Health and Media

No surprise: covid on the cruise ship

Wellington Scoop — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Two years since lockdown

Wellington Scoop — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Rising concerns about children and covid

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The stunning success of NZ’s covid strategies

Wellington Scoop — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Covid, and the kingdom of doom

Wellington Scoop — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Cancelled (or not) by covid

Wellington Scoop — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Orange: in or out?

Wellington Scoop — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT

53 new covid cases today – none in Wellington

Wellington Scoop — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Three covid cases in Wgtn; NZ total now 31

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

No covid cases, but variants make us vulnerable

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Covid tourist a real concern

Wellington Scoop — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Covid-19: PM visits scientists in Porirua

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

High-rise apartments – a covid concern in the central city

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Match Report Rd 2 Swindale – OBU get it done in physical encounter

Old Boys - University Rugby Club — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 00:23:20 GMT

#image_1258806218 { width: 100%; } #image_79642718 { width: 100%; } #image_412883994 { width: 100%; } #image_48002444 { width: 100%; } #image_1781678620 { width: 100%; } #image_359307767 { width: 100%; } #image_1597760824 { width: 100%; } #image_790706094 { width: 100%; } #image_1900945534 { width: 100%; } #image_1035767938 { width: 100%; } #image_1625431135 { width: 100%; } #image_704925989 { width: 100%; } #image_1364712742 { width: 100%; } The weather was overcast and with the odd threat for the skies to open which never really arrived. Sam Reid lead the team out for his 50th game amidst a very noisy reception for the Norths Prems from their Prem Reserve team. Both the 50 from Paddy Carter last week and Sam Reid this week seem to have come around really quickly. Congratulations Reido! Standout Performances A result like this is never from individual efforts but there were a few performances that were noticed on the terraces and worthy of a mention. Dale Sabbagh – sensational kicking from the tee, including a sideline conversion. Around the field his play was incredibly efficient too. Dale seems to be enjoying being one of the senior guys in our young backline and is directing the traffic really well. Keep it up Dale. Sam Reid – Sam shifted to centre for his 50th game but slotted in like he’d been playing there his whole career. Solid defence, good pace and distribution. Sam Godwin – Sam looked like a man possessed coming off the bench. He brought huge physicality to the contact area and some bone-rattling tackles. Some of the more senior supporters on the sideline were heard to start a ‘cheee-hooo’ before quickly putting themselves back in line and hiding inside their scarves. One Norths supporter did a ‘cheee-hooo’ for one of Sams tackles, he couldn’t help himself! Caleb Delaney – What could you say about Caleb’s effort? Just sheer bloody hard work. Cleaning rucks, close in tackles and disrupting opposition throws were just some of the hard work. Callum Harkin – Reward for great enterprise with a try. All around solid effort. Luke Chisholm – came off the bench and