Nor'West News: December 10, 2019

8 Tuesday December 10 2019
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Your Local Views
Twenty years supporting
Bishopdale community
THE BISHOPDALE Community
Trust celebrated its anniversary
last week. Community
Development Worker Chris
Coles reflects on 20 years of
supporting the Bishopdale
Community.
The initial idea for the trust
was formed well before the date
of the anniversary- when the
trust was incorporated under
the Charitable Trusts Act on
December 2.
Eric Park, a member of the
local methodist parish, had
seen the work that was being
done by the Bryndwr Churches
Community Support Society and
decided to research the need in
Bishopdale for a similar group.
He visited local churches to
gauge their interest and support
and, with representatives of local
groups, the trust was founded.
Although Eric is no longer part
of the trust, many original trust
CELEBRATION: Chris Cole
reflects on 20 years of the
Bishopdale Communty Trust.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN ​
members are still actively involved
today.
The trust was set up to help
residents and families develop
skills for family and community
life, and to help people with
needs to be part of the community.
Over the past two decades,
it has successfully achieved these
aims, meeting the changing
needs of the community with an
impressive range of activities.
Looking back, BCT has run
courses on leadership, self-esteem
and confidence, parenting,
first aid, cooking and many more
helpful skills and activities.
It’s run family camps, garage
sales, antique shows, games and
has mentored, supported and
welcomed new residents to the
area.
The trust has been home to
groups interested in gardening,
craft, yoga, walking, and
games, as well as hosting regular
coffee mornings and community
lunches where folk can get
together, have a bite to eat and a
good old natter.
None of this would have been
possible without active involvement
and support from the wonderful
Bishopdale community.
Whilst usually employing a
small number of part-time staff,
a huge amount of work over the
years has been carried out by
volunteers. Currently BCT has
over sixty volunteers; people who
care enough to freely give their
time to make Bishopdale a better
place to live, work and play.
Here’s to the next twenty years.
Roadworks cause
restaurant closure
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
A BANGLADESHI restaurant
has become a casualty of the
ongoing Riccarton Rd roadworks.
Nobanno manager Christopher
Palma said the roadworks
were the “last straw”.
The site near the intersection of
Clarence St and Straven Rd is its
third location in Christchurch in
12 years.
The restaurant first opened
on the corner of Armagh and
Colombo St in the central city
before it was destroyed in the
February, 2011, earthquake.
“We lost everything in the
earthquake,” Mr Palma said.
They then moved to Ferry Rd
in Ferrymead, but the business
suffered there too from roadworks.
“We have gone through loss
after loss, it is heartbreaking,” he
said.
The city council halting roadworks
on Riccarton Rd to help
businesses leading into Christmas
had come too late, he said.
“It is not enough because the
damage has been done,” Mr
Palma said.
The year of ongoing roadworks
NOR’WEST NEWS
had put the restaurant in debt,
he said.
Mr Palma is now job hunting.
Since February, Fulton Hogan
has been working on the
Harakeke to Matipo Sts section
of Riccarton Rd.
Dumplings on Riccarton
owner Peter Wah said it has
been a very “strenuous” past six
months.
On top of a family tragedy
which forced the business to
close temporaily, the roadworks
were also causing major issues
attracting customers.
“It has been quieter, it is very
hard to make up for all those
losses we will never catch up.
In any business, you need car
parks on the front,” Mr Wah
said.
But he had very loyal customers
who have helped in every way
they can.
They don’t plan to close.
He is concerned businesses
on Riccarton Rd will lose most
of its car parking following the
roadworks.
The city council said when
work is completed there will be
time-restricted parking provided
to the east of Rotherham St and
south of Riccarton Rd.
Our region of Canterbury can
boast easy access to many
wonderful recreational spaces
and as we head into the summer
holidays, this is a great way to
spend time with friends or family.
We love taking our dog down to
the Groynes, so I enjoyed being
invited as local MP to be a judge
at the opening of the new Kaiapoi
Dog Park. Dog parks provide
great opportunities for community
building and I’m thrilled we now
have another venue for our
residents to meet new friends and
connect to old ones.
My community constituent
clinics in the Papanui RSA are
proving popular, with great uptake
within the community. I enjoyed
meeting with Northern Christchurch
constituents in back-to-back
meetings last week. I’m here to
help, so if you or someone you
know needs help, please email
belfast@parliament.govt.nz .
Meeting with the White Ribbon
riders during their ride through
Canterbury to raise awareness
around domestic violence was
a great way to hear more about
this powerful initiative and the
life-changing work so many of our
fellow Cantabrians are undertaking
to prevent domestic violence
and mental-health issues in our
communities. Well done to all the
participants and everyone who
supported them.
From my family to yours, we
wish you a Merry Christmas and
a peaceful and healthy new year.
I’m looking forward to continuing to
work hard for you in 2020. I entered
my previous career in the mentalhealth
field because I wanted to
make a difference and politics
is a way of continuing to make
that difference. It’s through being
accessible to you and ensuring our
region has the infrastructure and
resources we need that I can be an
effective and relevant MP.