Nor'West News: July 23, 2020
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4 Thursday <strong>July</strong> <strong>23</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
NOR’WEST NEWS<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Speeding and<br />
sunstrike<br />
still a problem<br />
• By Bea Gooding<br />
MAIREHAU Primary School<br />
principal John Bangma is<br />
“frustrated” with continued<br />
issues of speeding drivers and<br />
sunstrike on Innes Rd and<br />
pleads for action.<br />
Mr Bangma wrote to the<br />
Papanui-Innes Community<br />
Board regarding the pedestrian<br />
crossing near the school’s entrance,<br />
advocating for traffic<br />
lights instead for children to<br />
safely use.<br />
“Numerous solutions have<br />
been proposed and acted on,<br />
however, it remains a problem,”<br />
he said.<br />
He referred to the new additions<br />
of 40km/h signs and flashing<br />
orange lights at the crossing,<br />
which had “varied success” in<br />
slowing traffic down.<br />
Said Mr Bangma: “I’m not<br />
suggesting these strategies<br />
haven’t helped, but the original<br />
town planners have left us with<br />
a road that aligns perfectly into<br />
the morning and evening sun.’’<br />
Community board<br />
chairwoman Emma Norrish<br />
said police presence was<br />
requested to monitor the area<br />
for speeding and the issue was<br />
under investigation to come up<br />
with long-term solutions.<br />
Community hub ‘filling a gap’<br />
for families in Mairehau<br />
• By Bea Gooding<br />
A NEW community hub will<br />
soon open its doors in Mairehau,<br />
following an increased need for<br />
physical and social support in<br />
the area.<br />
The Neighbourhood Trust<br />
is in the process of revamping<br />
their former Pay It Forward store<br />
premises to make room for The<br />
Whanau Centre.<br />
It comes at a time when community<br />
organisations have been<br />
scrambling to pivot their services<br />
to better support the increasing<br />
number of people facing unemployment<br />
and other hardships<br />
due to Covid-19.<br />
Said the trust’s community<br />
development worker Don Benn:<br />
“The Whanau Centre provides<br />
a physical presence for The<br />
Neighbourhood Trust to operate<br />
in the heart of Mairehau, which<br />
has seen an increased need for<br />
community connection since the<br />
lockdown.<br />
“Accessibility is a big factor for<br />
people needing some help, and<br />
the centre will make it easier for<br />
families to reach.”<br />
During the lockdown, the<br />
organisation delivered food<br />
ASSET: Roana Johnstone (left), Tom Hitchens, Don Benn, Leanna<br />
Dodge and Angela Sanderson, of The Neighbourhood Trust<br />
who are about to open a new community hub in Mairehau.<br />
packages to families and vulnerable<br />
people in need, but Mr Benn<br />
said “hand-outs” were not a long<br />
term solution.<br />
Even though the service is<br />
essential, he believed having a<br />
permanent facility was more<br />
beneficial in the long run, such<br />
as providing the opportunity for<br />
people to build important skills.<br />
Said Mr Benn: “With support<br />
from the council, we can provide<br />
services such as food packages,<br />
a community garden project to<br />
help families be more in control<br />
of fresh fruit and vegetable production,<br />
a drop-in centre where<br />
people can share their burdens<br />
and potentially be referred to<br />
places for more specific help.<br />
“We’d love to see an opportunity<br />
for driver licensing classes<br />
to occur as well as work-ready<br />
skills like preparing CVs, interviewing<br />
skills and dressing for<br />
interviews.”<br />
The project has been in the<br />
works since January this year,<br />
which Mr Benn believed was<br />
“filling a gap” in the Mairehau<br />
community.<br />
The trust’s former Pay It<br />
Forward store previously sold<br />
locally handcrafted goods, with<br />
its proceeds being fed back into<br />
community projects.<br />
But with the premises now<br />
vacated, they believed it was a<br />
perfect opportunity to utilise the<br />
space and get the project off the<br />
ground which will be ready to<br />
enjoy by the end of August.<br />
“Covid-19 has really accentuated<br />
the need for community<br />
connection. Loss of jobs and<br />
hours of work means that people<br />
are needing extra support at this<br />
time,” he said.<br />
“Although we are at level 1<br />
again, the ongoing effects last<br />
longer, so The Whanau Centre<br />
is an ideal location to offer that<br />
support.”<br />
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