Volunteers band together for island planting
One volunteer organisation in Whangarei has branched out to help another during volunteer awareness week.
North
Haven Hospice supported Friends of Matakohe Limestone Island by
planting trees on the island sanctuary. The relationship between the
two organisations began last year when hospice staff took part in a
team building exercise on the island. Island committee member Gerry
Brackenbury says staff were divided up into three teams and had a
treasure hunt around the island finding things like the kiwi story and
special plants.
Last Monday 15 hospice staff, volunteers, and
representatives from supporting Bunnings Warehouse and sponsor Meridian
Energy, went to the island for the planting day. A kowhai memory grove
was planted with kowhai trees being the hospice emblem, says hospice
general manager Helen Blaxland.
The hospice, which has 380
volunteers, also held a special evening where its volunteers were guest
of honour. Mrs Blaxland says as well as helping with fundraising,
hospice volunteers provide essential services like driving, cooking,
cleaning and gardening for patients in the community. Hospice services
throughout New Zealand recently received an extra $15 million of
funding in the government's 2009 budget but North Haven still needs to
fundraise $1.3m a year to cover 30 percent of its annual operating
costs, says Mrs Blaxland. On any day there are 140 patients in
Whangarei who receive care from North Haven. Meanwhile, Friends of
Matakohe Limestone Island is celebrating its 20th anniversary this
year. Mr Brackenbury says it has several hundred volunteers helping
with things like planting and with 8000 trees to plant more volunteers
are always welcome.
The organisation meets every Sunday during winter at 9am at the wharf near Onerahi Yacht Club for a barge over to the island.