Ashburton Courier: July 16, 2020

NEWS
8 Ashburton Courier, July 16, 2020
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Rural Women’s helping hand
Kaleb Small’s educationhas
been given a$1000 boost with a
scholarship from Mid
Canterbury Provincial Rural
Women.
Kaleb,19, is studying for
BachelorofCommerce and
BachelorofScience degreesat
theUniversity of Canterbury.
He is one of three recipients
of the annual scholarship. The
others were Benjamin Wakelin
(BachelorofPerforming Arts
andScreen Production and
Management at Auckland
University of Technology), who
alsoreceived $1000,and
Kirsten Clarke(Bachelorof
Lawand Commerce at
CanterburyUniversity) who
received $500.
Kaleb,aformer Mt Hutt
College head boy, is also aNew
ZealandCroquet Under 21
representative.
He is in the second year of a
four­year degree but is hoping
to fast­track his educationby
doing additionalcourse work.
Theextraworkload doesn’t
faze him as he admitstobeing
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“study focused” but also still
enjoysthe socialopportunities
of university.
He said he choseareas of
study which interested him. It
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and Laptops
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was his advice to anyone
lookingatdoing tertiarystudy
to “followtheir interests”.
He maybeplanningfor a
career in financebut is open to
Left: Kaleb Small with Rural
Women’s convener of the
scholarship committee Pauline
Hewson and treasurer Marion
Small.
how thatmay look, whether it
was with abusiness or
financial institute.
Mid Canterbury Provincial
RuralWomen convener of the
scholarship committee
Pauline Hewson said 12
applications had been
received for the annual
scholarship,despite the
upheaval for studentsofthe
Covid­19 pandemic. The
number was well above
expectations of the committee.
Mrs Hewson said the
applicants were all of high
calibre and had beenreceived
from Mid Canterbury students
at Lincoln, Otago, Canterbury
andAuckland universities.
They were in arangeof
degrees including education,
law,performance, commerce,
science, medicine and nursing.
Internet banking tips
The basicsofinternet bankingisthe
themeofaspecial SeniorNet meeting
on July 30, opentoboth members and
membersofthe public.
OrganiserJohn Burnsaidinternet
bankingwas often ascary prospect for
olderpeople, and they worriedabout
passwordsand losing their money to
scammers.
Thesession on July30, at the
SinclairCentre,was designed to take
someofthe mystery awayand help
people movetopaying their bills
online andmanagingtheirmoney.
He saidmanyolderpeople were
already using internet banking. A
survey of Ashburton SeniorNet
membersfoundabout two­thirds were
regularusers.
Theopen sessionwillinclude
expertadvice from aWestpac banker,
ademonstration about howitall
works and how to keepyour money
safe online.
He said people had to think about
howthey would paytheir bills when
chequeswere no longer available.
Some banks willphaseout cheques by
July nextyear.
‘‘It reallyisfor people who havenot
gotinto internetbanking, and it is
coming.’’
The surveyfoundpeople whodid
notwanttoswitch to internet banking
were worriedaboutmaking mistakes.
SeniorNet helps people 50 plusget
to grips withcomputers and new
technology. The Ashburton group
meetsonTuesdays and Thursdays
most weeksatthe Sinclair Centre.
The July 30 internet banking basics
sessionwill runfrom 1.30­3pm. It is
free, buta$2donation helps cover the
groupscosts.
Small business support
More support is rolling out for small
and medium enterprisesfrom
government’s Covid Response and
Recovery Fund, to help themadapt
and innovate to deal with the impact
of the virus.
Afurther $40 million hasbeen
announced for the RegionalBusiness
Partners Network, on top of $15m
invested since March.
Economic developmentminister
PhilTwyford said the regional
scheme had been successful and the
new support would helpsmall
businesses keep up momentum.
“Morethan 6200 businesses have
benefittedfrom freeadvice. Another
4600haveregisteredtotakepart.
Support forfirms withupto100 staff
is delivered via vouchersfor
professional advisory servicesworth
up to $5000.’’
IN BRIEF
FILIPINO GARDEN
Ashburton District Council’s
welcoming communities groupis
working withparks staff to create a
Filipino cultural garden in
November.The work is part of
brandingefforts to attractpeople to
the district to ‘‘work, live and play’’.
MINISTRYOF
AWESOME
Council’s economic development
staffare workingwith adivision of
Ara calledthe MinistryofAwesome
to bringanentrepreneurial
programme to the district to help
with localtechnology problemsand
solvethemlocally using localtalent.
The firsteventwill be on August 10.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
NZTAsays work to buildnew traffic
signals at the intersectionofWalnut
Avenue and State Highway 1will go
out for tenderlaterthis year. The
agency hopestoaward the contract
forconstructionbythe end of the
yearand for worktostartin2021.
The businesscase toconfirm the
scope of aseparateproject to
construct lights at Tinwaldwill start
within the next two months.
FARMSALE
A101-hectare dryland rural
property up for auction in Ashburton
last week was passed in on the day
but latersold. The propertywas
expected to be abarometer offarm
salesinthe district.Property
Brokersconsultant GregJopson
said buyers were offered the
chancetoforward conditionalor
unconditional offersfollowing the
hammer. ‘‘While we didn’tget a
result on auction day,the process
did allow buyers to gauge where the
marketwas andthen make offers
accordingly. Wehad two bidders on
the day andothers register after, to
arriveatasuccessful result for the
vendors.’’
OPENHAT SHOWS
There are three contrasting open
hat performances lined up at
Ashburton TrustEvent Centre over
the coming weeks.
Open Hatshowswere introduced
to the venue in February 2016and
meanthere is no chargefor tickets
priortothe event, instead
audiencesare encouragedtopay
whattheythinkthe performance
was worth at the end.
This Saturday circus,slapstick
and magic willcombine in the
schoolholiday show for children
calledKitchen Chaos.
The audience will help sensible
Spray and naughty Wipe bake a
very specialcake in akitchenthat
gets messier andmessier.
The ArtsOnTourNZshow The
Daylight Atheist is on August 2and
asecond show, FromScratch, will
feature on September 20.
171ALFORD FOREST ROAD,ASHBURTON
0800 86 22 44
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