124 days ago

CAB Facing Funding Cuts

Jill Smith from Citizens Advice Bureau Far North (CAB)

Most volunteers feel uncomfortable when they are asked by funders to put a dollar value on the work they happily donate to help improve their communities.

The fact is, we now live in an era when all volunteer groups applying for funding are asked to quantify their voluntary community service in dollar terms.

Well, CAB North Shore has done just that. It commissioned the services of a research company that concluded the Bureau's social return on investment was $13.20 for every dollar invested. That return could be safely used by every Bureau throughout NZ.

Many of us volunteers understand the REAL value of the service we provide. We see it or hear it after we've discussed an issue with a client. It usually goes something like this - "I don't know whether you can help me.........." to a "Thank you. I never thought of that" or "I don't know what we'd do without you".

Back to that REAL value again. It doesn't look anywhere near as attractive on a funding application as the cold hard reality of the dollar return on investment.

So this is where you come in. At a time when our workloads are increasing and becoming more complex, the Citizens Advice Bureau NZ is facing funding cuts. The funding future of many Bureaus is at risk.

To secure a sustainable future, we would appreciate it if you contacted Grant McCallum MP at Grant.McCallum@parliament.govt.nz. Mayor Moko Tepania at mayor@fndc.govt.nz and Bay of Islands - Whangaroa Community Board at belinda.ward@fndc.govt.nz. Please let them know the value you place on the services offered by our awesome volunteers at Citizens Advice Bureau Far North and respectfully ask them to sustainably fund us so that we can keep delivering our valuable service.
Thank you.

More messages from your neighbours
16 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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3 days ago

Suellen’s sweet Christmas tradition

Jane Mander Retirement Village

The festive season is always a great excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, and this time of year poses the perfect opportunity to bring a real showstopper to the Christmas table.

For Suellen’s family, that showstopper is Croquembouche, an impressive tower of cream puffs bound together with spun sugar that is popular at weddings in France and Italy.

What began as a birthday treat at a local French café has become a cherished Christmas tradition for Suellen and her 17-year-old twin granddaughters, Ellie and Sadie. Every year, the trio gather in Suellen’s apartment at William Sanders Village to cook this festive dessert - a holiday highlight they all treasure.

Click read more for the recipe.

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14 days ago

Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag

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