Back to Blog

Creative BOP and TECT announce new Quick Turn-around Grants

TECT and Creative Bay of Plenty have joined forces to support the resilience and renewal of Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty’s creative sector, and increase vibrancy in the region over the Summer period, with the introduction of a new rapid turn-around grant programme. Open now, the Arts Mini-grants are designed to help support creative ideas, cultural celebrations,and arts events. Established organisations, informal groups and individuals are all invited to apply for projects that deliv...

Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival

Just a few weeks ago, the Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival took over our region, with festival-goers exploring 80 marvellous gardens – from inner-city sanctuaries to tropical retreats. Spanning from Katikati to Te Puke, there was also plenty of art to admire, with more than 100 local and national artists displaying their work. The Bloom in the Bay festival hub also hosted workshops, creative demonstrations, live music, and art exhibitions for the community to enjoy. As the festival ...

Finalists Announced for TECT Community Awards

The finalists for the 2021 TECT Community Awards have been announced. The awards, which will be held at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre on 18 March, will celebrate the community groups, volunteers and young changemakers who are helping make the Western Bay of Plenty one of the greatest places to live. Finalists will be vying for six main awards: Event Excellence, Sustainable Future, Diversity and Inclusion, Rising Star, Youth Spirit and Volunteer of the Year. A Lifetime Service Award and Peop...

TECT Rescue Helicopter

With Christmas just around the corner, most of us are looking forward to a summer relaxing with friends and family, enjoying a few barbeques, and getting out in the great outdoors. But for the TECT Rescue Helicopter team, the summer break can be the busiest time of their year. Last summer, their team of paramedics and pilots carried out over 152 lifesaving missions, including medical flights for strokes, sepsis, seizures, cardiac events and premature labour, and various injuries resulting from ...

New grandstand opened in Te Puke

It’s something we might take for granted – covered seating allowing us to watch sports games whether rain or shine. But for Te Puke and the wider community, a new 400-seat grandstand will be well-used, and greatly appreciated, after years in the making. Opened officially last week at Te Puke Sports and Recreation Club, the all-weather grandstand was built after the previous one, installed in 1995, became dilapidated and incapable of providing safe seating for the crowds. The project has been...

Bethlehem School

Some of our fondest childhood memories are filled with days at the local playground, making new friends, exploring our imagination and enjoying the fun of climbing, sliding and playing. And it’s more than just fun. Playgrounds encourage cognitive development, increase social skills and self-confidence, and build strength and fitness. Bethlehem Primary School recently opened their three new playgrounds, featuring a swing zone, slide, ropes course, spinning carousel, and more. Their previous pl...

New Zealand Country Music Star Awards

While country music originated in America’s South and has maintained its popularity across the States since the 1920s, the genre has expanded its global reach in recent years – even making it to the Top 40 Chart. The power of the internet may have played its part in that, but here in New Zealand, a local event has been fostering and promoting country music for all age levels, since 1976. The New Zealand Country Music Star Awards are held annually in Tauranga, comprising of two days of compet...

BOP Sport Climbing Association Speed Wall

Sport climbing is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo next year. Since its announcement as an Olympic Sport, interest has skyrocketed, with Bay of Plenty Sport Climbing Association (BOPSCA) seeing a 20% increase in membership each year. The sport features three disciplines: bouldering, lead climbing and speed climbing. While Kiwi athletes have had ample access to bouldering and lead climbing, the closest Olympic sized speed wall was over in New Caledonia. &nb...

Olympic Weightlifting National Championships

While not every event is suited to everybody's interests, most of them provide a ripple effect that not only benefits the region, but our people. And some even surprise us by sparking a new passion.  The Olympic Weightlifting National Championships is one such event that wrapped up earlier this month. Held for the first time in Mount Maunganui this year, over 120 athletes travelled from around New Zealand and locally to take part. With its growth over the years - now boasting over 50% fema...

Life Education Trust Responds to Children's Needs

We know Harold the giraffe well. We remember the excitement as the mobile classroom pulled up. It was a highlight of the school year – a visit from Life Education Trust. The charity's interactive lessons were a memorable part of our childhood, and they continue to educate and inspire children today. Empowering children to make safer and healthier choices, their programme covers topics such as identity and resilience, food and nutrition, human biology, relationships and communities, and substan...

Tauranga Riding for the Disabled

For six-year-old Katie O’Callaghan, riding her ‘unicorns’ Flicka and Blue at Tauranga Riding for the Disabled is the highlight of her week. Whether trotting, playing games on the ponies, or riding up big hills, Katie is rarely seen without a smile on her face. Katie’s mother Rochelle says the past two years riding at RDA and spending time with the horses and instructors has helped Katie with many aspects of her development. “Katie has Global Developmental Delay, and her time riding at ...

Surf Life Saving New Zealand

For those working in the emergency services, saving someone with severe injuries is a task that requires plenty of precaution and careful manoeuvring. For Surf Lifeguards, water adds another element of complexity. Kent Jarman (KJ) knows the scenario well. Volunteering as a Surf Lifeguard since 1966, he has performed several hundred rescues. His work has seen him receive an MNZM for services to Surf Lifesaving, multiple nominations for rescue of the year, and the National Lifeguard of the Year a...

St Peters House see spike in demand for counselling

Local charity St Peters House has seen a significant spike in demand for its counselling services, with a high number of individuals presenting with anxiety from financial pressures, stress, uncertainty due to the pandemic, or relationship issues. Since schools reopened, they have also seen an increase in young people experiencing severe anxiety, self-harming or struggling with thoughts of suicide. St Peters House Manager Cath Page says while demand is always high for their counselling services,...

