Small businesses in your community need a hand!
Hi neighbours! SOS Business was set up to help local businesses in your community. It means you can buy gift cards from your favourite cafés, restaurants and service providers and then redeem them when they re-open after lockdown.
You can play a special part helping small businesses stay afloat during this time. Spread the word to your friends and family so that we can help as many local businesses as we can.
Thanks for being a great neighbour by being a lifeline for businesses in your community.
PS - in case you were wondering, due to the success of SOS Café, and the number of other service businesses now on the Platform, the team have rebranded to SOS Business – Save Our Small Business!
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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60% Yes, supporting people is important!
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25.7% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.3% ... It is complicated
Flower Pressing Workshop
Step back in time and discover the delicate Victorian art of flower pressing at Howick Historical Village.
Explore the gardens, gather flowers and foliage, and learn how to press and preserve them as keepsakes, just as the Victorians once did. Historical interpreter Ruth Page will guide you through the process and share tips for the best results.
📅 Dates:
• Saturday 21 March
• Saturday 28 March
• Saturday 11 April
• Saturday 18 April
⏰ 1:30–3:30pm
💲 Cost:
$28 (bring your own heavy book)
$42 (flower press included – yours to keep)
🎟 Includes entry to explore the Village (open 10am–4pm)
📩 Bookings essential – places are limited
A relaxing, creative afternoon surrounded by history and gardens — perfect for nature lovers and craft enthusiasts alike
Late Summer Harvest!
Experience a sun-kissed day at Howick Historical Village, celebrating the last of summer's bounty. Explore how the season’s harvest was gathered, preserved, and enjoyed in the 1800s, before the season changed.
The end of summer was a time to enjoy long, warm, dry days but also to prepare before autumn crept in. Pantries were filled as food was preserved, boots were waterproofed, curtains rehung. Honey made by busy bees all summer, was extracted from the hives.
Join us to experience the gentle turning of the seasons, where work and pleasure met, and the closing days of summer were truly cherished! Churn cream into butter or attend a Victorian school lesson. See the blacksmiths and woodturners at work and learn the art of bookbinding. Meet the Village beekeeper in a talk at 2 pm. Taste fresh baking, hot from the coal range in Puhi Nui Homestead and the bread oven. Visit the sweet shop filled with old-fashioned lollies and fudge!
With games, crafts and performances by Morris dancers at 11:00 & 12:00, and the bagpipe band at 12 pm and plenty to entertain all ages, this will be a Live Day not to miss!
Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46. Child under 5 years, members & annual pass holders - free entry.
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