Volunteers to help with Music groups
Music Moves Me Trust currently runs interactive music groups with residents in ten dementia care facilities across the Waikato. There is increasing demand for our services, but we cannot expand into more facilities without more volunteers. we need musicians and also general helpers, who do not have to be able to sing or play an instrument. Groups are weekly and last an hour. If you can sing or play the kind of instrument that best accompanies singing, and know a range of old songs, your role is to encourage participants to sing along with you - some of our group facilitators play piano, others play guitar, ukelele or another instrument. You don't have to be a concert musician - it's more like a party sing-along! Your helper will help residents get up and dance or play the percussion instruments we provide (shakers etc). Volunteers receive training and work in consultation with a Registered Music Therapist. If you are interested, Phone Margaret 022 6517166. Information about MMMT and its work is available on our website, Facebook page and the newsletter attached to this message.
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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58.9% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.3% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.8% ... It is complicated
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Tamahere home in dentist case was once centre of accountant’s fraud
It’s been a feature in a recent Hamilton District Court trial , but a Tamahere mansion already has an complicated history.
The property in Woodcock Rd - notable for having a hydroslide in the back yard - the scene of now-disproved alleged sexual offending by Hamilton dentist Rahul Gautam - made headlines more than 15 years ago, when it was a focus in the case of accountant Gary Soffe.
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