North Canterbury News: October 17, 2019
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RuralLife<br />
Skool Loop just the business<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Adesire to improvecommunication<br />
betweenschoolsand parents hasled to a<br />
Kaikoura womandeveloping an<br />
international business.<br />
Sharlene Barnes, the founder of the<br />
Skool Loop app, hasbeen named as a<br />
winner in theNZI Rural Women New<br />
Zealand<strong>2019</strong> business awardsinthe<br />
‘‘innovation in arural community’’<br />
category.<br />
‘‘Itwas veryexciting.Itwas quite<br />
unexpected as thecompetitionwas tough.<br />
It is awonderful awardand an amazing<br />
achievement,’’ she says.<br />
Thejudges were impressed with<br />
Sharlene’s ability to articulatethe Skool<br />
Loop product andits focus on providing<br />
employment in rural towns.<br />
TheSkool Loop appwas launched six<br />
years agoand startedout from Sharlene’s<br />
ownfrustrations with communications<br />
betweenschool and home in arural area.<br />
‘‘That’s whatmademethinkofit—my<br />
ownstruggles withcommunicationsnot<br />
beinginatimely manner.<br />
‘‘Whenmychildren wereatschool the<br />
technologydidn’texist, so whenapps<br />
were created, Ithought ‘I know whatI’m<br />
goingtodo’.’’<br />
TheSkoolLoop appcontains school<br />
notices,instantmessaging andalerts,<br />
newsletters, electronic permission forms,<br />
theschoolevent calendar,the absentee<br />
function andanew functionhas recently<br />
been added forparentteacher<br />
interviews.<br />
Thefreeapp is now usedby800 schools<br />
aroundNew Zealandand 120inAustralia,<br />
with around70percentbeingrural<br />
schools.<br />
Shebelievesthe appsaves about ‘‘four<br />
million bits of paper every week’’,making<br />
Innovator ... Kaikoura businesswoman Sharlene Barnes is thrilled to win aRural Women<br />
New Zealand business award.<br />
PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />
it environmentally friendly.<br />
‘‘Most schoolswould sendoff two or<br />
more bits of paper almosteveryday and<br />
thesecan oftenget lost, butit’s allonthe<br />
app.’’<br />
Sharlene saysher second goalwas to<br />
provideflexible employmentfor parents<br />
so theycouldjuggle family life.<br />
‘‘Almost all of my staff are parents<br />
because theyunderstandthe struggles<br />
withcommunication within schools andit<br />
makes sense to me thatweofferthem the<br />
opportunity for employment that fits<br />
around their children.’’<br />
Shenow hasofficesinKaikoura and<br />
Rangiora,employing10people in each<br />
office. She plans to openbranches in two<br />
more rural towns in thenearfuture.<br />
Sharlenehas livedall herlife in rural<br />
NewZealand, being born in Otematatain<br />
<strong>North</strong> Otago,was raised in rural<br />
<strong>North</strong>land. Shehas lived all her adultlife<br />
in rural <strong>Canterbury</strong>.<br />
Sheislooking forward to attending the<br />
RuralWomen NewZealandbusiness<br />
awards eveningatParliament in<br />
Wellington on November22, where the<br />
supreme winner will be announced.<br />
www.jj.co.nz<br />
03 344 5645<br />
Extra rural<br />
support<br />
Extrafunding has beenmade<br />
available to Rural SupportTrusts to<br />
help farming families.<br />
TheMinister for Rural<br />
CommunitiesandAgriculture,<br />
DamienO’Connor, says he is aware<br />
ruralfamiliesare worried about some<br />
of thechallenges facing them,<br />
including theongoing uncertainty<br />
createdbythe Mycoplasma bovis<br />
outbreak.<br />
‘‘Thoseconcerns sit alongside<br />
ongoing worriesabout bankdebtand<br />
howbesttomeetthechallenges of<br />
improving ourwaterways andmeet<br />
NewZealand’s climatechange<br />
commitments.<br />
‘‘Tothatend,I’vespokentothe<br />
RuralSupportTrusts and, alongside<br />
our Mycoplasma bovis programme<br />
partners, Beef +Lamb NewZealand<br />
andDairyNZ,we’vesetasideanextra<br />
$250,000 to help withtheirwork<br />
talking to farmers on theground.’’<br />
The trust willdevelop aplanfor<br />
using themoney, inaddition tothe<br />
otherfarmersupport mechanisms<br />
provided by the M.bovis programme,<br />
andtheDairyNZand Beef+Lamb<br />
NewZealandCompensation<br />
AssistanceTeams.<br />
‘‘The Rural Support Trusts doa<br />
fantastic jobandare well placedto<br />
deliveradditional help.They’re<br />
experienced andpracticalpeople<br />
whocan coach farmersthrough<br />
difficult times.’’<br />
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