Injured young boy needing donations
Please find the link for Max’s give-a-little page attached to this email.
On Sunday 7th May Max sustained a serious head trauma whilst racing motocross, one of the sport he adores, along with his beloved rugby. As you can imagine this has been devastating for his family.
Here is a little bit more from me.
On Sunday the 7th May, Max Bartley was participating in one of his most loved sports, ‘Motocross’.
Max is a quite 13year old boy that loves his Rugby and Motocross.
He always gives 110%.
Is kind and respectful to others, and always takes a moment to say hello.
He’s just an amazing kid.
Unfortunately as Max was chasing the race leaders in the final round of the day, Max had a life changing accident.
Max was thrown from his bike and landed headfirst.
Track Medics rushed to his aid.
Max was unresponsive and breathing was compromised.
As luck would have it, a rescue helicopter was already in the air (returning from another job) and was on the ground with Max within 20minutes.
Max’s life was at risk and if he survived, there was going to be many massive hurdles to get over before a lengthy recovery period could begin.
After an urgent flight to Waikato ED, Max was put into a medically induced coma, pressure was released following confirmation of several brain bleeds.
The following day Max was flown to StarShip in Auckland.
Max is still in a Medical coma, and as of yesterday now breathing on his own.
The amazing medical staff at StarShip are pleased with Max’s progress.
The Give-a- little page was setup by Erica (Max’s motocross mum) who was with him on the day of his accident, flew with him in the helicopter and never left his side until Max’s parents arrived at the hospital the following day.
Erica’s wish of the money’s raised is to help Max’s family by alleviating the financial burdens of day to day life and allowing them to be by his side during this stressful time and help Max with the essentials to aid in his recovery and help bring normality back in to his life when the time is right.
Please share this with the loving and caring people of your community.
I appreciate that Max may be a stranger to most, if not all.
But he needs our help, he’s the sort of kid that would gladly help a stranger out.
It’s our time to help him.
givealittle.co.nz...
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.5% Yes
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14.7% No
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2.8% Other - I'll share below
The Influence of the Whānau - Day 9
In a small Māori pā (village) nestled beside a flowing river, a young boy named Rangi lived with his whānau. Rangi was curious and adventurous, always exploring the ngahere (forest) and listening to the stories of his kaumātua (elders). The kaumātua would often remind him, “He waka eke noa”—we are all in this together, and our actions affect the collective.
Rangi's best friend, Manu, was a clever boy but sometimes made poor choices. Manu had recently begun spending time with a group of older boys from another pā who were known for their reckless behavior. They would waste kai (food), leave rubbish in the ngahere, and even disturb the sacred awa (river) by throwing stones at eels.
One day, Manu invited Rangi to join the group, saying, “Come on, Rangi! They’re fun, and they won’t hurt anyone. We’re just having a good time!” Unsure, Rangi agreed, feeling pressure to fit in.
The group’s leader, Matiu, proposed a game: they would sneak into the kaumātua's kumara patch at night and take some for a "feast." Rangi hesitated. He remembered the kaumātua saying how much work went into growing the kumara, with karakia (prayers) and care for the soil. But he stayed silent, feeling outnumbered.
That night, the group raided the garden. As they laughed and ate the stolen kumara by the fire, Rangi felt uneasy. He realized that this was not who he wanted to be. When he saw Manu’s joy in impressing Matiu, Rangi felt torn but remained quiet.
The next morning, the kaumātua discovered the missing kumara and the trampled garden. They called the entire pā together, expressing sadness, not anger. “Our ancestors teach us that the whenua (land) provides for all of us, but only if we treat it with respect,” said one elder. “When we harm the whenua, we harm ourselves.”
Rangi’s heart sank. That evening, he confessed to the kaumātua and his whānau, explaining everything. To his surprise, they did not scold him harshly. Instead, they said, “He tangata tītoki, he tangata rākau—a person is like a tree; they grow straight when supported by others. You must choose companions who uphold the values of your whānau and whenua.”
Rangi decided to distance himself from Manu’s new group and instead spent time with those who respected the land and upheld the teachings of their ancestors. Over time, he encouraged Manu to rejoin him, and together they worked to rebuild the kumara patch, learning from the kaumātua.
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Moral
This story highlights the importance of right company and like-mindedness. It shows that no one is inherently bad, but the influence of others and the situations we choose can lead us astray. Surrounding ourselves with those who uphold values like respect, care, and collective well-being ensures a life of balance and harmony.
Ka mua, ka muri — by learning from the past, we can walk into the future.
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