Zealand community gardens guide or resource that captures the essence and stories of the many different models in use and gives people some ideas, connections and tips for getting started.

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Neighbours Day off to a successful start

November 2009

Neighbours across Auckland have seen just how easy it is to lean across a fence, say 'gidday', and get to know each other during Auckland's first, and very successful, Neighbours Day, held on Saturday 17 October.

Research has shown that 81%1 of Aucklanders would like to get to know their neighbours better, and Neighbours Day is about just that: It's a celebration of neighbourliness and, it is hoped, will herald the creation of supportive, healthy and connected neighbourhoods across Auckland.

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A Super City needs Super Communities: The Inspiring Communities Regional Forum, Auckland

November 2009

'Each community is distinctly different' said the Manukau City Deputy Mayor Gary Troup as he opened the Forum: The Super City needs Super Communities, introducing a lively and thoughtful discussion facilitated by Alfred Ngaro.

The Forum was an opportunity to hear about the distinctiveness of communities and also about things communities hold in common, especially with the new Auckland Council in mind. It was also an example of groups working together. Hosted by Manukau City Council and organised by the Council, Inspiring Communities, the Social and Civic Policy Institute and Community Waitakere, it's focus was on the relationship of locality based planning and community governance to local government in the new Auckland.

Several speakers presented a range of perspectives with short and snappy presentations and close to 80 people worked through questions in smaller groups.

Read more...

Hundreds of new jobs are expected ...Eastern Bay of Plenty

October 2009

"Hundreds of new jobs are expected to be created after the approval of two shellfish farms to be developed in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and the Firth of Thames.

The contentious Eastern Seafarms 3,000 hectare operations wil now go ahead after a failed challenge in the High Court against the developments by fisheries giant, Sandford.

And yesterday the Ministry of Fisheries approved a 520 hectare shellfish farm off the west coast of the Coromandel peninsula..."

To hear the full article follow this link to the Radio New Zealand website and search/scroll for MP3 file: mnr-20091021-0751-hundreds_of_new_jobs_expected_from_approval_of_two_marine_farms-048.mp3 (1.2 MB)

Street unites to help their teens

October 2009

Neighbours are collaborating to keep Trimdon St teenagers out of trouble.

Fed up with petty crime by local youth, residents in Manurewa's Randwick Park met local police and city councillors on Tuesday to find a solution. Among them were Karen Fraser, Nancy Peihopa and Waina Kapa who got to know each other after petitioning for improvements to the local park together last year.

"We look out for each other and if something happens we let each other know," Ms Fraser says.

"And right now we see a need in the area and we are working together to address it," Ms Peihopa says.

Crime has fallen significantly in the street in the past few years but there's still graffiti and vandalism, Ms Kapa says.

"I was brought up believing that if you were caught painting on someone's fence you had to go to their house and do their chores to pay back what you'd done and earn back their respect."

Now they want to organise activities for 12 to 17-year-olds to "keep their hands occupied", she says...

Visit stuff.co.nz to read the full story from the Manukau Courier.

Model neighbours start own gang

September 2009

A group of mothers tackling social issues in Manukau are celebrating the opening of a community house near a former tough "ghetto".

Liz Kiriona, 47, and Lyn Mehana, 45, have been on what they call a crusade against drink, drugs and younger "gangstas" for six years in the decile one Rata Vine state housing area south of the modernistic Pacific Events Centre.

Read the full story at the NZ Herald website

Neighbours Day Ideas

September 2009

* Say hello, kia ora, talofa, malo e lelei, ni hao or whatever works for you and your neighbour.
* Bake a batch of muffins for your neighbour or invite them over.
* Next time you mow your grass verge, cut your neighbours' verge too.
* Pop a note into everyone's letterbox asking if people are interested in getting to know one another.
* Exchange phone numbers in case of emergencies.
* Organise afternoon tea or a barbecue for people in your street.

For more on Neigbhours Day, 17 October, visit www.neighboursday.org.nz

PioPio back from the dead

September 2009

Not long back, Piopio seemed destined to become a ghost town. But the tiny King Country village is undergoing a resurrection...

Read the full story

Village Planning in Porirua

Porirua City Council wins Community Relations Award

A revolutionary initiative in Porirua city has won first place in the Community Relations category of the New Zealand Post Group New Zealand Local Government Excellence Awards. Porirua City Council's Village Planning Programme involves a groundbreaking partnership between the Council and local communities. This inspiring programme puts communities in charge of developing a vision for their own neighbourhoods and then partnering with Council to make it happen.

So far, eight Porirua communities have engaged in the Village Planning process. Their plans have been hugely diverse, reflecting the differing nature of the villages. Projects requested have included everything from a new waterfront promenade and skate park, to a beach management plan and a community fair.