played well. Heard on the terraces… ‘he looks like a young Finbarr (Kerr-Newell)’. That would be a great target to live up to. I’m sure the referees of Wellington will be watching on eager to learn if the similarity stretches to Finbarr’s friendly advice for referees young and old. The game itself The 1st half was a slugfest with OBU inching away through the accurate boot of Dale Sabbagh and an early try to Fui in an in-goal pile-up from a drive! Norths scored a try and a penalty in reply, kicked by ex OBU prem Manahi Moana who it was great to catch up with and good to see he is finally clear of all the injuries that disrupted his time at OBU. There was a ding dong battle in the lineouts with both teams winning opposition ball. Norths Hooker Leni Apisai went off injured in the 23rd minute and No 8 Lise Soloa followed in the 35th minute. This was to have an impact in the second half as the early introduction of the replacements meant that there were less fresh legs later in the game to counter the energy coming from the OBU bench. There were quick switches in play from both teams from defence to attack and back to defence again in the space of a minute. Several opportunities were left unfinished form both teams. One break, in particular, had Norths with a 3 on 1 just outside the 22 but the last pass wasn’t good enough. OBU lead 13 – 8 at the break. In the 44th minute Norths were caught offside at a ruck where OBU was looking really dangerous. Dale took a successful shot at the sticks. OBU 16-8 From the kickoff there was an accidental offside when two OBU players ran into each other. From the resulting scrum Norths moved the ball and found some space but the last pass was forward. Then came a period on defence starting with what looked like an unlucky defensive penalty at the ruck. Norths kick for the corner but lost the lineout and OBU clears, but gets penalised again at the next lineout. Manahi Moana kicks the penalty for Norths OBU lead 16-11 At the 56 Minute mark, there is a great 30m run back from Shamus Langton. Norths are offside at the ruck and Dale steps up and takes the 3. OBU 19-11. Shortly after this OBU makes bulk changes. Matt Sleith (7), Kyle Preston (9), James Poloniati (5), Paddy Carter (4), Jonathon Fuimaono (3) all leave the field. Sam Godwin, Matt Fowler, Taine Plumtree, Kenan Gillson and Luke Chisholm come on to the field. All 5 replacement players are fizzing! Immediately there is a charge down and OBU switch hot onto the attack but concede a penalty. Unlucky! Norths struggle with a crooked throw from the lineout but redeem themselves somewhat with some scrum pressure and OBU caught with a hand in the scrum. At the 63 minute mark OBU pressurized the Norths backline. The ball is spilt by Norths then kicked through for Callum Harkin to claim the spoils with try #2 for OBU. Dale Slots the conversion OBU 26-11. There is some great interplay between Shamus and Matt ‘Unit’ Fowler before down the left-hand touchline heading to the sheds. Unit dots down in the corner for try #3 and to clinch the game. Dale adds the icing with a deadly accurate click from the sideline OBU 33-11. There was an injury in the following play to a Norths player who we believe was shown a blue card. Unlucky mate, hope for a speedy recovery. In the 79th minute Norths get some consolation after OBU was penalised for taking down a maul near the OBU tryline. A quick tap results in (#23 I think) crashing through for the try. Manahi narrowly misses the conversion. End result OBU 33 Norths 11 The post Match Report Rd 2 Swindale – OBU get it done in physical encounter appeared first on OBU Rugby.

