Kept co-founders Katie Hunter and Nic Winslade. Photo / Supplied
New house cleaning app launched by Mount mums
A new, locally designed and built app that aims to make finding and booking a cleaner easy has launched in Mount Maunganui.
Launched in July by local mothers and entrepreneurs, Kept is an app that allows users to scroll through cleaners' profiles, compare their reviews and prices, and book them in instantly from a smartphone app available for Android and Apple.
Kept co-founder and mum-of-two Nic Winslade said using a cleaner can make busy lives and households easier and the process of hiring one should be simple.
"We are mums and regularly book cleaners, but it was so hard to find one that was not just recommended, but that we could also get hold of and was available at the right time.
"We wanted a way to make doing that really easy."
Kept was also a free platform for people wanting to start their cleaning careers or pick up work to support their own households.
"We've made it easy," Kept co-founder and mum-of-one Katie Hunter.
"We have the systems and checklists and process for all those who do plenty of unpaid cleaning at home to turn their skills into cash when they have the time."
Kept is free to download and is available now on the Google and Apple app stores.
Scion and Nga Hapū e Toru sign Memorandum and launch significant visitor display
A new dawn for partnership has been hailed with the signing of a Kawenata [Memorandum of Understanding] between tangata whenua and Scion at Te Whare Nui o Tuteata in Rotorua this month.
Veronica Butterworth, a trustee representing the three hapū - Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Ngāti Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kahu (Ngā Hapū e Toru) signed the kawenata with Scion board chair Dr Helen Anderson during a formal ceremony, surrounded by the hapū, Scion board, staff, and guests on August 25.
Ngā Hapū e Toru are tangata whenua of the 114-hectare site where Scion is situated in the Te Papa Tipu campus.
Butterworth said the signing for Ngā Hapū e Toru was a significant step forward in the partnership with Scion and strengthening the mana of the land and hapū.
"The Kawenata acknowledges the genealogical connection through our whakapapa to this land. This land is part of our rohe, our turangawaewae, and is the basis of identity and wellbeing for our people.
"Working together with Scion to honour this Kawenata, we will work on mutually beneficial goals. The matapono (principles) of the Kawenata are whakapapa, kotahitanga, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga and tiakina te mana o te whenua."
Scion chair Dr Helen Anderson said the signing marked a significant milestone for the Crown Research Institute and its enduring relationship with tangata whenua.
"We are signalling how Scion and tangata whenua recognise the value of working together in the spirit of co-operation and partnership. We have common principles and an unwavering commitment to protect the waterways, forests and whenua.
"As Scion takes bold new steps with research to support New Zealand's transition to a circular bioeconomy as part of efforts to meet climate change objectives, we are committing to a set of principles that will underpin our close relationship with tangata whenua and help us navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead."
The signing was followed by the launch of a new permanent visitor display in the building's atrium, sharing the history and connection that Ngā Hapū e Toru have to the whenua, while also explaining the significance of forestry science and innovation to New Zealand and the world.
Co-funded by Scion and Te Uru Rākau, New Zealand Forest Service, the displays were a storytelling experience that share the history of tangata whenua, forestry, and the future.
One display describes Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Ngāti Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kahu. It explains the deep connection to the whenua, with historical pā, kāinga, cultivations and wāhi tapu (sacred sites), as well as looking to hapū aspirations – including partnership.
The other display documents the history of New Zealand's forestry industry, starting in the late 19th century when the first exotic trees were planted in a nursery at the Whakarewarewa Forest. The storytelling dives into the value of radiata pine, along with the importance of forests to New Zealand for timber production, biodiversity, biomaterials, tourism and tackling climate change problems the world faces.
Scion chief executive Dr Julian Elder said the signing and launch of the visitor display recognise the important role tangata whenua will play in the future of Scion as a Crown Research Institute.
In the spirit of partnership, Scion looks forward to future engagement with Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Ngāti Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kahu as tangata whenua.
A whakatau (welcome) was also held for new board director Brendan Green (Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāpuhi) and new future director Dr Melinda Webber (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu).
The ceremony came two months after Ngā Hapū e Toru led the unveiling of four pou whenua on Tītokorangi Drive, as part of a partnership with CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd, Rotorua Lakes Council, and Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit.
The pou, part of the Whakarewarewa Forest Development Project, share the history and connection of Ngā Hapū e Toru to the land.
Retirement village wins inaugural award
Residents at Metlifecare's Greenwood Park retirement village have taken out top recognition at the inaugural Retirement Village Sustainability Awards.
The residents at the Welcome Bay retirement village won the 2022 Spaceworks Resident-led Gardening and Landscaping Award.
The group was awarded the accolade for its decades-long work, transforming a once boggy farm track leading to wasteland, into a native bush and nature trail, that has become a prominent part of their village.
The trail has been named the Quail Trail after the quail population that inhabits part of it.
Greenwood Park Environmental Sustainability Group resident and chairman, Stephen Parr, accepted the award on behalf of the retirement village.
Parr, who plays an active role in maintaining and improving the Quail Trail, said the residents were incredibly proud of the acknowledgement.
"The Quail Trail has been a long labour of love, with a rich history of collaboration that started way back when the village first opened more than 30 years ago.
"Over the years many residents have adopted their own areas of the trail and put in a significant amount of work transforming it into something that has become a treasured part of our village life, and a space for all residents and their families to enjoy, now and into the future.
More than 100 residents, staff, and contractors have been involved in the project since its inception.
Greenwood Park Village manger Charlie Vague said he was thrilled to see residents and staff recognised and celebrated for their incredible efforts.
"I am really proud of what has been achieved here at Greenwood Park. Environmental awareness and sustainability have become increasingly important to our residents, who recognise its impact and value for future generations."
Meta and Tourism Industry Aotearoa partner to boost New Zealand tourism businesses
Meta, in partnership with Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), is bringing its first in-person Meta Boost event to Rotorua next month.
The Meta Boost event on September 8 is a free digital skills programme that aims to empower small businesses with the tools they need to start and grow a business online.
The workshop in Rotorua has been developed to help tourism businesses based on feedback from TIA members and case studies from local tourism businesses.
The Meta Boost workshop is one of two in-person events in collaboration with TIA, to help New Zealand businesses upskill to reach new customers in a changing market as the borders reopen.
Since 2018, Meta's Boost programme has trained more than 5700 small businesses in New Zealand. Small businesses from all sectors were also welcome to attend.
Meta NZ head of policy for New Zealand and Pacific Islands, Nick McDonnell, said many tourism businesses have been hard hit by the pandemic and are excited to welcome back visitors.
"In partnership with Tourism Industry Aotearoa, we've crafted a unique digital skills training program called Meta Boost to help Kiwi businesses connect with new visitors local and from overseas to encourage them to come, shop, eat, and experience Aotearoa.
"When small businesses succeed, the wider economy benefits and this is critical to New Zealand's economic covid recovery and will help tell New Zealand's story globally again. Meta is proud to support TIA in enabling the tourism sector to thrive online."
The newly upgraded Waitaha Reserve has been officially opened in Welcome Bay, Tauranga.