1099 days ago

Supporting our local heroes

Neighbourly.co.nz

If an emergency happens, you know they’re here to help.

If your property catches fire or you’re in a car crash, it is the volunteers and career firefighters of Fire and Emergency New Zealand who come running to help.

As soon as that siren goes, they drop what they’re doing and put your safety first.

Behind our tremendous volunteers are another group of community heroes, who get less attention but are vital to Fire and Emergency.

It’s the employers and co-workers who support our volunteers at work, knowing that at any moment they may need to leave and respond to a crisis.

Did you know Fire and Emergency give recognition to the local businesses who support this important work with the Proud Employer mark?

Look out for this mark on businesses in your community or find out which of your local businesses are Proud Employers of Fire and Emergency volunteers here.

And you can show your support for our hardworking fire crews by making a comment on this post – why not share a tribute you would like to make to our firefighters.

Pictured here are four of the 12,000 volunteers who work across the country. Left to right: Marshall (Marsh) Anderson, Jarrad West, Iain Powell, and Marsh’s brother Ti Anderson. All work at Fonterra and volunteer for the local fire brigade.

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More messages from your neighbours
8 hours ago

Can you crack Today’s neighbourhood conundrum?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing, I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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T
13 hours ago

Free red bricks wanted

Trudy from Hornby

Hi everyone, I'm after free red bricks please? I'll come pick them up, no problem. Thank you 😊

13 days ago

Kalle

The Team from Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi

"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."

"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’

I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.

I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.

I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.

I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.

We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.

I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.

I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."

- Kalle

View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......

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