Some in the media need to calm down

Victoria University of Wellington — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 01:33:46 GMT

Journalists slamming the New Zealand Government over new cases of COVID-19 are over-reacting, writes Professor Jack Vowles.

May update from DCM - together we can end homelessness

Downtown Community Ministry — Thu, 28 May 2020 04:32:44 GMT

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line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis. Doing things differently Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis. For many of us, this has meant taking on different roles and tasks. In our March update, we saw Rob from our Outreach Team manning DCM’s new 0800 number phone support service for our taumai from his home. In our April update, we saw how DCM and Westpac kaimahi immediately worked together to enable our taumai to access their money during lock-down. Today we talk to Paula, a team leader on our Aro Mai team, about the fantastic work she and her team have been doing during this time... Paula As soon as we learned that lock-down was imminent, my team and I had to rapidly shift our focus – from supporting people with long histories of homelessness into permanent housing, to getting people off the streets and in to emergency housing. Together we can end homelessness – yes, this is always what it comes down to. The success of this work has been built on collaboration – in particular, between the government, government agencies and organisations like DCM. Prior to the lock-down, the whole process around emergency housing was slow and complex, but to respond rapidly to the COVID challenge, we were able to work together to rapidly improve and expedite the process. HUD* immediately stepped up; like us, they quickly shifted their focus, organising emergency housing and entering in to contracts with motels and the like, to ensure that the spaces we needed would be available. MSD were regularly in touch with us, asking us what we needed and supporting our work every step of the way. We received referrals from many different sources – from DCM kaimahi and our Outreach Team, but also from Wellington City Council, the police, Probation Services, the hospital and from mental health nurses and services. When it came to placing these people in emergency housing, I was able to work closely with Regina – another key to our success. Reg has been at DCM since 2011; she knows a lot about the most marginalised people, and often knows their story. She offers insight into what will work for them, and what the issues are. Together we could determine the right location, mix of people and a plan for the management of each location. Regina You asked me what success has looked like. To begin with, people have settled and stayed in their emergency housing, and this has actually enabled us to be true to our kaupapa, and to our commitment to Housing First. We have been able to engage with taumai, see them regularly and go forward together. People who have been homeless and who were not on our radar at all have stepped forward. With street begging not an option, limited toilet facilities and with drop-in spaces closed, emergency housing has become much more attractive to those who have been rough sleeping in our city. Now we are in touch with them, building relationships, getting their names on the housing register and – yes! – moving the first of them on in to permanent housing. So it has been a change in focus for me and my team, but ultimately, it has totally supported our over-riding goal as a team and an organisation which is committed to a Housing First kaupapa. *Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) From emergency housing to a permanent home DCM kaimahi helping taumai move into a permanent home Yes, as Paula says, we can now begin to share the stories of people who have already moved from emergency housing into their own whare. A has had a long history of engagement with DCM; he has been a regular at Te Hāpai, we have supported him to sort his benefit and to get his name on the housing register, he has had dental appointments, seen Te Aro Health nurses and received food support at DCM. A is a very pleasant, quiet and unassuming man who doesn’t ask for support and values his independence. We initially got an emergency housing room for him at AC International; it was immediately clear that a shared place like this didn’t work for him. There were too many people – A was accustomed to living in the bush on his own. We were then able to get him a self-contained place where he could be independent, but where there are also other taumai we are working with. Together, they have formed a very supportive community. They have been company for one another, and have been able to provide advice and support to one another. Dominic from our Aro Mai team then stepped up to support A in to a permanent home. DCM has a strong relationship with Wellington City Housing, and we were able to get A a WCH tenancy – yes, last week, he moved in to his own home. He can walk in to town, and has friends and supports close by. Dominic will continue to check in with him regularly, but A is enjoying the independence that is so important to him. Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. Read More Success Stories Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive Copyright © 2020 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Covid and the housing shortage

Wellington Scoop — Sat, 09 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Sabotaging healthy streets

