Pegasus Post: January 13, 2022

4 Thursday January 13 2022
Youth worker
joins bike
repair project
• By Emily Moorhouse
FUNDING FROM the city
council has meant a group that
restores bikes for the community
will be able to bring a youth
worker on board.
The Aranui Bike Fixup project
will be welcoming a youth worker
to the team to help out with mentoring
and building relationships
with youth.
Project founder Steven Muir
said this will allow for more opportunities
to grow the project
and plan for more activities.
“We’ve really struggled for
people to participate on a regular
basis so having the youth worker
as a regular person will be a big
benefit in terms of what we can
do,” he said.
The project will receive $10,000
of funding from the city council
for taking community action to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and live more sustainably.
Muir said the funding has
also helped with a new holiday
programme starting next week
from Monday to Friday. It has 20
kids lined up already and includes
teaching maintenance skills,
learning mountain biking and
BMX riding skills, and a variety
of day trips to adventure parks
and biking tracks.
The programme is free except
for a deposit that will be refunded
once the week has concluded.
‘In it for life’ – surf lifesaving tagline
• From page 1
During 2018 she tried her hand
at a few roles, gaining patrol
captain and surf official qualifications
as well as becoming a
lifeguard instructor when the
club needed one.
She noticed the club was
stretched and didn’t have enough
people to get lifeguards qualified
so she was more than happy to
fill the gap.
“For me it just became a nobrainer
because there were these
juniors coming through who
were so excited about wanting
to become a lifeguard so I guess
I just showed some interest in
wanting to do that,” she said.
Kirsty proved successful in her
position as an instructor, helping
more than 20 lifeguards qualify
before taking up boarding and
becoming the junior board
coach.
At the beginning of the 2018/19
summer season she moved on
to the role of junior surf coordinator,
a role that she said was
pretty big but very fulfilling.
And if that wasn’t enough,
Kirsty also became a patrol
captain for one of the five patrol
groups at the club.
“I didn’t do it alone, but it was
my job to run and oversee the
whole junior programme,” she
said.
“I’m definitely not the only one
who gives up a lot of time. There
are people out there just like me.”
While she said it was a team
effort to run a patrol group, each
lifeguard was responsible for
themselves.
“At the end of the day, every
single lifeguard no matter what
age or experience are still trained
to spot a person in trouble and to
be able to rescue and resuscitate
RECOGNITION:
Kirsty Cullen
was awarded
district instructor
of the year award
in 2020 and
volunteer of the
year award in
2021 at the Surf
Life Saving New
Zealand Southern
Region Awards of
Excellence. ​
if necessary.”
In 2019 Kirsty took up surf row
boating, a skill that she said took
a bit of getting the hang of.
“I’ll love my crew forever for
being so patient and tolerant,”
she said.
That was the same crew that
went on to compete in the 2020
Surf Life Saving Nationals in
Gisborne, medalling in masters,
and making semis and finals for
the short and long courses.
“I think we surprised a lot of
people,” Kirsty said.
“Out of 11 crews we were the
only one from the South Island.”
Throughout her time with the
club she has won district instructor
of the year award in 2020
and volunteer of the year award
in 2021 but for her it was never
about prizes.
“I’ve never done anything
I’ve done to gain recognition or
awards,” she said.
“I’ve only done it to gain competence.”
Kirsty’s favourite part of the
job was seeing people achieve
their goals and overcome obstacles.
“You might have a seven-yearold
who at the start of the summer
was way too scared to put
their head under or even go out
past ankle depth and here they
are diving under waves quite
happily, I mean that’s massive.”
Kirsty said she feels very lucky
to be part of such a great crew
and even when they’re all tired
and a bit overstretched it’s reassuring
to know that they’ve got
each other’s backs.
“The tagline that goes with surf
lifesaving is ‘in it for life’ well I
may have started late, but the
phrase is so true. I’ve joined an
amazing crew. “
Before you
paint your
bargeboards
call us about
disconnecting
the power
03 363 9898 | 0800 363 9898
oriongroup.co.nz
Getting in there with that paintbrush around live power lines
is very dangerous. Call us about disconnecting the power,
it might cost a bit more, but it could well save your life.
You’re our priority.
Orion operates, and maintains, the electricity distribution network
that provides power to central Canterbury. We are always here
to help if you have any questions or concerns about the network.