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- Back: Community organiser Kim Anderson, artist Kairau Bradley. Front: Housing New Zealand's Lisa McKerrow and committee member Tami-Jo Foster-McQueen.
Cleaning up her community
By Judy Field
When Kim Anderson first moved into her home in Smeatons Drive, Whangarei, in 2005, she was shocked.
"There was graffitti everywhere, broken glass, loads of crime and young kids roaming the streets and forming in gangs," Kim says. "What put the icing on the cake was when some young hoons did a burn out right in front of me - I screamed at them and not a soul came to my aid!"
Kim, who describes herself as a compassionate person with strong Christian beliefs, decided then and there she wanted to make her community a better place to live in.
It has been a long, hard road which started with building friendships, which in turn formed into a community committee with like- minded people. Kim, along with the committee, worked to rebuild bridges with the council, the local Bunnings Warehouse and key community agencies, including Housing New Zealand.
To date they have established an after school programme for the local kids, revived the local hall which was almost condemned, had footpaths laid and painted a fantastic mural on the fence that marks the entrance to Smeatons Drive. This was a prime graffitti spot, but with support from Housing New Zealand and Bunnings, the community pulled together and went about their work.
Kim says that, despite the hard work, "it's awesome to see things change - our next project is a youth park and our main focus will always continue to be 'Safety, Unity and Beautification' for our community."
As a major driving force behind her community, Kim was highly commended for the ACC Safety Prevention and Beautification Award, she won the community section of the 2008 North and South Magazine competition, was nominated for the Every Child Counts Award and has also appeared on TV3's Campbell Live.
- Computers in Homes offers families a chance to learn about computers together.
Otangarei welcomes Computers in Homes
Computers in Homes has come to Otangarei.
Computers in Homes is the brainchild of the 2020 Communications Trust, who have been working with Community Renewal and Otangarei School to bring computer technology to families with school-aged children in Otangarei.
"It's an exciting project," says Otangarei Community Development Coordinator Richard Pehi. "Seventeen computers will go into local homes and eight will be used to establish a computer room at the primary school. This project lets parents and grandparents get more involved in their children's learning. It's neat to see kids and their parents learning together."
For a small contribution, families are provided with a computer and internet access along with training and support. One of the key supporters providing tutoring to parents is Takurangi York.
"This is an excellent project for the community," Takurangi says. "I have been living in Otangarei for 30 years and it's great to be able to give something back. I have just completed my Level 5 computer course so I feel confident helping parents gain computer skills."
