The Star: October 14, 2021

The Star Thursday October 14 2021
12
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Welcoming refugees with gift packs
KIND-hearted Canterbury
humanitarians are helping
with the integration of Afghani
refugees into New Zealand
society.
A group of 250 or so refugees
will soon become Kiwis
following their forced escape
from a war-torn land.
Jo Bailey is the co-founder of
Uniting Canterbury Women,
a group that formed after the
Christchurch terror attacks on
March 15, 2019. The group is
now planning to deliver gift
packs to the refugees.
The small but dedicated group,
brings women of different
cultures, ethnicities and religions
together.
Bailey and the group have
created a series of projects
since the initial focus on
those impacted by the terror
attacks. The most recent,
supported by a Givealittle
crowdfunding campaign,
has been to raise money for
individual welcome packs for the
Afghan refugees.
Bailey has been working
with a group including Ryman
Healthcare sales adviser Anthea
Johnson, who is also her
neighbour.
Ryman will pay for the
freighting of about 250 welcome
packages to the refugees, living
for now in Immigration NZ’s
Mangere Refugee Resettlement
Centre. Many arrived with
just the clothes on their backs
following a Taliban military
offensive.
“They’ve been through such
trauma, absolute hell,” Bailey
said.
“They’ve left family members
behind, I mean it’s horrific.
They’ve been through terrible
times to get here.”
“(We want to demonstrate)
that we care, that they’re wanted,
that they’re loved here. And we
wanted to make sure they had
some lovely things to remind
them of home and also welcome
them to New Zealand,” Bailey
said.
Bailey said she was in part
inspired by Christchurch café
operator Zhara Hussaini.
Hussaini had arrived in
Christchurch at the age of 12,
as a refugee, and has spoken
publicly about the warmth of
CARING: Jo
Bailey (left)
and Anthea
Johnson are
preparing
gift packs
for refugees
who have
had to
escape
war-torn
Afghanistan.
Kiwis she experienced since her
arrival.
Bailey reached out to Hussaini
following the March 15 attacks,
and subsequent vigils. The
two found common ground
and, with four others, formed
Uniting Canterbury Women. It
helped that Hussaini was already
an advocate for the Afghan
community.
Said Bailey: “I just wanted
to continue on the feelings of
goodwill (towards minorities)
that were happening in the
community. Like all disasters,
once tragedies (dissipate) people
go back to their normal lives.
“When Zahra arrived in
Christchurch at the age of 12, she
spoke no English. Today, her life
is incredibly full as an advocate
for the Afghan community,
an interpreter, student, and
a restaurant owner. She is an
inspirational young woman.”
The packs includes teas, spices,
Linden Leaves products, Aroha’s
Way (a children’s book) and
backpacks. Other items such
as silk krama, or scarves, made
by a Cambodian group could
prove important to the Afghani
women.
“So effectively the women can
wear these as hijab,” Bailey said.
“Everyone will get something
really special, which is really
nice.”
Patterson family purchases Hotel Montreal
THE PATTERSON family,
owners of the Commodore
Airport Hotel in Christchurch
and the Queenstown Park
Boutique Hotel, have purchased
the Hotel Montreal for an
undisclosed sum.
The Pattersons – Michael,
Thomas and Ken – have been
looking to purchase a hotel in
the centre of the city for some
time, but few fitted their criteria
for size and quality.
Previously owned by Lilly
Cooper, the Hotel Montreal contains
a mixture of 26 rooms and
apartments, plus restaurant, bar
NEW OWNERS: Ken, Michael and Thomas Patterson, and
the Hotel Montreal.
and conference facilities.
Michael Patterson said as a
strong family business they are
delighted to be buying from
another strong family-oriented
business owner.
“Hotel Montreal’s size
is a perfect fit for us and
complements our Queenstown
Park Boutique Hotel as well as
the Commodore,” he said.
“The timing, we believe, is
also ideal. The first phase of
Christchurch’s rebuild programme
is nearing completion
with the likes of the town hall
and Te Pae, the council has
given the green light for the new
stadium, restoration of the Cathedral
is under way and many
other projects are on the books.
“Couple that with the eventual
return of tourists to the city and
we think Christchurch is heading
into an exciting era.”
This year marks 50 years of
involvement in the hospitality
industry for the Patterson family,
having opened the Commodore
Hotel in 1971.
The Pattersons built extensions
to the Commodore Hotel in
2001, 2005 and 2013 with a refurbishment
in 2018. After their
purchase of the Queenstown
Park Boutique Hotel in 2016,
they built a further extension in
2019.
“Hotel Montreal has good
space around it for future
development, if and when we see
fit. This is another strong positive
for our family business,” Michael
Patterson said.
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