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Grow On Katikati

Giant mushroom growing workshop with Sharn Steadman of Manaaki Mushrooms....

Western Bay of Plenty Principals Association

Surfer chicks at the WBOP Primary Schools Surfing Competition at Waihi Beach in May 2023....

Inspiration at Western Bay Community Awards 2023

Heart of the Community Award winners, Poutiri Wellness Centre...

University of Waikato Tauranga campus scholarships awarded

From left to right: Kelly Berentson, Ben Jones, Erin Murphy, Jasmine Campbell, Rique Campus, Meila Kamo...

Victim Support

When New Zealanders face crisis, Victim Support is there.A free, nationwide service, Victim Support helps people who have been affected by crime, trauma, and suicide by providing them with emotional support, practical information, financial assistance, and advocacy.Victim Support offers a 24/7 contact service which connects victims with a support worker in their area who can provide support where and when the victim needs it. This could be in their home, at the police station, at the scene of an...

Tauranga Community Foodbank

The Tauranga Community Foodbank has been supporting families and individuals in the Tauranga area with emergency food assistance for 31 years.Carefully considered grocery parcels provide four days’ worth of meals, with dietary requirements and other relevant needs catered to.The local charity collaborates with social service organisations across the region to ensure wrap-around support is provided to people in need of wider assistance.“Our goal is to be in every corner,” says Tauranga Comm...

Bowentown Boating and Sport Fishing Club

Bowentown Boating and Sport Fishing Club recently celebrated the opening of their long-awaited, upgraded deck.A significantly bigger and better facility, the project has been completed just in time for summer.Wrapping around the front and western sides of the building and offering unrivalled views of the inner harbour, the deck is described as a “game-changer” by the club’s recently retired ex-Vice Commodore, John Fagan, who saw the project through from beginning to end.The club’s previo...

Aongatete Forest Project

Aongatete Forest Project is celebrating the opening of a bigger and better education facility.Supporters of Aongatete Forest Project gathered on Wednesday, November 30, to celebrate the official opening of their newly expanded kōhanga.The wet weather perfectly showcased how invaluable the covered, sheltered space will be for the organisation’s future educational aspirations.The building project started in 2021 when it became clear that the increasing number of volunteers, educational sessions...

2023 Western Bay Community Awards finalists revealed

The awards will be held at Baycourt on Thursday 16 March 2023....

Life Education

The Western Bay of Plenty Life Education mobile classroom at Pyes Pā School...

Twenty-six events across Tauranga and Western Bay backed by collaborative fund

Above: A Night Before Christmas community event...

Nominations now open for Western Bay Community Awards 2023

The awards that recognise the dedication of Western Bay of Plenty’s philanthropic community are back for 2023. Previously known as the TECT Community Awards, the awards return with a new name, the Western Bay Community Awards. The Bay’s funders Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council have joined forces to deliver the awards and celebrate the community groups and volunteers who make our region such a special place to live, further r...

Welcome Bay Community Centre

The ping-pong of table tennis balls bouncing back and forth is one of the many welcoming sounds people are greeted with upon entering the Welcome Bay Community Centre (WBCC). Situated at 242 Welcome Bay Road, the community hub is in the centre of the village and well-utilised by locals. But WBCC is at the heart of Welcome Bay in more ways than one. From social table tennis groups, to youth music production workshops, to counselling services, it is a valuable resource that enriches its community....

Te Puna School

Break times have become even more exciting for students at Te Puna School with the recent construction of a pump track. Tamariki can be seen biking, roller skating, skateboarding, and riding scooters around the undulating asphalt track, which links up to other paths around the school. Te Puna School Sports Coordinator, Alexia Skipper, says the aim of the Te Puna School and Community Bike and Scooter Project, which led to the conception of the pump track, is for all students to be equipped with e...

Toi Kiri: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture

Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust (TMT) will again bring to the Tauranga Moana and wider Bay of Plenty region its highly successful representation of the world’s best tā tatau and tā moko indigenous practitioners for one unique cultural event. Held over eleven days from 19 – 29 September 2022, TMT presents Toi Kiri: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture 2022; a gathering of indigenous practitioners of Tā Tatau, Tā Moko (Māori) and cultural arts at Whareroa Marae and grounds, Mount Maunganui. The festiv...

