Nor'West News: June 11, 2019

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10 Tuesday June 11 2019 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi NOR’WEST NEWS News HONOURED: Mary Holmes at an event organised by Soroptimist International of Christchurch members to celebrate her 50 years of service to the organisation. Women’s group recognises Mary’s 50-year contribution • By Jess Gibson FOR MORE than half her life, 94-year-old Casebrook resident Mary Holmes has worked hard to help advance the status of women. Now Soroptimist International of Christchurch has recognised her 50 years’ of service to the global women’s organisation. An event, organised by members of the club last month, celebrated her enduring contribution. “It was a wonderful honour for me and quite unexpected. Throughout the past 50 years, I have met so many wonderful women and travelled the world to attend Soroptimist conferences,” said Mrs Holmes. “Women can make an incredible difference in society across a range of sectors, including education and training, politics, peacekeeping initiatives, environmental management and more.” Mrs Holmes has had a range of positions within the organisation since she first became involved in 1969. “I have held many roles at the executive committee level. However, perhaps my greatest contributions were as club secretary where I kept all members up to date regarding club activities and also spent many hours fundraising for our various projects.” Mrs Holmes has also been the club’s region archivist and managed to personally collect, compile and place many important Soroptimist files in the historic section of Christchurch Library. Aside from her work with Soroptimist, Mrs Holmes has a long history of service to her community. She was one of the first females in the city to become a justice of the peace on preliminary hearings at districts courts and recently retired three months before her 94th birthday. She has been a staunch supporter of the Canterbury Cats Protection League, of which she is a patron and a founding member. She was also a founding member of the North West Christchurch Probus Club, an active member of the Returned Services Association and of Papanui clubs in the area. “I believe that the world would be a better place if we all helped each other more willingly. We come into the world with nothing and we take nothing with us when we depart. The only important thing we leave behind is our contribution to others.” Mrs Holmes has been an inspiration to her two daughters, Triena Ong and Isla Winarto throughout their lives. “Mum has always been a great role model, inspiring us to work hard from a very early age, to achieve meaningful, personal goals and be proud of our achievements. She has also made us greatly aware that women are capable of making a tremendous contribution to society and we should seize opportunities as they come along,” said Mrs Winarto. MESSAGE: Arwen Valks wants to publish a book that could help people with mental health struggles. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER Bid to self-publish book for anxiety and depression sufferers • By Matt Slaughter ARWEN VALKS says no one should have to go through depression and anxiety alone. She has been through them herself and knows how hard things can get. Now Mrs Valks wants to publish Rupert’s Black Dog, a book she has written for young people who are facing similar struggles, or might do in the future A Givealittle page she started has already raised $1656. Mrs Valks wants to raise $5000 at least, which would publish about 250 books, but said the more she raised the more people the book would be able to help. She said the story followed a young boy who discovers his anxiety and depression through talking to a black dog and learns how to deal with it and share what he is feeling with others. Mrs Valks said she felt the message of the book would be of value to both young people with mental health problems and their parents. “There are way too many precious, amazing, beautiful little people who can’t see that about themselves and who get stuck in this cloud and think their only way out is to call time out on themselves and it’s just heartbreaking and it’s completely unnecessary.” Part of her inspiration for writing the book was the mental health struggles she went through after the birth of her 19-month-old daughter Zuri. Mrs Valks said if her experience with anxiety and depression since she was a child, which had shaped some of the themes of the book, could help others she would have done her job. “If me going through all of this and writing this book makes things better for half a dozen people, then it’s worth it. “ Mrs Valks said she had sent Rupert’s Black Dog to some publishers, but nothing had come of this yet. Her decision to fundraise and self-publish was because she wanted to get the book out and start helping people as soon as possible. The dog in the story was named after her friend Rupert Hill-Hayr, who illustrated the book for free. The Givealittle page for the book closes at the end of this month and Mrs Valks said every contribution would help. $53,000 WORTH OF PRIZES TO BE WON!
NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Tuesday June 11 2019 11 Hard work pays off for young Irish dancer • By Georgia O’Connor- Harding EMME Stephenson has big dreams to one day travel the world with an international Irish dancing company. Since she was seven, the Burnside High School student has been in love with the unique dance form – and when she is not at school, she spends the majority of her spare time training each week. The hard work is beginning to pay off, with Emme, 13, being selected to attend the Australian International Oireachtas Irish Dance Competition on the Gold Coast next month. The competition is Australia’s largest Irish dancing event, attracting more than 800 competitors from all over the world and up to 600 spectators each day. There are three rounds in each competition – a hard shoe round, light shoe round and recall round for the top dancers of the competition. It won’t be the first time Emme, who trains more than 10 hours a week, has taken part in the competition with her qualifying to compete last year. While the Burnside High School student didn’t make the recall round last time, she was listed as New Zealand’s top dancer in her age group. Although New Zealand’s Irish dancing scene is small, Emme, who attends the Swarbrick Irish Dance school has goals to make a big name for herself nationally and internationally. “I love doing it. I just find it really fun to do. I like competing and the friends that you meet. It has pretty much taken gAPS CAN MAKE EATINg HARDER We can help EMERGING DANCER: Emme Stephenson has been selected to compete at the Australian International Oireachtas Irish Dance Competition. PHOTO: VINCENT MORTIMER over my life,” she said. Already she ranked fifth place in the New Zealand National Irish Dance Championships for her age group last year, which qualified her for the Australian competition. In 2017, Emme represented the country along with a team of dancers at the World Irish Dancing Championships over in Dublin and placed 34th. Her next goal is to compete in an international competition in solo dancing. Her mother Pip Stephenson said Emme is determined, hard-working and committed to going as far as she can in Irish dancing. She said dancing has also taught her time-management and self-discipline which has helped her to achieve good results at school. $ 12 99 kg $ 5 70 ea $ 1 29 ea Bluebird Burger Rings, Twisties, Cheezels or Rashuns 120g $ 19 99 pk Fresh NZ Pork Loin Chops (Excludes Free Farmed) WW Salted Butter 500g Speight’s Gold Medal Ale or Summit Ultra 12 x 330ml Bottles $ 6 00 kg $ 3 90 pk $ 1 99 ea Pascall Confectionery 140-180g $ 14 99 ea The Ned 750ml (Excludes Pinot Noir) 10 th to 16 th June 2019 Australian Red Seedless Grapes Meadow Fresh Yoghurt, Goodies or Dairy Food 6 Pack svnw1106 233 Riccarton Road, Phone 341 5419 The Partial Denture People Owned & operated by locals SuperValue Fendalton Village, Wairakei For inspiration visit SuperValue.co.nz | While stocks last at SuperValue Fendalton Village and Wairakei only. Please drink responsibly
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Nor'West News: June 11, 2019

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