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The Sun
Wednesday November 27, 2013
Christmas concert
Custom Copy manager Phil Elvy and Employment Support Marlborough trust chairman David Hall.
Employment scheme renamed The Marlborough Singers are holding two Celebrate Christmas concerts at the Wesley Centre in Blenheim this weekend. The concerts will feature songs and carols plus Schubert’s Mass in G with soloists Antonia Selby, Isaac van Velthooven and Hadley Anderson accompanied by string orchestra. The concerts will be held at 7.30pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Tickets are $10, available at Cresswells Shoes on Market Street.
By Glenise Dreaver The Marlborough Employment Enterprise Trust has found its name was “too much of a mouthful,” says trust chairman David Hall. So they are re-launching their operation, which mainly provides support for apprentices during their training, under the new name of Employment Support Marlborough. Their main programme is the Ailsa Litchfield Apprenticeship Grant Scheme which
helps apprentices facing financial hardship. The scheme ensure that these apprentices can receive help to buy tools or pay course fees. And they have a second scheme called Building Better Employees, which enables tradespeople to upskill. “For example, if a truck driver needs to get a higher level licence for bigger trucks, that will help them to earn more.” The trust, established in 1987, is largely self-funded
because in 1998, they set up and still operate Custom Copy. “It’s not an easy business to be in but we have a very good manager, Phil Elvy, said David. “It is run very, very tightly.” Over the last six years, the trust has disbursed over $105,000 to their own two schemes, as well as making other community grants to such enterprises as Project K and Cactus Kids in Blenheim and Picton.
Staff using visitor carparks Yesterday, the final meeting of the old Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, considered a report to resolve the contentious issue of staff parking in visitor carparks. The board’s latest Broadsheet said one option was that parking charges could be introduced, not
as a revenue stream, but to give visitors access to parking close to the hospital. As they no longer have access to the New Zealand Transport Agency registration database they can no longer determine whether a car is registered to a staff member and ask
them to shift it if so. While orderlies monitor the car parks, the board letter says this does not appear to deter staff from using the patient car parking. One option is that they may have to start charging for parking if staff keep doing this.
Heartfelt thanks By Celeste Lodewyk One month ago the Sun ran a story about Blenheim woman Mary Hart who was appealing for donations of items for foster children. Mary is co-ordinator for Foster Hope’s ‘Kits for Kids’, a charitable organisation. The response to Mary’s appeal came in thick and fast and thanks to the generosity of the community a huge amount of clothing, gifts and toiletries have been collected. “I could sit down and cry, people have been so generous. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Mary said. Many donations were made to the Sun office while others came from Westmount School and Redwoodtown Pharmacy. PAMS made a cash donation so Mary could buy clothing from the Warehouse Blenheim store which also came on board by providing Mary with a discount. “I am confident that I have enough to help children and families through the Christmas period, and already a number of toiletry bags, boxes of clothes and toys have gone out to those in need. “What I received was so much more than I could ever have anticipated, so thank you to everyone,” Mary said. If people still wish to make donations they can contact Mary on (03) 578 8864.
Birthday celebrations Shona Crafar, Mary-anne Riwaka, Cathy MacDonald, Liz McElhinney (back) and Ruth Ockey, Gemma McKinney and Viv Broughton were at Dolce Bar and Restaurant last week celebrating Gemma's 65th birthday. Photo by Celeste Lodewyk