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Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust

It's a building that's been given a new life. One full of energy, action, and the strengthening of young people – both physically and mentally. The old FitCo Gym on 13th Avenue has been taken over by the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust (BOPYDT) – a charity that works to develop well-rounded, vibrant, independent and responsible youth who contribute to their communities. The Trust achieves that through a range of programmes, including a boxing and mentoring programme; the IBA pre-employ...

NZ SUP Nationals

New Zealand's best stand-up paddle boarders will be arriving in Mt Maunganui to be crowned the undisputed national stand-up paddle boarding champion from the 4th – 6th March at the EVES NZ SUP Nationals. The event, which is supported by funding from Tourism Bay of Plenty and TECT, is part of the Waterbourne Beach Festival. The Nationals includes three components that will crown the national champions in Sprints, Technical and Distance. The event started in Wellington and has since been held i...

TECT Community Awards moves to online-only event

The TECT Community Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on Thursday 17th March at Baycourt, has been cancelled with the recent move to the red traffic light setting. With a 100-person capacity of the event at this setting, TECT Marketing and Communications Manager Laura Thomson-Bache says the move to an online-only event would ensure the community’s safety. “In light of the government announcement last month regarding Omicron being in our community, the TECT team and trustees have made t...

Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust

For Dawn, finding out she had breast cancer left her feeling overwhelmed, terrified, and sure she was going to die. "It was devastating, as it was totally left field. It's not in my family, I've never been a smoker and maintained a healthy lifestyle with regular mammograms – I just didn't tick all the boxes. I was in total shock. "I found a lump under my arm and went to my GP. Initially, she thought it was a cyst but after an ultrasound, we found out it was cancer and unfortunately, it had got...

ARGOS Gymnastics Club

Jumping, rolling, climbing and leaping. Seven kids were having a blast on a new piece of gym equipment installed at ARGOS Gymnastics Club as part of the Go Ninja class on Wednesday. The class was established to get more boys involved in gymnastics, using a fusion of gymnastics, acrobatics, obstacle course training and freestyle movement. For nine-year-old James, coming to Go Ninja class is a highlight of his week. "It's fun, it's something I look forward to in the afternoon. There's lots of jump...

Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre

Squash players across the region now have access to play on a court generally reserved for professional players, thanks to the recent completion of building extensions at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre. The new all-glass squash court allows viewing from all sides for spectators and superior viewing for streaming and live television. It also provides an important pathway for future squash stars. Alongside the new squash court, the building extensions also allowed for an upgrade to the changi...

Mount Festival of Multisport

The Mount Festival of Multisport is on the horizon, taking place in the new year on January 22nd 2022. Coming back home to hopefully take another title and set a new record at the event is well-known New Zealand triathlete, Hannah Wells. Wells, a Tauranga local, has been travelling across the globe competing at events, and over the last 12 months, has stepped up to the full distance and won IRONMAN NZ on debut in March. Following on from that, she did her second full-distance race in November a...

Polo in the Bay

The inaugural Polo in the Bay will be bringing the ultimate summer vibes to our region with all the food, drinks and polo action one can enjoy on January 22, 2022. The event will feature some of New Zealand’s most talented polo players going to head-to-head in their provincial colours with a fresh polo format that brings you closer to the action with a faster pace, smaller field, and more relaxed rules. While the original event was scheduled to be held in November this year, due to Covid restr...

High Court issues judgment on TECT restructure

TECT Trustees have today welcomed a decision from the High Court confirming that the proposed restructure of TECT is proper and lawful. On 14 May 2021, TECT Trustees filed an application in the High Court seeking orders under the Trusts Act 2019 that it is lawful and proper for the Trustees to implement the proposed changes to TECT.  The restructure will protect the rebate for existing beneficiaries and provide long-term benefit for everyone in Tauranga and the Western Bay. A three-day hear...

StarJam

There was an abundance of smiles, exuberant singing, and energetic dance moves at StarJam’s end of year concert, which took place last month. With 35 jammers taking to the stage to showcase their skills, it was a concert unlike any of those before it, with no audience able to attend due to Covid restrictions. But that didn’t stop the energy beaming off the stage from Jammers, who range in age from 6 to 25, as well as a few ‘alumni’. StarJam is a not-for-profit where young people with di...

Blue Rovers Football Club

It's the beautiful game, and there's good reason for that name. Football is the biggest sport in the world, bringing people from different backgrounds together in a shared passion for the game. Local football club Blue Rovers knows all about that passion and is getting more people involved in the sport through a number of programmes and initiatives over the summer. One-on-one training sessions are available, run by Blue Rovers' director of football. These sessions provide four main benefits; ta...

Finalists announced for TECT Community Awards 2022

The finalists for the 2022 TECT Community Awards have been announced. The awards, which will be held at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre on 17 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, Heart of the Community, Youth Spirit and Volunteer of the Year. A Lifetime Service Awa...

PiPS - People, Plants, Schools

It was a special day two weeks ago for children at Tahatai Coast School who had the important task of planting seedlings at their school. But this wasn't any ordinary planting. The children had collected the native seeds themselves from around Mauao six months ago and have been caring for the seedlings while they learnt about the right soil and pest control. Now the big day had arrived to replant them into bigger pots. The seedlings will eventually be replanted back on Mauao on a special site s...

