Community

Could you spare a few hours a month to transport somebody with cancer to their oncology appointment? The Cancer Society is urgently seeking new volunteers. Volunteer co-ordinator Robyn Flowers said with an increase in clients and requests for support, they needed to bring some new people onboard. “E

The Hawthorndale Care Village has just $4 million left to raise with $29m funding confirmed for the $33m development, trustee and project chair Sarah Hannan advised this week. “We are thrilled at the fundraising progress made early on, and then was paused during the pandemic. We are now keen to re-e

Invercargill City Council Deputy Mayor Toni Biddle is today announcing that she has resigned from Council, stepping down from the table later this month. Ms Biddle said her decision was not taken lightly and it had taken some time to come to terms with. “My time at Council has been both incredibly f

Rise of The To’a! co-author Alisi Tatafu wants to celebrate Tongan culture and achievements with her Tongan community, and all New Zealanders as well. Miss Tatafu was in Invercargill on Thursday October 1st to present a copy of her book to the SIT Library, spreading the message of being connected to

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is promising to make Matariki a public holiday if re-elected. Ardern made the pledge to mark the start of the Māori New Year while campaigning in Rotorua this morning. “As I’ve travelled around New Zealand I’ve heard the calls for Matariki to become a public holiday – it

Tickets to a gala dinner set to benefit the Southland Charity Hospital have sold out – just a handful of hours after going on sale. The Aftermatch will be held at spectacular Bill’s Shed venue at Bill Richardson Transport World on October 17. The evening promises to blend lots of laughs, plenty of e

Teenage binge drinking has “dropped off the cliff” in the last 20 years but until now no-one really knew why. A new paper, ‘What explains the decline in adolescent binge-drinking in New Zealand?’ comes up with some answers but the reasons are complicated, surprising and sometimes contradict themselv

The Returned and Services Association has been thrown an economic lifeline from the government. A one-off grant of $2.53 million has been approved so the RSA can continue to pay welfare grants, as well as offer support to veterans. The organisation’s annual poppy day usually collects between $1m and