Wellington Scoop — Wed, 06 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

April update from DCM - together we can end homelessness

Downtown Community Ministry — Fri, 01 May 2020 04:03:05 GMT

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line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } Reaching out to the most marginalised – during lock-down Reaching out to the most marginalised – during lock-down Natalia and Chris catch up with Mark in Te Aro Park During the COVID crisis, the priority for DCM’s Street Outreach team has been connecting with people rough sleeping or who are sleeping in their cars, and getting them in to emergency accommodation. “Government and other agencies worked together to rapidly increase the supply of emergency housing in response to the pandemic, and so we have been able to get rooms for many of these people, some of whom were not even prepared to consider such an option before the lock-down,” explains Outreach team leader, Natalia. “At DCM we often talk about 'Ki te hoe' or 'pick up the paddle'. What is it that motivates someone to finally pick up the paddle and do what it takes to get off the streets and into housing? In this case, concerns about limited access to food and toilets during lock-down, seeing that there weren’t the same opportunities to supplement their income through street begging with the streets empty, and being offered appealing accommodation, including new facilities, some of which also provide three meals a day. COVID-19 and the lock-down have offered us a unique opportunity in our work to end homelessness.” With a growing group of rough sleepers in emergency housing, the Outreach team can now prioritise supporting them to take the next steps. “We are seeing rough sleepers who were very reluctant to try emergency housing, even during the lock-down, now thriving in their new accommodation. The next step is to follow up with these taumai, and to have more kōrero with them about housing. There’s a window of opportunity while we know where they are, to talk about their situations and to do the groundwork to get them on the path to housing.” DCM is totally committed to a Housing First approach; this means that we will work with those we have been able to get off the streets and in to emergency housing, to get their names on to the social housing register and to work together to access a permanent home for them. This is something that for many of them would have been inconceivable a few months ago; but now they have taken a giant step, and this has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to them. Who knew that a time like this could be the greatest support in achieving our goal of ending homelessness in our city? This is part of a longer story about the mahi which DCM’s Street Outreach team is doing during lock-down: read the full story on our website. “Together we can” – find innovative solutions during lock-down Natalia out on outreach during Level 3, speaks to a man outside Westpac on Lambton Quay Some of the most marginalised people in our city have no home, no income and no ID. When these people are unable to access a bank account of their own, DCM provides them with a money management service, accesses a benefit for them and pays their bills; they then receive the remainder of their money by cheque. These cheques have to be cashed at a bank branch. This not only presented a significant problem during lock-down, but was potentially no longer a viable long-term option. DCM approached MSD and Westpac, and together came up with a solution which will make a difference in the lives of the poorest people during the current crisis and well beyond. Instead of receiving a weekly cheque, these people are now able to use a payment card supplied by Westpac. “Usually this would take a couple of months to organise, but we expedited it within two weeks so that these people could have their money,” Transactional Solutions Manager at Westpac, Julia Hopkins, says. It works like a debit card but is called a ‘prepaid card’ so DCM can put the amount of discretionary income which would have previously been paid out as a cash cheque onto the card, and the person can spend up to that limit. This is a fantastic step change, as we have grappled for some time with the problem of how to continue to deliver our money management service when cheques are ultimately phased out. The new initiatives which have enabled us to continue to support the most marginalised people in our city during the COVID-19 pandemic, also offer long-term benefits and solutions for our taumai. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini – Success is not the work of one, but the work of many. “Together we can” – an important conversation and shared commitment This morning the entire DCM team was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet with our local MP and New Zealand’s Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson – that’s 32 of us participating in a Zoom hui! We were able to share with him some of our learnings from recent weeks - the positive things and the challenges - and we were all uplifted by his responses. We updated Grant on the practical and innovative ways that DCM has responded to the crisis, and shared some of the positives, including: the speed at which a whole new stock of emergency housing has been made available, and the excellent way in which the partnership between DCM, government, MSD and HUD, and other community agencies, has been working. Everyone has had a can-do attitude. Amongst the concerns we were able to raise: The need to increase the stock of permanent housing, for people to move from emergency housing into their own homes During lock-down it has become clear that the level of substance misuse is larger than even we knew, and we will need more specialist drug and alcohol support in the future There are gaps around the integration of people exiting prison. During lock-down, we have had a significant number of taumai come to us direct from prison, including people who have served long prison terms sent to us to house in emergency housing. Grant acknowledged the courage and compassion that DCM has showed as we have kept working with vulnerable people. He spoke about a commitment to “Build Back Better” across a range of domains – from inequality and income support to a low carbon future. And he invited DCM to be a part of this: “In the midst of this crisis, there is also a chance to look out to the horizon. We get to re-set things a bit; there is an opportunity here, and we need your help to co-design this new future.” Stephanie thanked him, accepted his challenge and issued another on behalf of DCM: “Thank you for the leadership you and the Prime Minister have shown to us as a nation. You have made bold decisions for us and you have shown the world this can be done with compassion and kindness” ... “Grant, we don’t want anyone to go backwards from here. Your government has often spoken about going hard, going fast. We have seen rapid decision-making and the benefits of this; let’s continue to go hard and go fast to end homelessness.” Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. Read More Success Stories Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive Copyright © 2020 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Covid and the convention centre

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Sporting students staying motivated during Lockdown (Part 3)

College Sport Wellington — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 22:14:11 GMT

