In partnership with the Christchurch City Council, the Oak Development Trust is carrying out a survey of the Riccarton West Community Garden. This is part of the community consultation of the review and you are invited to contribute. You can fill it in online by clicking on this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1D3IDeU9E1hVzPvq9DujHpWxyprXavSST-X2gVjNjYCU/edit

It should take only a few minutes and your feedback is really appreciated. There are also paper copies at the Pantry and the Trust office, 80 Rattray Street. It closes on Friday 12 June.

The Riccarton West Community Garden was established at 151-153 Peverel St in 2013 by the Neighbourhood Policing Team that was working in the area and local residents. Since that time, Nick and Loretta Te Paa have worked tirelessly and have overseen its development. Since 2016, the land has been leased by Oak Development Trust from Kainga Ora (Housing New Zealand), which has enabled the garden to continue. A huge amount of vegetables, goodwill and friendship has come out of having the garden in the heart of the community.

As the lease expires on the land in September, it is now time to review the project as the Oak Development Trust thinks about its next steps. Also at the garden is Te Pataka – the community pantry. It is worth checking in with the community about its benefits and how the pantry could also operate in the future.

To access the 2019 ODT annual report, click on the link below.

Attachments:

ODT-annual-report-2019.pdf

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My daughter and I started going to Supling Filipino Playgroup a couple of months ago after finding out about it on Facebook. My family migrated to New Zealand when I was in my early teens and I feel that I have lost some of my culture. As a first-time mother to a beautiful daughter who is half Filipino and half Kiwi, it made me realise how important it is for her to know her Filipino heritage and by joining the playgroup I am learning about my roots and how we can integrate it in our daily lives.

Supling Filipino Language and Culture Playgroup will be open from 10.00-11.30am every Tuesday during term time, at 80 Rattray St, Riccarton.

See below for information in Tagalog and English.

Seven years of building community in the Riccarton area were celebrated at the end of September by the Oak Development Trust. Starting with just one paid employee – Manager Carol Renouf – the trust now has six staff, and is active through around 12 programmes.

A new multicultural dancing group is starting on 15 August, to bring people of different cultures together.

The group will run for 10 weeks at Riccarton Baptist Church, 80 Rattray St, and is aimed at 5-12 year olds.

The aim is to help young people learn about different cultures, improve their rhythm, and improve confidence.

For more information, contact , or phone 022 680 2299.

Kia Ora.

The cold of winter is upon us so I hope you are keeping warm, enjoying nourishing, hearty soups and looking out for each other and checking on those neighbours perhaps you haven’t seen out and about for awhile.

As a community we want to congratulate Mana Harema of La Vida Youth Trust on being nominated as one of the Westield Local Heroes and as a community we want to get behind him and the Trust can be one of the top three winners who will receive $10,000. GO ONLINE to Westield Riccarton, Local Heroes and give him your VOTE BY 1ST JULY. Mana’s profle describes him as big hearted, real and inclusive and we are thankful to have him working with the youth in the Riccarton community.

Other finalists in the Riccarton section were:
Matthew Button - Big Brothers Big Sisters
Chartlotte Ellis - Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust
Charlotte Pawson - ParaFed Canterbury
Bob Shearing - Enrich Communtiy Chaplaincy Trust
Robyn Twemlow - Tourettes Association New Zealand (TANZ)

Our annual ‘Our Riccarton, our Community, let's have fun” Community Day is happening 20th October, 1:00-4:00 P.M. at Harrington Park. Mark this on your calendar. If you would like to contribute in some way by being willing to help on the day or make some ethnic food or provide some entertainment please contact Carol 027 282 0693 or Loreta 022 096 6215.

Warm regards,
Carol Renouf

The ODT Winter Camp in Hanmer Springs was an amazing time! We had a great group attend. 

There were some fantastic team challenges: the annual camp Treasure Hunt in town, the Hungry Hippos game, and the Minute to Win It evening run by the Carters! Many of our kids and youth took their bikes and challenged themselves on different bike tracks. 

We began the day on Sunday with a climb up Conical Hill -- the view was worth the sore legs! A group went to the Animal Park where they had: donkeys, deer, wallabies, llamas, and even a yak! The kids got to feed them and pat them, and try not to have their clothes eaten by the deer. 

On our last day we spent the morning at the hot pools relaxing before we began the drive back home. All in all we had an awesome time together! The relationships built during this time are lasting and so valuable. 

Thank you to everyone who came and made it such a fun time! And thank you to all of those who helped to make it happen, you’re amazing!