Probus - Three guest speakers share their passion

 

Future life guards
Since arriving in Mangawhai Shae Waldron has had a nine year involvement in teaching children water and life saving skills, which takes them on to become surf life guards.

Shae started the first year with 12 children and now averages 250 families in junior surf with 40-50 kids aged 2-14 joining each Sunday session. Children are divided into 3 groups, according to age, and parents assist with the little ones. At age 14 they can then go on to be guards.

The group wants to get more involved in carnivals and this year the Mangawhai team of 10 came away with one silver and two bronze medals at district champs.

Registration is at Labour Weekend, starts the following weekend, and takes them through to Easter. A very worthwhile service to our young people in the Mangawhai community.

Service Linking Hands
Ken Littlejohn heads the Linking Hands service, which for the last four years has provided transport to people in Mangawhai, Matakohe, Paparoa, Kaiwaka, Waipu and Ruakaka areas so they are able to attend their medical appoint-ments in Whangarei and Warkworth. Driving is shared amongst five vol-unteers.

It costs up to $5,000 per month to run the service which relies heavily on donations and the ASB Community Trust,

Lotto and Mangawhai CMA. Linking Hands is also able to link with other shuttles run out of Wellsford to Auckland and Whangarei Hospitals.

Project to save Pohutukawa
Gordon Hosking introduced Project Crimson which started as a result of work done in the 1980s. A survey discovered that only 5 percent of the original Pohutukawa population was left. There was very little regeneration and a huge amount of possum damage. A trust was formed 25 years ago called Project Crimson and Gordon is the last original trustee.

In the last 5 to 10 years the vision of the trust has expanded and focussed on coastal restoration planting 5 to 6 species.

Prior to the Rugby World Cup Stephen Tindall came to Project Crimson and the Living Legends Project was established where areas for planting on public land were identified where the rugby games were being played. This was a three year project – 5,000 trees planted in the first year and 2,500 in each of the following two years from Uretiti to Invercargill.

The group is currently working on Living Legends of Cycling which will cover John Key’s cycle trail.

The project will continue to support community plantings and coastal restoration and this can only be done with ongoing community involvement and support.

Remember the concert
Operatunity’s From Broadway to The West End commences at 10am, followed by a light lunch. The celebration of music theatre through the ages showcases great show tunes from Ivor Novello and Irving Berlin through to Andrew Lloyd Webber. The concert features singers Derek Hill, Tizane

McEvoy, Alex Milligan, and new singer Adam Thompson, all accompanied by Eli Moore. Tickets $25 and they can be purchased in Mangawhai from Gifts & Books and Bammas.

Next meeting
Mangawhai Probus meet every third Thursday in the month at the Senior Citizens Hall, Fagan Street, Managwhai at 2pm. Next meeting will be the concert following in October by our regular meeting on Thursday October 16. If you require transport please contact Petronella Brom (431 4700) or Beve Smith (431 5777). All visitors are welcome.

- Gaylene Lawrence

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