What does the lockdown mean for sporting students? How has it affected them and what are they doing to stay fit and motivated? Two more local sports students are Toby Cook (Wellington College), who spent the summer preparing to travel with his school’s rugby party to Argentina and Jacob Madigan (St Patrick’s College, Kilbirnie) who was winding up his summer sport and about to start his winter code. We asked them what they are doing during lockdown: Jacob Madigan in action for St Patricks Kilbirnie (Photo by Hamish Wareham) College Sport Wellington: Please tell us what you were preparing for before the Lockdown? Toby: As I was a part of the Wellington College touring rugby squad to Argentina, 30 of us boys had been training pretty hard from the end of last year. Although three weeks before the lockdown started we were informed the trip had been cancelled, we then shifted our focus to training for the regular season which is also currently at a standstill. Jacob: I was involved with the St Pats First XI cricket team and we were nearing the end of the season with only one game left plus a T20 tournament during summer tournament week. On that same weekend we had our first preseason First XI football games up in Palmerston North, which got cancelled CSW: what you are doing to keep fit and train? Toby: Our coaches and trainers from school have been great in sending out information so you can train no matter what equipment you have. My sister was also able to bring home an erg which is a welcome change from running. As well as trying to get a session in each day I’m also trying to keep up my basic skills. Jacob: Our football coach gave us a programme to do over the lockdown period which means hopefully we can be fit going into the season. I have also been doing some technical work for football and cricket in my back garden and at the park. CSW: Please share a lockdown sports practice or training tip for your school mates and others out there in the same situation? Toby: I normally try to complete my training in the morning as I find it gets it out of the way and sets you up for the rest of the day. Another thing I’ve found helpful is our trainer turned our sessions into a competition and we have to record and send in our training and time which keeps us accountable. Jacob: Keep doing something relating to your sport. It is hard in these times to keep motivated when you can’t actually go and train and play but if you keep doing fitness or technical work, then you will be good to go when the season comes. Also track your times of what you are doing and compare them to a friend and see who can do better as a bit of motivation. CSW: Are you in contact with your sporting friends about the above and are you motivating each other remotely? Toby: As above, the majority of the squad have been videoing and sending through their workouts to our chat. This has been great as it allows us to see what everyone else is doing to motivate each other, the videos also keep us accountable for the work we are doing. Jacob: Yes, I’ve been talking to the boys about how they are going and a few of them send me daily photos of them doing the exercises. I have also been talking to friends outside of school who are doing their own fitness work just to see what they are doing and how they are going. -Story courtesy of College Sport Media The post Sporting students staying motivated during Lockdown (Part 3) appeared first on College Sport Wellington.

COVID 19 – NZ Rugby update

College Sport Wellington — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 03:03:47 GMT

Media Release: NZ Rugby 8 April 2020 Postponement of Community Rugby in line with Alert Levels Community and club rugby is postponed until COVID-19 alert levels are once again at a safe level for sport, in line with Ministry of Health guidance.

Sporting students staying motivated during Lockdown (Part 2)

College Sport Wellington — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 23:41:14 GMT

