Leading from the front issuu

INTRODUCING PAT’S
PILOT CITY TRUST OUTREACH
Roger Cathro, The Pie Man himself, opened his bakery in
Maraenui three years ago. Below he shares his journey,
getting to know Pat — this intriguing, popular community
figure who has become quite a fixture with his unconventional
‘business plan’: to talk to as many people as he
can, demonstrate that someone cares, and see what can
be done to help. Beneath it all there’s the consistent call
for a kinder, fairer, child friendly city.
Roger, can you tell us how this story unfolded.
It just sort of happened. Pat started turning up randomly,
sitting out the front, chatting with people, shouting them a
coffee and something to eat, and then I guess he saw potential
in it. He asked me if I minded him setting up properly,
and I was like, oh, well he was already doing it anyway.
So I was like carry on, no problem. Then Pat started
coming more frequently, he’s a bit of a crusader isn’t he?
Absolutely. Pat’s always smiling and talking to people
and smiles are contagious so it’s always going to lift the
energy in the area. That’s always a good thing.
What were your initial thoughts when Pat set up
his street office?
You can see that he has a lot of passion and he’s devoted
to the people of Maraenui. Our initial thoughts were, if he
wants to do it, let him go and we’ll just watch with interest.
He knows a lot of people, they stop and talk to him
and it’s been really good.
Do you think he’s making an impact?
I believe he is. It’s obviously going to be just small
steps though. it’s not an easy thing, what he’s trying to
achieve. It’s tough, it’s huge and uphill but you’ve got to
start somewhere.
Has he made a difference to the vibe around the
place?
Is he good for business?
Definitely. He buys people food and encourages them
to sit down and talk about their lives. He helps where he
can and encourages a meeting place. While they’re here
they buy too. It’s a collaboration. It’s win-win.
Have you named a pie after Pat?
No, I don’t think it would be a typical thing for the area.
Have you ever been involved in anything like this
before?
No. It has been a lot of watching and learning. Pat explains
a few things and we learn more about him and his
history and what he’s done over the years. We’re probably
still scratching the surface but we do know he’s a
very sharp and shrewd old businessman!
Above: Outside The Pie Man in Maraenui, there’s now a community hub. Frequent friendly faces are Pat, Martyka (Marty) Brandt,
Roy on work experience, and the Pie Man himself, Roger Cathro. Right: Pat is part of the urban, social Maraenui landscape.
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Maraenui – by whānau for whānau, anything is possible