Lizard News OCTOBER 2023
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Te Puna • Whakamārama • Matakana Is • Ōmokoroa • Pahoia • Apata • Aongatete • Katikati • Tahāwai • Bowentown • Athenree • Waihī Beach
Chrome shines with open day promise T
By Matthew Farrell hrowing open the doors to show the community what disability in action looks like, Katikati’s own Chrome Collective recently held an open day at 13 Henry Road. From pathways to employment to engagement, inclusion, and social enterprise - the bubbling hub offered a chance to meet the team on a day of fun, learning, and good food on 30th August. Sharaine Steenberg says it’s about showcasing the work they do. “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes on our newest projects and programmes, and it’s time to share them with the world. We are open for business, up and running. There are creative arts projects made here for online and market sales. Workstations today include Thrive weaving and woodworking boards. On Tuesday and Wednesday, groups will do social skills training. That will become ‘Chrome Crew’, delivering the Thrive programme.” Labyrinth for Lemonade is also welcomed aboard, an organisation working to support marginalised immigrant women in NZ one paper art craft at a time through community immersion. “We have T-shirt printing workshops planned on Thursdays in October.
There’s our Will & Able refill station for eco-friendly household products produced by a company employing people with disabilities. “We have KaiGo for the rescue of food that’s good enough to eat but not to sell. Gift cards, sewing, Boomerang Bags. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, there are Pacific Coast Technical Institute food technology classes in the commercial kitchen at OceanaGold’s administration building in Waihī, Future Moves NCEA Level 2,” says Sharaine. Chrome Collective is looking for volunteers for KaiGo and for workshops, including needing a proficient individual to help teach sewing or other vocational skills, perhaps baking macarons in a brand-new oven. “And a shout out to John, who was our tour guide today. He’s been a captain in our leadership programme,” says Sharaine. Shelley Robinson says Chrome Collective brings together disability and environmental passions. “It’s about being involved and contributing to a sense of belonging. We talk about Enabling Good Lives forums. It’s empowering people to talk for themselves. Some people don’t think disabled people are capable simply because
they’ve never been given opportunities because other people speak for them. Moving from the former Chrome Cafe has helped us to do these things,” says Shelley. Sharaine says Chrome Collective is now working with the District Council to set up a community resource recycling centre like those in Raglan and the Seagull Centre in Thames. “We are prototyping workstations where we can have people create, repair and sell items.” For Shelley, it’s moving back to the micro business model and preparing people for paid employment at the same time. “This is about choice and motivated learning, creating opportunities to make money in their areas of interest rather than lumping everyone together. We’ve had about 80 people here today, most with disabilities, but who would have known that? “KaiGo has redistributed 50 tonnes of food in 12 months, food prevented from landfill. People with disabilities are feeding our community right now,” says Shelley.
General Election he 2023 General Election is on Saturday 14th October. Voting starts 2nd October.
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On election day, 14th October, all voting places are open from 9am to 7pm. You can visit the website vote.nz to enrol online and find out which candidates you can vote for using an electorate vote in either Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Tauranga or Waiariki. To find out how your views compare to party policies, you can use the academically designed analysis tool at 1News.co.nz/VoteCompass to agree or disagree with 30 statements on subjects like health, education, the environment, and tax.