Creating a community volunteer network

Mangere Bridge is blessed with incredible community leaders and workers, many of whom serve on a voluntary basis.  Our WasteWise project has uncovered diverse talent in the community and shown us just how much goodwill there is towards our goal of becoming a more ‘WasteWise, caring community’, where people look out for each other and pitch in to lend a hand when they are able. One of the goals of our project is to create a community volunteer network of ‘WasteWise champions’ and we’ve slowly seen this come to fruition as the different stages of our project have unfolded.

Drawing initially on our Friends of the Farm and Foreshore database, we’ve requested and encouraged volunteer support for the various events we’ve been involved in.  People have been willing to participate in letterbox drops (Food and Wine Festival/Sweet Talks), supervise bin stations (Mangere Bridge School car boot sale, Waterlea Festival, Food and Wine Festival) and assist with event activities (Farm Day, Goodbye Godwits, Sweet Talks). Others have helped with specialised tasks (Steve Rickerby of We Compost has removed compostable waste from events, Ross Allan of Paboom! Marketing has donated graphic design expertise to create a zero waste poster).

Prior to the recent Food and Wine Festival, we carried out a flyer drop to 2500 Mangere Bridge households sponsored by our local Harcourts branch.  Ten new volunteers supported that effort, including two retired residents who did more than their fair share, and twelve year old twins, Jarrad and Thomas Harris-Green, who are proud members of the Mangere Bridge community and great soccer players! 

Jarrad and Thomas commented afterwards that it was “fun and good exercise” delivering the flyers.  Their mum Sarah said she felt very good about their involvement and was proud that they hadn’t hesitated in agreeing to deliver the flyers when asked. She wanted to instill in them a sense of community and hopes volunteering experiences such as this will stay with them through their lives. 

At the Festival itself, six new waste champions emerged to assist with bin supervision.  One of these was James Russell, editor of ‘Element’ the sustainable business and lifestyle magazine printed with the Herald.  “Waste is an issue I’m really interested in, and it’s great to see people taking the initiative to reduce it in their communities,” he said, when asked about his involvement with the WasteWise team at the Festival. James is a Mangere Bridge local and feels “it makes sense to get involved”. He will be a wonderful addition to our local leadership group.

In some way or other, over 30 volunteers have now supported WasteWise events and the number is growing.  We want to increase and formalise the list of people who would be willing to provide a voluntary commitment of up to two or three hours at a time for:

-          Community working bees

-          Community clean ups

-          WasteWise projects

-          Letterbox drops

-      Other miscellaneous activities

Each time we approach a volunteer on our list, we give them the opportunity to say no, without having to make an excuse. Often people can choose how they contribute, as we need help in different ways. We’d love to hear from you, if you’re willing to be approached from time to time to help contribute to building a WasteWise, caring community. For our younger residents keen to clock up some community service hours, we’ll also provide a certificate they can take to school.

Contact:

Frances Hancock Ph 0210722696

justineskilling@gmail.com

Tea and Topics: Mangere Bridge Library 28 May 2014

By Justine Skilling – Friends storywriter

Thanks to the librarians at the Mangere Bridge Library, I had an opportunity to share the Mangere Bridge WasteWise message with around 20 people at the monthly ‘Tea and Topics’ last week. Our waste timeline and a selection of books on composting, zero waste living, gardening and upcycled crafts were on display for the month prior to the talk, generating interest among library-goers.

I introduced our Friends group, highlighting our primary vision to link local families with our natural resources, in particular the Farm and harbour foreshore area.  I described some of the family fun activities we hosted prior to beginning our adventures with waste, including a farm treasure hunt, midwinter moonlight lantern walk and assistance with Goodbye Godwits events.

When the conversation turned to “waste”, I talked about our group’s passion for creating a “WasteWise, caring community”. We educate people on how to go about reducing the rubbish we produce in our households, schools, organisations and businesses.  I reviewed our group’s role in waste reduction education and practice so far, including supervising bin stations at community events and supporting efforts led by Carol-Anne Armitage to reduce food waste in our local cafes.

Many asked questions and expressed concerns about the Council’s plan to make changes to our kerbside rubbish collection in 2015. Fortunately, the Library has arranged for a Council representative to address the issue at a Tea and Topics later in the year.

I asked the group for their ideas on what makes Mangere Bridge a “WasteWise, caring community” and how we can enhance this vision.  People offered practical and inspiring suggestions, including hanging a banner over our main street that declares our vision, having easily accessible information about what to do with e-waste and batteries, and developing a community recycling facility.  People were very keen to have a collection point for soft plastics in the village.

The morning generated considerable discussion and energy on the topic of waste in our community.  Participant Alf McMinn emailed after the event to say that he “really learned a lot. In fact it also made me feel a tad guilty. May need to change some habits-of-a-lifetime”.  

Librarian and ‘Tea and Topics’ organiser, Ann Hancock, reported that the morning “triggered awareness” about rubbish and recycling and “got people’s brains ticking over”.  It was wonderful to see such a diverse group of people, both locals and visitors, utilising the opportunity provided by our library for lively discussion and debate about relevant and important issues such as this one. The librarians were incredibly welcoming and supportive, and it was a pleasure to be a part of what they’re doing in our community. In Mangere Bridge our library is a community hub and our librarians are supportive of initiatives that, like ours, benefit our children, families, and environment.