Nor'West News: December 01, 2022

Thursday December 1 2022 3
Packed with festive spirit
• By Natalie Pham
PUPILS AT a primary school in
Richmond have been given an
early Christmas surprise.
A new mud kitchen and 30
backpacks filled with essential
school supplies have been delivered
to Pareawa Banks Avenue
School after being the lucky
winner of a Christmas giveaway.
Principal Toni Burnside said
it was nice for some pupils to
get a bit extra at this time of
year.
“We are proud of our school
and our tamariki. And it’s nice
to have that positive community
recognition. We know that when
our tamariki get those backpacks,
they will be so excited,”
she said.
The giveaway, which was
open to all schools across New
Zealand, received more than 150
entries.
Two pupils from each class
who represent the school’s
values will be selected to receive
the backpacks.
Burnside said there will also
be a small, added criteria.
“We know some of the
children in those classes need
a wee bit ‘pick me up’. Things
are tough at the moment for
families and the community, so
teachers will be looking through
that lens as well.”
The new mud kitchen is now
ready to go, but has not yet
been installed in the school
playground.
Said Burnside: “To get that
as part of the prize, it’s amazing.
Our juniors love playing with
water and pretending to make
plates.”
This year marked the fifth
annual Christmas giveaway by
Furnitoyz – a Hornby-based
company that makes children’s
toys and furniture by hand.
Owner Michelle Dickie said
the school giveaway was a
chance to give back to the community.
Since opening the business,
the former pre-school teacher
and her husband Euan have
been trying to have a giveaway
every year.
“Last year we were watching
the news . . . and people were
struggling to get schoolbags
and all the bits and bobs that
go along with it to get kids into
school,” she said.
“So we thought this year, we
will see if we can do roughly a
classroom-size worth of schoolbags.”
Last year, the business
donated three pallets of foods
and hygiene products to
Christchurch, Auckland and
Wellington city missions.
GIVEAWAY:
Ebony-Rose
(left) and Claire,
with two of the
backpacks won
by Pareawa
Banks Avenue
School. Below
– Principal Toni
Burnside (right)
with Furnitoyz
owner Michelle
Dickie, who
delivered 30
backpacks and
a new mud
kitchen to the
school.
Luka set
for global
games after
making a
splash
• From page 1
The three-time Paralympic
gold medallist said Willems is
a “unique” athlete in the way
he is “blazing a trail for others
living with down syndrome and
swimming”.
“While as a swimming nation
we are very early into our Down
Syndrome inclusion, we are
committed to helping Luka
and the next generation of
swimmers with Down Syndrome
who haven’t made it into our
competitive events as yet,” Leslie
said.
Willems’ mother Anqelique van
der Velden said without Leslie’s
help, the opportunity for Willems
to compete at the Virtus Games
“wouldn’t have happened”.
“He is trying to open up
accessibility for swimming
athletes with disabilities at an elite
level. It’s so awesome.”
For Willems, it’s just the start
of a successful international
swimming career, as he begins
preparations for the Virtus Global
Games, held in France next year.
“I hope my journey inspires
people to do something new and
maybe challenging too.”