X*AIR

Kiwi and international skateboarding, scooter and BMX athletes will soon be rolling into the Bay to compete in the X AIR Games from the 29-30th of July at Trustpower Arena. The event, which is supported by funding from Tourism Bay of Plenty and TECT, is expected to attract thousands of visitors. X AIR started in Hamilton in 2000 and grew to be Australasia’s largest action sports festival incorporating skate, BMX, FMX, inline, breakdancing and music by 2007. It quickly outgrew its Hamilton venu...

Collaborative fund to celebrate Māori culture reopens

Following the success of its first year, TECT is pleased to commit to the reopening of the Kaupapa Māori Legacy Event Fund, which opens Friday 1 July. The Kaupapa Māori Legacy Event Fund provides support to recurring events that celebrate tangata whenua, promote tikanga Māori, and raise awareness of historical and culturally significant events in Tauranga Moana. The focus of the fund is to support hapū and iwi to elevate and share their beautiful culture, and provide opportunities for the ...

Collaborative partnership fund to simplify community event funding process

A new community event fund for the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty regions has been launched, which will streamline application processes for community events. TECT is proud to partner with Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay Trust, and the Acorn Foundation to facilitate the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund. The idea for a collaborative fund came from successful COVID-19 response funds, and workshops involving funding partners and event industry me...

Detour Theatre

Who doesn’t love a fart joke? Uproarious laughter from the audience during Detour Theatre’s latest show, The Old People Are Revolting, would suggest that no one is too old, or decorous, for the timelessness of flatulence humour. Good thing, too, as the show delivers this in spades. A play on the word ‘revolting’, the production is about much more than undesirable bodily functions. The residents at Sunshine Retirement Village are bored. Every day is the same. The repetitiveness only inten...

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard

Construction will soon be underway on a new, purpose-built rescue vessel for Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard; a vessel that will enhance the ability of everyday volunteers to do extraordinary things – save lives at sea. Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard play an essential role in one of the busiest recreational boating areas in Aotearoa. Volunteers come to the aid of people across 1,700km2 of harbours, coastline, islands and open water, no matter the time of day or conditions. Over the last financia...

The Rock Papamoa Community Gardens

Hidden away in a little pocket of Papamoa suburbia is a rich green gem. ‘The Rock’ is a community garden that focuses on feeding local and at-risk families with sustainably produced fruit and vegetables. Lying on two acres of council drainage reserve nestled behind Hartford Avenue, The Rock is home to a hot house, two beehives, two fruit tree orchards, seven large compost heaps, a well-stocked tool shed, two storage containers, a butterfly grove, and much more. The purpose of the gardens is ...

Flavours of Plenty

Whether you’re a foodie, or are just up for some flavourful fun, there’s something for everyone at the upcoming Flavours of Plenty Festival, taking place from 7 April to 10 April. Celebrating the Bay of Plenty’s plentiful produce, the festival will see a host of events ready to delight with deliciousness; from workshops and demonstrations, to degustations and themed in-house menus. There are 19 events showcasing our region’s produce, including a Mediterranean Escape (in the Western Bay o...

Grief Support Services

Grief is likely to affect every one of us at some point in our lives. From the loss of a loved one to the break-up of a relationship or marriage, grief is a natural response to loss or unwelcome change. But grief can be difficult to go through alone. Overwhelming feelings of sadness, numbness, and emptiness can leave those experiencing grief unsure if they can cope and worried they will never feel better. One local charity is supporting hundreds of people experiencing grief across the Western B...

TECT receives Sealed Orders for proposed restructure

On 23 February 2022, TECT received Sealed Orders for its proposed restructure which signalled the completion of the High Court process. This is an exciting moment that marks the end of a long process and provides TECT with the final green light to establish the new Community Trust. The trust will be operational from 1 April 2022, and has recently received charitable status. The new structure balances protecting the annual rebate for existing beneficiaries, and the purpose TECT was establish...

TECT Marketing and Communications Manager embarks on new role at TCC

TECT Marketing and Communications Manager Laura Thomson-Bache will be leaving TECT at the end of March for a new role at Tauranga City Council as Community Relations Advisor. Laura started at TECT three years ago and in that time has helped share the stories of many community groups and the work of TECT with our wider community. Through the management of TECT’s social media, the production of media releases, the planning of events, and the management of TECT’s website, TECT General Manager ...