Motueka’s long-running Community and Whānau meetings have spent four decades building relationships and breaking down silos between organisations.
“Nothing works in isolation,” Community House manager Jane Henderson says, and over the past 40 years, thousands of connections have been made through the monthly gatherings.
The meetings bring together a broad cross-section of community organisations, from government agencies and health providers to youth services, volunteer groups and grassroots initiatives. They provide a space to share information, discuss challenges, showcase new projects and work together on solutions.
That spirit of collaboration will be celebrated next month as current and former members gather to mark the meetings’ 40th anniversary. Organisers hope to reconnect with as many people as possible who have been involved over the decades, recognising what has been achieved while continuing to strengthen relationships that support the Motueka community.
Facilitator and Nelson Bays Cancer Society support coordinator Maureen Urwin describes the meetings as an “anchor for growing confidence and trust”.
“We’re a small enough town to really be able to sense that.”
Living Legacies owner Lynda Hannah says building relationships between organisations encourages cooperation and helps reduce the “patch protection mentality”.
“[It] was really relevant for people on the ground to actually talk to one another, and that’s where the trust is.”
The meetings began in July 1986, when Motueka’s Penny Molnar was contracted to administer Community Organisation Grants Scheme funding. Rather than making funding decisions in isolation, Penny established a forum where community organisations could collectively discuss priorities, establishing Motueka’s representation on the COGS committee.
“By community organisations, for community organisations,” she says, an approach she believes was quite radical at the time.
The anniversary celebrations are also a chance to reconnect with the many people who have been part of the meetings over the past four decades.
Former coordinators, representatives, volunteers, community workers and others involved are invited to attend, share memories and celebrate what has been built together.
The Community and Whānau meeting network has been hosted by Community House for 35 of its 40 years, and for manager Jane, the upcoming milestone is as much about the future as the past.
“It’s important to recognise what assists the work of the organisations now and into the future, so we stay relevant,” she says.
Four decades on, the group says this founding philosophy continues to underpin the meetings, bringing people together, strengthening relationships and ensuring the community’s challenges and opportunities are tackled side by side.
The 40th anniversary celebrations will be held at Motueka RSA on 5 August, from 12pm to 1.30pm. For more information or to RSVP, contact reception@motuekacommunityhouse.org.nz