Read more at the Porirua City Council's website

Alfred Ngaro wins Sir Peter Blake Leadership award

June 2009

Alfred Ngaro has been awarded a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award for his contribution to a revolutionary community project in Tamaki, Auckland.
The Tamaki Transformation Project which is just starting will be the most innovative social renewal project in New Zealand.
It has the community working together with local and central government to deliver new and refurbished housing, create local jobs, improve parks and reserves, make the streets safer, lift the health of the residents and provide better delivery of services to the people of Tamaki.
Alfred Ngaro, a former Pastor, and a leader in the community with mana and standing has been recognised for his role in this outstanding project, particularly his ability to bring together people from a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds.
The other members of the Inspiring Communities Exchange - Mary-Jane Rivers, Megan Courtney, Barbara MacLennan and Jenny Blagdon - have been thrilled at Alfred's award which they welcomed as recognition of Alfred's work that fits with Inspiring Communities' emphasis on the importance of thriving communities as a basis for New Zealand's durable and sustainable development.
They said "Alfred proves that true leadership is bringing together diverse elements. He identifies and promotes common ground, working with strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses, and finding the point of lift-off for working together to address complex social issues."

Victory School: Providing Leadership in the Community

June 2009

A remarkable example of involvement, the aptly-named Victory Primary School in Nelson has not had to stand down or suspend any children for the past nine years. This is largely due to the community leadership role taken by the school and its active integration of education, health and social wellbeing in a community centre based at the school.

"The more our school becomes a community centre, the more it becomes the centre of community and family life, the better our children can do."

Mark Brown, Principal, Victory School

Now, a diverse range of practical activities and services attract local residents to the Victory Village community centre. Using a 'partnering way of working' with parents and across multiple groups, organisations, and sectors was key. There are

This interactive school community approach has brought about impressive outcomes for both students and their families. Parental involvement has increased and:

This is an astounding achievement for a community with high rates of childhood illness, mental illness and families living in deprivation.

For further information about the leadership role taken by Victory Primary School, their approach and their impressive successes, a DVD is available from the Families Commission. Please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Community Innovation through working together

A focus for Inspiring Communities in March

March 2009 was a busy month for Inspiring Communities. Mary-Jane Rivers said "we worked with many others to provide oportunities for place-based, community-led development to be explored". Mark Cabaj from Canada's Tamarack and Vibrant Communities was a highlight.

"We were absolutely thrilled that Philanthropy NZ invited Mark to be an international presenter at the 2009 Conference; which was an outstanding Conference."

Mark combined his Canadian experience with his knowledge of New Zealand from previous work here. He participated in the Philanthropy NZ Conference, a Cross-Parliamentary breakfast, an Auckland workshop on Community-Led Development and a joint Inspiring Communities/IPANZ (Institute of Public Administration) seminar featuring Opotiki economic developments.

Mark presented to the whole Conference of about 300 people. He then participated in a very well received 3 hour workshop, introduced by Mary-Jane, with NZ presenters - Alfred Ngaro, Megan Courtney and John Prendergast. We feature a report from this workshop below. Download a full report from the Philanthropy NZ Conference. Look on the Philanthropy NZ website for more information about the conference and thoughful reading about grantmaking.

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Working Together from the Neighbourhood Up - Auckland March 2009

On 27 March 2009, Inspiring Communities hosted a workshop that brought together people and places from across the Auckland Region who were keen to talk, share and learn more about community-led development.

Around 80 people from a range of community and government agencies, funders and academic institutions attended the half day session. Topics covered included the a presentation about the Project Twin Streams story, followed by inspiration from Tamarack's Mark Cabaj who focused on 'Neighbourhood Development in Uncertain Times'.

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Australian Social Innovation Summit: Seeking inter-sectoral solutions

Feelings of deep concern about the entrenched nature of deprivation within certain communities prompted the gathering of fifty leaders at the third Social Innovation Summit in Australia recently.

Representatives from government, business, and not-for-profit organisations gathered together to find solutions to what one speaker, Tony Vinson, called 'postcodes of disadvantage'. During the talks, a New Zealand delegate was able to show the real differences being made in Canada and New Zealand through community-led development approaches.

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Another Canada connection - Collaborative Leadership Workshop and Collaboration in Action

In May 2008, David Hanna attended the Tamarack Institute three day Collaborative Leadership Workshop in Canada. David chairs the Management Group of Inspiring Communities' Community-Led Development Trust.

Reflecting on the workshop, David says that participants had to confront a number of paradoxes around the notion of collaboration but that key resource person, David Chrislip, understood well this paradoxical landscape in which many groups operate. Some of the issues explored were:

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The Hon. Tariana Turia, MP for Te Tai Hauauru, talks about Inspiring Communities

Last week I found out about a project that got me really excited. The project, Inspiring Communities immediately attracted my attention by a key statement:

"For too long, we have looked to governments or to expert individuals for solutions when many of the answers lie with us".

The project focuses on community development, with an emphasis on establishing a network of communities who want to work collaboratively. It operates an exchange which links communities together to share the way in which they have linked local resources, energy and ideas to fix local problems.

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