Pregnancy Choice

Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be a scary experience. For those women who are young, alone, or unsure of what to do next, feelings of fear, pressure and confusion can take over. Helping support hundreds of women in our region through these feelings is local charity Pregnancy Choice. The volunteer non-profit organisation equips and supports women facing a crisis or troubled pregnancy. They do this by providing free pregnancy tests, counselling, educational classes, and practical support with ...

Bay of Plenty Sailing Academy

There's nothing quite like being out on the open water, enjoying the freedom and speed of sailing. It not only requires technical skills and expertise, but discipline, self-confidence, and fitness. But it's a sport that can seem out of reach to many in our region, particularly for young people, with equipment, coaching and club costs quickly adding up. These costs, along with the general cost of living and the demands on parents' time, make it difficult for many families to get into sailing. Lo...

Venture Centre

Starting a new business can be a daunting endeavour. Questions of should I, can I, and where do I begin, are often at the forefront of the entrepreneur's mind. For Kat Stephenson, the idea to start a dog obedience service sparked similar questions. The idea came out of her childhood passion for animals and a first love for farm dogs, which led Kat to pursue dog training as a hobby and become a qualified dog trainer through the Australian National Dog Trainers Federation (NDTF). With a background...

Tauranga Hockey Association

Tauranga Hockey Association's third turf was officially opened in October 2020, with members of the association, community and key stakeholders in attendance. The opening party included Turi Ngatai from Ngāi Tukairangi/Ngati Kuku, Tauranga Hockey Chair Peter Puchner, Tauranga Hockey President Gill Gemming, Deputy Mayor Tina Salisbury, and TECT Trustee Peter Farmer. The speakers discussed Tauranga Hockey's 100-year history, the value of the facilities for our community, and the years of hard wo...

Aphasia leads to loneliness for local woman

Imagine knowing what you want to say, but being unable to say it. Hearing instructions, but struggling to understand them. For the thousands of people that live with Aphasia in New Zealand, this is their everyday reality – one that can bring with it many challenges and frustration. The communication disorder affects the production and comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. This happens when the language area of the brain is damaged from a head injury, disease of the brain, o...

Funding helps social service provider meet increasing demand

While life feels like it is somewhat back to normal, for many in our community, normal was not a good place to begin with. But Covid-19 and the lockdown has added another layer of complexity, with job losses, an increase in domestic violence, and negative impacts on mental health.   One charity helping to address these issues at the deeper level is Families Achieving Balance (FAB). FAB provides a free social service to vulnerable families in our community dealing with issues such as trauma,...

Healthy Housing Programme Receives $1.5M Through Collaborative Funding Partnership

Local funders and agencies have come together to tackle one of our region’s biggest problems; that our poor housing stock is having a serious impact on our health. The programme, called 20 Degrees, aims to work with over 500 homes in the Bay over the next three years, with a vision for each home to reach 20°C, as recommended by the World Health Organisation for individuals who are vulnerable, unwell and prone to respiratory illnesses. It’s a huge task to take on, but one that can make a tra...

Over $57K donated through TECT rebates

TECT beneficiaries have given back over $57,000 to our community since July 2019 by donating their TECT rebate to the Acorn Foundation Vital Impact Fund. The fund invests donations, and interest earned from this investment is distributed each year to deserving Western Bay community organisations - so donations can keep growing and giving forever. Community groups supported by the fund this year include Sustainability Options, Grief Support Services, KidsCan Charitable Trust and St Peter's House....

Ultimate Fun Fest to celebrate TECT Park’s 10th year

Come and celebrate the tenth birthday at TECT Park in style. Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City councils invite everyone to the TECT Park Ultimate Fun Fest on Saturday, 28 November for an extravaganza of free fun, entertainment, activities and birthday celebrations. Pack a picnic, grab a chair, torch and some cash – and join in on what is a jam-packed event with a day and night session. From 10am until 3pm there’s the annual Mud Dog Run, bouncy castle, pony rides, face painti...

Big Buddy now in Tauranga Helping Change Fatherless Boys' Lives

Boys without dads can miss out on a lot of things in life.  A role model to look up to, a guide towards manhood, and that special father-son bond. The long-term effects of this can be devastating, impacting a boy's development and the man they grow up to be. From social problems and low self-esteem, to poor academic performance and criminal behaviours, these boys can miss out on the opportunity to reach their full potential. It estimated that in Tauranga, there are around 500 to 700 father...

Te Puke Cricket Club

Established in 1886, the Te Puke Cricket Club has a long history in our region. As one of the most highly regarded and well-utilised cricketing venues in the Bay of Plenty, the Club caters for players young and old at all levels of play, with junior teams, a premier team, a senior reserve team and 16 social teams. The Club recently completed refurbishments on their pavilion at Te Puke Domain. The work included rebuilding the deck, adding some tiered grandstand seating, extending the club rooms,...

Omokoroa Pavilion Officially Opens

Community collaboration is being praised as the driving force for Omokoroa’s new $1.6 million sports pavilion turning from a dream into a reality. The purpose-built two-storey facility (1050m2) was officially opened this morning by Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber and Omokoroa Sports and Recreation Society Chair Richard Gerrish at the Western Avenue Recreation Reserve. The pavilion will be home base for the Omokoroa Sport and Recreation Society and it is also the new temporary location for Weste...