768 days ago

Women Helping Women

Sylvia Heywood from Soroptimist International North Shore

Helping others can make you happy and keep you healthy throughout your lifetime. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week you can help make a difference to women and girls by getting involved with local, national or international projects to educate, empower and enable women and girls to achieve their full potential.

The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. So Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as 'the best for women'. Founded in 1921, we are a global volunteer movement with a network of around 66,000 members in 120 countries. Advocating for human rights and gender equality, at the heart of our work is advocacy work across seven UN Centres, where our UN representatives ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard. We also work on grassroots projects that help local women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in communities worldwide.

If you are you interested in helping to empower women and would like to join our team on the North Shore we will make you very welcome. We offer training and empowerment to our team as well as the ability to utilise our worldwide network or Soroptimist members.
Email sinorthshore@siswp.org

More messages from your neighbours

9 minutes ago

A reminder this hunting season

The Team from New Zealand Police

As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.

Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.

Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”

Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.

The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”

Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?

“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.

Poll: How important is the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online?

The Doctors

Hi Neighbours
Here at The Doctors we would love to hear how you prefer to book your doctor’s appointments. With busy schedules, different people find different methods easier.

For some, online booking is very convenient, you can make an appointment anytime without needing to wait on the phone. Others still prefer calling the clinic and speaking to a real person, especially if they have specific questions about their visit.

Your feedback helps us understand what works best for our patients and how we can improve access to care. Find out more