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A new community help directory is being planned as part of a wider move to make Matakana and the surrounding areas a more caring, inclusive and socially-connected place to live.
Matakana Community Group member Janis Grummit says the group has successfully made a number of infrastructure projects happen in recent years, such as the new car park and footbridges, and now is a good time to broaden its scope.
“The wider Matakana area is growing rapidly,” she says. “There is a real opportunity to support people and work together, to seed processes and events to encourage strong social connection.”
She points out that, despite the area’s upmarket image, there are plenty of people who have little or no support and who may be isolated and struggling, whether financially, physically or emotionally.
“We want to catch people who might be falling between the cracks. We’ve found there are services out there, but people aren’t always aware of them, either because it’s not being communicated or they’re new to the area and don’t know where to look. So we’re making that a priority and putting together a directory to help.”
The new resource will be available on paper, as well as online, and will focus on showing people where to turn to for a wide range of specific issues, such as depression, disability, drug or alcohol problems, or budgeting advice.
“It’s about prevention. We want to build a strong community where people feel connected and we can help each other, rather than source help only from Government agencies,” she says. “The first thing is to provide a directory of help, and to get people involved.”
It is hoped that the first directory will be ready sometime in July. A second directory featuring local clubs, groups and information is also being planned.
Info: Email Janis on janis@workplacewisdom.co.nz