Connor Lusty bowling in the Boys Premier Youth Cricket competition What does the lockdown mean for sporting students? How has it affected them and what are they doing to stay fit and motivated? Following on from our catch-up with two Queen Margaret College rower Mollie Nicol and Wellington Girls’ College runner Emma Douglass HERE, we check in with two local male athletes to see what they are doing to keep fit and motivated. St Pat’s Silverstream sprint champion Oliver Krijnen and Onslow College First XI cricketer Connor Lusty. We put a few questions to each below. College Sport Wellington: Please tell us what you were preparing for before the Lockdown? Ollie: Before the whole lockdown happened I was preparing for the second day of the Wellington Junior Champs and looking ahead to the North Island Champs in Hamilton which would have been the last big event to close the season off. Connor: When the lockdown started our cricket team had just finished our Saturday competition games for the term, finishing with 3 wins and 4 losses to qualify for the 6-team competition for term 4 for the first time since 2016. We had been starting to prepare for our Summer tournament Week, which for cricket is the Hunt Trophy three-day Twenty20 tournament. I’m also a part of our Onslow College 1st XV Rugby team and I was about to start attending pre-season training the week that the lockdown was put in place. CSW: what you are doing to keep fit and train? Ollie: To keep fit and keep my body active at the moment I’m doing home exercises like plyometrics and lots of core work as well as doing a lot of power work to try and get stronger When I can get out, depending on the weather, I normally try to work on my block starts and my technique in the front yard or at the park close by. Connor: I’ve been trying to stay as fit and active during this period of lockdown as possible. Cricket is my number one sport, and being a spin bowler I’ve found myself going to the nets quite often just to have a bowl, to stay as fit and to keep my training levels up. I have also been regularly going for runs, not only to stay active and keep a routine going, but as we have been advised by our 1st XV coaches to stay fit and keep some sort of fitness programme going. I have been running up Mt Kaukau most days. CSW: Please share a lockdown sports practice or training tip for your school mates and others out there in the same situation? Ollie: Make sure you are drinking enough water as with nothing to do sometimes I forget to drink and this affects my energy levels greatly. Another tip I have is getting your family to do it with you for example my brother and I have been working out together and we do core work and simple things together like push ups and burpees and whatever else we can think of. Really make sure you are eating right. Connor: If there is any tip I can give to anyone out there, it’s just to stay fit and active! During times like these it’s often hard to maintain the same diet as to what you’d normally have, but staying fit during this lockdown time is something that is in your control. Challenge yourself, make yourself work hard. Go for a run, go kick a football, go to the cricket nets. Do what makes you happy and active! CSW: Are you in contact with your sporting friends about the above and are you motivating each other remotely? Ollie: I’ve been in contact with most of my training partners and friends checking up on them. We want to see how each other are doing and to share exercises to make sure all of us are staying in shape and healthy. Connor: We have a Facebook Messenger chat going for our 1st XV team, which a lot of the boys are using to send through their progress of either just running/fitness or strength and conditioning. By doing that, I believe we are motivating one another. On our 1st XV group page, we also have our assistant coach Dean Gorrie figuring out programmes which are best suited to us all, and reminders to stay fit. Are you a student in Wellington who is involved with sport and wants to feature in an article like this? Fill out the form HERE and send it to james@collegesport.org.nz to be considered. -Story courtesy of College Sport Media The post Sporting students staying motivated during Lockdown (Part 2) appeared first on College Sport Wellington.

University commentators in the media

Victoria University of Wellington — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:24:38 GMT

Our academics have been in demand providing media with analysis of the COVID-19 situation. The following is just a selection.

What can we afford? Covid-19 and the financial toll on Wellington

Wellington Scoop — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Too much news not always a good thing

Victoria University of Wellington — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 22:31:02 GMT

Tuning in for news on COVID-19 has now become part of many people’s daily lives. Millions of people around the world who now find themselves in lockdown are frequently accessing numerous social and news media platforms to seek up-to-the-minute information.

March update from DCM - together we can end homelessness

Downtown Community Ministry — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 03:28:35 GMT