Diabetes NZ Tauranga

For parents John and Sandra Braithwaite, discovering that their nine-month-old son Harry had type 1 diabetes was a shock. "At first, I was relieved for a diagnosis finally but didn't really understand it. I didn't understand what the future would be like," says Sandra. "I then grieved that Harry wouldn't have a life like his older brother but didn't truly understand the relentlessness and constant worry that was to come." "We were in Wellington at the time, and it was missed by many medical prof...

Bay of Plenty Symphonia

Classical music aficionados and all music lovers alike have much to look forward to at Bay of Plenty Symphonia’s upcoming Northern Lights concert, taking place on Sunday 21 November at Baycourt, 2.30pm. The concert will take the audience on a journey across Northern Europe, with musical highlights representing its cool landscape and patriotic composers: Sibelius (Finnish), Shostakovich (Russian), Wagner (German), and Smetana (Czech). The concert, conducted by Justus Rozemond, opens w...

Whakamarama Community Incorporated

It's no small feat to write a history book. But for a small group of Whakamarama locals, after 13 years of research, writing, editing and production, that's exactly what they've done. Officially released on Sunday 31st October at the re-opening of the Whakamarama Community Centre, the publication incorporates three key areas: Pirirakau - tangata whenua, the timber milling period, and land development for pastural farming through to land subdivision. The publication was produced by Whakamarama Co...

Ōmokoroa Golf Club

Key supporters of the Ōmokoroa Golf Club foreshore protection and community walkway project gathered in October 2021 to celebrate the grand opening after three years in the making. The ceremony saw Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Garry Webber speak of the history of the project and TECT Trustee Peter Blackwell mention TECT’s support, with the local trust contributing $200,000. The project started in 2019 with the Ōmokoroa Golf Club wishing to undertake foreshore protection works and Western Bay ...

Bay Conservation Alliance and member groups

Eight environmental conservation groups in the Western Bay of Plenty are celebrating after approval of a TECT grant which will provide funding for two years of operating costs. The funding application was approved in September, granting $341,880. Facilitated by Bay Conservation Alliance (BCA), the application pulled together the various needs of BCA and seven of its member groups into one collective submission. The joint funding application was the second of its kind to be received by TECT, wit...

Katikati Festival of Arts

If you haven't been out to Katikati this month, now is your chance to explore and enjoy a fascinating array of art and entertainment as part of the Katikati Festival of Arts. With events on until the end of the month and available to view at www.katikatifestivalofarts.org.nz, the ultimate arts festival has already received lots of positive feedback, says Katch Katikati Promotions Manager Jacqui Knight. "Feedback has been really positive from the activities and displays we have been able to host ...

Nominations closing soon for TECT Community Awards

Nominations for the TECT Community Awards will close soon on Friday 29 October 2021 and can be made at www.tect.org.nz/community-awards-2022. TECT Marketing and Communications Manager Laura Thomson-Bache says she is seeing many great nominations come through and encourages those whose lives have been touched by a community group or volunteer's work to put a nomination in. "The TECT Community Awards are the community event of the year. It's a time where we can thank those people and groups who ar...

TECT appoints new investment advisor

As TECT’s invested funds have grown to the $1billion mark, the TECT Board has acted to enhance the governance structure over the portfolio by creating a formal Investment Committee and appointing an institutional investment adviser. As part of the Trust’s portfolio governance initiatives, Dr Ed Schuck, Principal of Fidato Advisory, has been appointed as Chair of the TECT Investment Committee. Dr Schuck has previously worked in an advisory capacity with TECT over recent years and the Board wo...

Regional collaboration secures $700,000 of funding for Coastal Bay of Plenty events

Tāpoi Te Moananui ā Toi | Tourism Bay of Plenty (TBOP) has confirmed funding for at least 15 events over the next two years thanks to the Regional Events Fund and a new contestable funding collaboration with other regional funding partners.   $500,000 in the contestable fund originated from the Regional Events Fund (REF), part of the Government’s Tourism Recovery Package intended to support the visitor sector by stimulating domestic travel and replacing the loss of international vi...

Nominations for TECT Community Awards 2022 open

The TECT Community Awards are back for 2022, with nominations open until Friday 29 October 2021. The 2022 Awards will be held in March at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, following an online showcase of finalists in the six weeks prior on the TECT website, Facebook and Instagram. TECT Chairperson Bill Holland says the awards will recognise and celebrate the community groups and volunteers who keep our region thriving, showcasing their work online to thousands of people and with a special awa...

Whakamarama Community Centre

The Whakamarama Community Centre, also known as Whakamarama Hall, will open its doors to the community on 31 October after six months of closure due to renovations. The recent renovations include an upgrade to the toilets, including an increase in toilet numbers and new showers installed, a new kitchen, replacement of the windows, a new storage room, a sewer upgrade and major structural upgrades to the hall, including insulation. These renovations follow upgrades completed in Stage 1 of the proj...

P.E.T Charitable Trust

For the thousands of patients that come through Tauranga Hospital’s doors each year, there’s a story that usually involves accidents, illness, and a whole lot of care from dedicated doctors and nurses. But care is also found in the form of a small but devoted charity that works to make sure every patient can be comfortable during their stay – a stay that is typically unforeseen and can last longer than expected. Run by the P.E.T Charitable Trust, Care Packs for Patients sees Chris Bishell ...