
Whāingaroa Weedbusters
On a Saturday morning if you take a walk along Kaitoke Walkway you might hear chatter, laughter, sometimes a little huffing and puffing and the occasional “gotcha ya bastard”, or words to that effect.
Here you can find recent updates from Raglan Naturally as well as as general good news from the community and the community-led development landscape.
Below you can find stories from the community where Raglan Naturally has supported community-led development.
On a Saturday morning if you take a walk along Kaitoke Walkway you might hear chatter, laughter, sometimes a little huffing and puffing and the occasional “gotcha ya bastard”, or words to that effect.
Jasmine and daughter Stella share their journey and what resilience and community mean to them.
As the new year kicks off, the Karioi Project team are relieved to have made it through another busy ōi season, getting six new ōi chicks to the stage where they can safely leave their burrows and fly seaward as adult birds.
Waikato District Council is seeking feedback from residents to shape the 2025-2034 Long-Term Plan (LTP) and ensure that rates remain at reasonable levels over the next nine years.
Watercare and Waikato District Council have reached an agreement to extend the Council’s water services operations and maintenance contract.
A recent article in the Waikato Times raised concerns about a $100 million transport funding shortfall for the Waikato region, with $20 million cut from Waikato District’s budget.
Tōkū Kainga Kids was started by Bryony Wilson and Ruby Gibbs. We aim to provide a safe, supportive and encouraging
The Raglan iHub Information and Art Centre is a hidden gem that some locals may not even know exists. The Raglan iHub has remained under the radar for many who fondly remember its predecessor, Raglan i-Site.
We’re excited to introduce three new members to the Raglan Business Chamber Board:
Te Mata Tennis Club extends its heartfelt thanks to Rabobank for selecting them as the winners of the 2024 Good Deeds Competition. We also express our gratitude to the Raglan Community Board for their belief in and support for this project.
Having undergone significant work over the past year, the completion of Raglan’s Town2Surf cycleway is on the horizon, providing locals and visitors alike with a safe place to walk, run and cycle.
Waikato District Council is breaking down barriers to make it easier for Maaori landowners to build and develop papakaainga housing on whenua Maaori.
Whenua Māori near Whāingaroa (Raglan) that has been sitting idle for decades will soon be home to local Waikato whānau and bring those from afar who are yet to experience living on their ancestral whenua.
On the final day of Term 2, a group of Year 11 R.A.S. students went on an exciting trip to a local café ‘The Yard’. The café became a classroom for the day, giving the students a hands-on experience working in a cafe.
We had another successful Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop in the community this July, led by Tangata Tiriti Treaty People facilitators, Carol Henry and Kit Buckley.
Matariki ki Whaingaroa 2024, celebrated under the theme “Matariki ki tua o ngā whetū – Matariki of Endless Possibilities,” was a huge success, running from June 28 to July 7.
In June, Youth Week events included the WahineMoe Harbour Cruise and a beach walk for 50 young people, as well as the Clay Handbuilding Workshop at the Old School Clayshed. The events were organised by Jess Hill and Olivia Dean-Chambers, with support from Youthwork Collective volunteers.
Over the last few months, the collective has been busy hosting youth events and workshops, as well as undertaking community research to understand the needs and aspirations of our young people.
Karioi, cloaked in native forest and rising dramatically along our rugged west coast, is more than just an iconic feature of the Whaingaroa landscape.
Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation (WRDMO) is spearheading the restoration of the Whaingaroa Raglan Water Tower mural as a community-led project. An advisory panel was established in April, comprising six community members representing local hapū, artists, and youth.
Our Raglan Naturally film was been entered into the Raglan Film Festival!
During National Volunteer Week, held from 16-22 June 2024, Raglan Naturally celebrated the invaluable contributions of volunteers in the Whaingaroa community.
We had another great group of community members attend our recent Te Tiriti Workshop earlier this month. These events are a
The Matariki public holiday is coming up on Friday, 28 Jun 2024, and locally in Raglan there are a number of great events
Louisa Barham Steps Down as Co-Chair
We have been exceedingly fortunate to have had Louisa Barham as Co-Chair at Raglan Naturally for the past three years. Louisa’s professionalism, passion, and strategic leadership have been invaluable to the progression of our organisation.
Community Energy Whāingaroa and training opportunities.The Healthy Homes Programme is a collaboration between Community Energy Whāingaroa (CEWh), CEN, and Whāingaroa Raglan Affordable Housing Project (WRAP), and is aimed at improving our community’s living standards and energy use.
Raglan Naturally is supporting the Whaingaroa Youthwork Collective to undertake community research to further understand the needs of youth in our communities.
In March, “Neighbours Month” launched nationwide, and local businesses in Whāingaroa participated by offering prizes to encourage community connection.
The Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation is embarking on a project to restore the public art featured on the iconic water reservoir tower located on the corner of Bow St and Norrie Ave opposite the BP station.
The ‘Toitū Te Tiriti – Waitangi Day Whaingaroa 2024’ event was all about coming together as a community to honour Waitangi Day in a meaningful and inclusive way. It was a space where people could learn, discuss, and reflect on the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa.
Great to learn more about funding for our community. Gabrielle connected with funders, community sector friends and even some Raglan locals. A couple of community funders that RN chatted to were the ANZ Staff Foundation and The Lion Foundation. Check out their websites here:
We met with Dennis and Lisa from Raglan Community Board and Lianne Van Den Bend, Community Development Team, Waikato District Council to discuss how we can work more closely to support community priorities.
What a great turnout we had from our local organisations and groups! We spent the whole morning networking, celebrating community achievements and considering community priorities for collective action. Delicious food helped us along.
We were invited to attend the Māori Ministers Post Budget Breakfast hosted in Hamilton at the Novotel on the 22nd of May. We had the opportunity to understand what the new budgets are for the next three years.
In June, Rolande Paekau and Gabrielle Parson attended the World Community Development Conference ‘From the Edge’ in Darwin. What an amazing opportunity to learn and share with other indigenous communities and community development practitioners from around the world.
The Matariki Hapori Hauora Day, held at Papahua on Saturday 22nd July, was a follow on from the success of monthly Marae clinics that have been taking place within our community.
In late 2022, a group of like-minded community members came together to launch the Whāingaroa Youthworker Collective – Ngā Whakaruruhau Mahuri.