Ashburton Courier: May 14, 2020

Page 8, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 14, 2020
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz
Tackling covid, keeping big picture in mind
By Pup Chamberlain
Many, many years ago I
was the captain of my
school’s First XV rugby
team in Gore. Iwas a
front row prop and like
many lads Iwas very
passionate about
rugby.
The fact is, Iwas a
good rugby player but I
was not agood captain.
The reason why Iwas
not agood captain was
because Iwas too busy dealing with
my immediate problem, Iwas
focused on trying to cope with
opposition that seemed to be getting
Pup Chamberlain
bigger and tougher
than Iwas and it took
all my concentration
and effort to deal with
this.
Fortunately for me
and the team, Ihad a
very competent, vocal
vice­captain (it was
Jamie Mackay of Radio
Hokonui’s farming
show fame) who was
capable of seeing the
bigger picture, largely
because he was based at
fullback and therefore aware of
things that were beyond my scope.
Covid­19, going through the stages
has been an interesting time, full of
anxiety, fear, uncertainty, grief and
many other emotions.
Much of this is brought about
through what we don’t know.
Just like me on the rugby field,
sometimes we get so tied up with our
own immediate challenges that it is
hard to see away out.
This is when we can make poor
decisions based on anarrow
perspective, tainted by our own
limited vision and viewpoint.
Many people in our community
are facing, and will face, uncertain
times with financial struggles and
associated pressures this will bring.
Now is the time for us all to act as a
team and look after the interests of
each other.
If you are the prop tied up in the
middle of adark scrum, more than
ever you need eyes and ears that have
adifferent, and sometimes better,
perspective than your immediate
situation may offer. Life will go on
after Covid­19 is long gone and the
things that really matter will still
matter.
If you are feeling trapped in the
“scrum” ask for adifferent view, this
may be from aneighbour, afriend or
someone you respect.
It might be afinancial coach,
government department, or other
specialist.
If you are feeling down, contact
your GP or call the helplines such as
1737.
Lives Worth Living’s Connie
Quigley and Ihave produced aseries
of Facebook Videos which may be of
help at this time. These can be found
on the Safer Mid Canterbury
Facebook site under Lives Worth
Living.
Let’s stay safe be kind and look
after each other. If you need help,
ask; this is not aweakness, it is part
of being asuccessful team.
Contact details: Paul (Pup)
Chamberlain, Lives Worth Living coordinator,
paul.
chamberlain@safermidcanterbury.
org.nz, phone 027­382­6501 and
Connie Quigley, connie.
quigley@safermidcanterbury.org.nz,
phone 027­450­0742.
YES
...WE’RE OPEN!
We’re excited to be back to
normal and welcome you
backin-store.
If you can’t come in personally,just phone us
and we can process your order and deliver.
We look forward toseeing youvery soon.
Image Credit: thespinoff.co.nz ,@SIOUXSIEW, @XTOTL
Source: WHO, CDC -CC-BY-SA
For thelatest info:
who.int, health.govt.nz
2276759 2265438
Timebankers unite
By Mick Jensen
Mid Canterbury timebankers have
been connecting, learning and
supporting others during lockdown.
Arecent quiz night via Zoom
attracted 52 locals and others from
further afield.
Online gardening conversations
have also been popular and arecent
zero waste education session featured
aquestion and answer format with
waste minimisation advocates from
the Rubbish Trip.
Other Zoom sessions have focused
on travel in Israel/Palestine and the
lowdown on what timebanking is
about.
Crafternoons on Fridays, from 2pm
until 3pm, have included advice on
areas such as sewing, knitting and
scrapbooking at home.
Mid Canterbury TimeBank coordinator
Kate White said members
had been supporting each other and
their neighbours during lockdown
with regular phone calls.
They had helped with grocery
shopping and deliveries, and during
Alert Level 3had helped make meals
and baking for afamily who have just
had ababy.
Two upcoming sessions under the
Teaching Tuesdays programme could
be of interest to anumber of people,
she said.
On May 19 aZoom panel
discussion will focus on living with a
health condition or adisability.
‘‘Hearing from those with lived
experience will help us all better
understand how disability and health
conditions can affect people's lives
and how we can be more supportive
of friends, family members and
colleagues.’’
On May 26 there is another panel
discussion with migrants and
newcomers to Mid Canterbury, who
Knitters and sewers on Zoom
show what they’ve been making at
arecent Crafternoon session.
would share their experiences of
settling here. Both sessions run from
7pm until 8pm.
Mrs White said the panel
discussions, like all other sessions run
during lockdown, were free and open
to the wider community.
TimeBanking continued to bring
the community together and actioned
the Mental Health Foundation’s five
ways to wellbeing ­connecting, being
active, taking notice, keeping learning
and giving, Mrs White said.
The TimeBank concept trades time
rather than money and works on the
premise that everyone in the
community has something to offer
and every person is equally valued.
The Learning Exchange runs
alongside TimeBank and encourages
people to share their skills,
knowledge and passion in the delivery
of informative workshops.
More information on Mid
Canterbury TimeBank on its
Facebook page or by emailing to
coordinator@mctimebank.nz.
My officesinAshburtonand Timaru
arecloseddue to COVID-19.
For any assistance you can still contact me
by ringing 03 308 7510 or email me directly at:
andrew.falloon@parliament.govt.nz
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should phone
their doctor or Healthline on 0800 3585453
Authorised by Andrew Falloon MP,
139 Stafford Street, Timaru.
Andrew Falloon,
MP forRangitata