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10<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>24</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
SELWYN TIMES<br />
News<br />
Agriculture provides a second<br />
AT THE end of its first year,<br />
19 people on community<br />
sentences with the Department<br />
of Corrections have become<br />
the first to graduate from a<br />
new agricultural skills training<br />
programme.<br />
They leave with qualifications<br />
– and the chance to change their<br />
lives. The ongoing project is a<br />
partnership between Lincoln<br />
University, Port Levy’s Koukourarata<br />
Marae and Community<br />
Corrections. It is intended to deliver<br />
practical horticultural skills<br />
with a focus on tikanga (Maori<br />
way of doing things).<br />
Corrections Canterbury lead<br />
service manager Katey Gibling<br />
said the intention was for offenders<br />
to reconnect with the land<br />
while gaining skills for employment<br />
and a taste for achievement<br />
and further training.<br />
“Many of those we work with<br />
are drifting, their lives have<br />
become chaotic and without<br />
purpose. Through this partnership,<br />
and projects like this, we<br />
help them to reconnect with their<br />
culture and find a way forward,”<br />
she said.<br />
“Lincoln provide the qualification<br />
and having them involved<br />
has helped the offenders see<br />
that this is a real qualification<br />
and they are very capable of<br />
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Lincoln University’s biological husbandry unit manager Bill Martin (left),<br />
Brent, and Corrections senior community work supervisors Tom Piahana and Reuben Gent. <br />
doing something they had never<br />
thought possible for them.”<br />
The 12 graduates were presented<br />
with certificates recognising<br />
proficiency in chainsaw operation,<br />
quad-bike driving, tractor<br />
driving and the use of farming<br />
implements.<br />
For Brent, the first graduate of<br />
the course, the programme has<br />
been truly life changing.<br />
“This programme was critical<br />
to me getting the confidence to<br />
have a go and get back in charge<br />
of my life,” he said.<br />
Last year, Brent was studying<br />
horticulture, then when things<br />
‘got stressful,’ he started to drink<br />
heavily and found himself on a<br />
community work sentence with a<br />
drink driving conviction.<br />
“When I committed my offences,<br />
I wasn’t thinking ahead.<br />
I was dealing with alcohol and<br />
anxiety issues. I was losing my<br />
friends, failing my studies. I was<br />
in a dark place and ended up on<br />
a community work sentence,” he<br />
said.<br />
“This programme was the first<br />
big mental shift for me. I started<br />
to plan forward again.<br />
“I did the chainsaw course<br />
thinking that it could make me<br />
more employable and I thought<br />
the quad bike training could also<br />
lead to something. It gave me the<br />
confidence to try again. I had<br />
gained these skills and thought, ‘I<br />
can do this’.”<br />
Brent said that in addition to<br />
starting to learn again, it was<br />
the mentoring support of the<br />
community work supervisor who<br />
helped him see opportunity.<br />
The project’s community<br />
work supervisor Reuben Gent<br />
said the partnership offered<br />
new opportunities for people on<br />
community work sentences to<br />
access skills and qualifications<br />
for employment. The tikanga<br />
element helped offenders<br />
reconnect with Maori principals<br />
and culture.<br />
“In addition to practical skills<br />
and work aptitudes, the offenders<br />
on the programme are gaining<br />
confidence and the personal<br />
skills and motivation to move on<br />
with their lives,” Mr Gent said.<br />
MUSCLE CAR MADNESS<br />
including ROCKABILLY BEAUTY PAGEANT<br />
Petrol heads, motoring, Retro fashion and<br />
music enthusiasts get ready...<br />
Trillo Metals Muscle Car Madness is only<br />
days away .... This weekend at Rangiora A & P<br />
Showgrounds celebrates the 27th year as the<br />
South Island’s Largest Car Show..<br />
This world-class event continues to thrive,<br />
giving its fans and participants exactly what<br />
they want. Car displays will change daily as<br />
day entries are welcome to enter on the day,<br />
Two Highboy Roadsters will be on display<br />
direct from the United States, and many<br />
travelling from the North Island to join over<br />
1200 cars on display each day at Muscle Car<br />
Madness each day, there will be something<br />
for everyone to view, from Rare and restored<br />
Classics to high perfomance Muscle cars, Hot<br />
Rods and custom cars to Rat Rods, Buses and<br />
Trucks, bikes, and retro caravans. Enthusiasts<br />
bring your car and display bit for the normal<br />
adult person gate fee (tidy vehicles of good<br />
standard only.)<br />
Enjoy a visual feast of colours, chrome and<br />
V8s everywhere!<br />
Muscle Car Madness will entertain all the<br />
family, from Burn out Competitions, Trade<br />
displays including Airbrush Venturi who<br />
will be onsite adding custom airbrushing to<br />
cars etc, check out all sorts of automotive<br />
memorabilia, Kids can enjoy fun rides<br />
food, and icecream... while Mum can visit<br />
the retro beauty zone for makeovers, and<br />
clothing... 10 Live bands will be playing over<br />
the weekend, including the ‘Hillbilly Hellcats’<br />
from Colorado who will play daily at 2.30pm,<br />
along with ‘Baxter’ from Australia, ‘Sign<br />
of the Firebird’, ‘Brothers Grimm’, ‘Sound<br />
Control’ and the ‘Wingers’, a great “little<br />
kids” band.<br />
Kabella Baby are sponsoring the popular<br />
Retro Beauty Competition on Saturday<br />
afternoon with classes for all ages.<br />
For more information phone: Correna<br />
027 545 7877 or 03 347 8388.
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