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line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } March update from DCM - together we can end homelessness COVID-19 Supporting our taumai at this most challenging of times What a month it has been – for DCM, our taumai, and all of New Zealand. Is it just us, or does the first half of March seem so long ago, almost like we were living in a different world? Here at DCM, we are totally committed to finding new and different ways of working, so that we can continue to support people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness throughout the COVID-19 crisis period. Doing things differently at DCM – Dom supporting taumai with Money Management in the courtyard, and Rob manning our 0800 number service for taumai from his home. It is important that we are able to provide appropriate levels of support related to the assessed vulnerability of the taumai. We have identified a group of the most marginalised taumai – these have been assigned to a support team and they will be supported across a number of key domains, including money management/access to income, food support, emergency housing, connection to mental health supports, and access to medication. Kaimahi are also rostered to share the task of supporting rough sleepers into emergency housing over this period. Where possible, kaimahi are keeping in touch with taumai who they are keyworking by calling them on the phones we have provided them with; we have also set up an 0800 number for taumai to call us on. As always, as we are able to lift up our taumai, in turn they lift us up; it is something very special to be part of this important mahi. As Stephanie reflected at the end of a very different Monday afternoon Foodbank session this week: “It has truly been very moving to be able to support our taumai at this time. Today a number of people came to us for food support. We were able to send them away with a generous selection of canned and dried foods, fresh fruit and veges, bread, milk and frozen meals. But more than that, we reminded them that we are still here for them, that so much has changed, but DCM is only a phone call away. As we spoke with taumai out in Lukes Lane, with spaces set up to ensure that we maintained and modelled safe distances, we asked them how things were going for them. People were in tears, they were so touched by the support and community that DCM continues to offer them.” Many of you have made donations for us to purchase phones for our taumai – one of our key responses to keeping in touch during this difficult time. Every day we hear uplifting stories from our kaimahi about taumai who have received and are using these phones. Nani shares one below, about a man who says very little. At the other extreme, yesterday Natalia received a very lengthy and reflective text from a man she has provided with a phone. He ended the text with this reflection – we couldn't have put it better ourselves: "We need to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be in Aotearoa, not only are we pioneers of the world, adversity brings us together. History has proven that. Maybe this is what we need to get us all together, to build again real communities". How can I help? When our seasonal kai for autumn (ngahuru) was not able to go ahead earlier this month, the wonderful people from Wellington’s Sikh community who were to prepare this community meal for our taumai, brought down 100 delicious pre-cooked meals, which we were able to hand out at our Foodbank. We have always known that DCM sits at the centre of a community that is totally committed to supporting us in our work to end homelessness. But at times like this, we are reminded of it daily, as so many of you have got in touch to ask what you can do to help. And of course your support is needed now more than ever. And so we have put together some thoughts on how you can continue to be involved during this lock-down period. Click here to find out more. "It's Nani calling!" The Sustaining Tenancies team - Moses, Sia, Poutalie, Alan and Nani. This photo was taken 11 March at a mihi whakatau to welcome new team member, Poutalie. A few short weeks later, it is difficult to believe that we were all able to stand so close together just the other day! This year, we are introducing you to some of our kaimahi, the amazing team of people here at DCM who support taumai to access and sustain housing. Nani joined DCM's Sustaining Tenancies team last September. This team works with people at risk of homelessness, supporting them to sustain their tenancies and thrive in their homes. Tell us a little more about yourself, Nani. My full name is Utuagiagi Taupau; Utuagiagi is the name of my iwi on the island of Salua Manono Tai, and Taupau is my dad’s last name and title name. I love my Samoan culture, it has moulded me as a person and taught me all about love and respect, not only for myself but for all those who I come face to face with. I went to school just down the road from home: Russell School, Brandon Intermediate and – the best days of my life – Porirua College. What have you most enjoyed about your time at DCM so far? I’ve enjoyed meeting new people every day. It's also amazing to be able to work with and learn from my amazing team leader, Sia Toomaga. She continues to empower and encourage me to do better and I am very grateful for this. Your favourites... Food? Spicy fried chicken, taro, mum’s chop suey. Sport? Volley ball, touch and rugby. Film? War Room. Thing to do as a child? Playing gutter ball and of course eating. Whakatauki? “Ua fuifui fa’atasi ae vao ese’ese” – “We are from different parts of the forest, but connected in one cause”. At DCM we often share “moments” from our interactions with taumai. What’s a special “moment” you enjoying sharing with others? D is a man who doesn’t say very much. As you know, we have been working hard to provide our taumai with phones – this is so important at this very challenging time for everyone. I gave D his new phone, and I called him to test it. As his phone rang, my name came up as the caller, and he says very loudly: “Hey, it’s you; it’s Nani calling!” This was a moment for me, because D really only responds to his voices, or says yes and no. Yet here he was speaking to me, and using my name. Love it. Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. Read More Success Stories Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive Copyright © 2020 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? 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Covid ducklings

Wellington Scoop — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Renters and Covid-19

Renters United — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 22:42:18 GMT

On the 25 March Renters United made the following media statement on what is required of Government to support renters during the Covid-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 | Important announcement

Upper Hutt City Football — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 02:19:28 GMT

as at 18 March 2020 COMMUNITY FOOTBALL POSTPONED UNTIL 2 MAY Further to NZ Football’s announcement earlier today, all Upper Hutt City Football pre-season games and training sessions are cancelled, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, until at least 18 April.