Gisborne letters: Shock at Hear4U closure and gratitude for its work

Many people in Gisborne were shocked at the news this week that men's mental health and suicide prevention charity Hear4U is having to close its doors after struggling to get funding. Pictured is founder Krissy Mackintosh. Photo / Tink Lockett

OPINION

Difficult to fathom loss of Hear4U

Re your lead article on Hear4U having to shut its doors, June 5.

A sad and sobering article to think this is where we are at in such a time of need.

It would seem that Hear4U has punched well above its weight on all targets and reviews from its peers.

There are two paragraphs in the article that leave a question mark in my mind, which I think need a little more explanation.

“It is those who could have helped but haven’t who have failed Tairāwhiti - that is what hurts the most.”

“But it is getting harder and harder in Tairāwhiti, given the weather events, the job market and, sadly, the division that is becoming more and more apparent.”

Tairāwhiti urgently needs services like Hear4U and leaders of the calibre of Krissy Mackintosh to drive them. I trust you may be able to put some light on these issues for me.

Roger Murphy

Thank you Krissy

Re: Suicide prevention service Hear4U to shut doors, June 5 story.

Very sad read. Thank you Krissy for all you and your wider team have achieved. Make sure you look after yourself as well and hold your head high as a district lifesaver.

Karl Scragg

Let’s save Hear4U

Gisborne should rally around Hear4U and do everything it can to keep it from closing. I have personal knowledge of the valuable work it has done in our community and the people it has helped, and am shocked at this news.

I know it’s not much but I will give $200 to start the ball rolling to help save Hear4U.

In addition, the $900,000-odd being wasted on Grey St would have been better spent on supporting the far-more-important work of people like Hear4U.

Talk about no sense of priority. A disgrace and a shame.

Roger Handford

Important mahi

Thank you Hear4U for all you have done for the community over the past years - it HAS NOT been in vain!

Time to re-energise your batteries Krissy.

And in the future, continue on with her vision.

Liz Hakiwai

Pat-a-cake business

We have a big problem in Gisborne with a roading contractor. I call them the pat-a-cake men - they chuck a bit of tar in the pothole, pat it with back of their flat shovel and walk away and leave it for the next shower.

It’s good for business, as they get to do it again in a month.

This is not good enough. So where to from here?

We should look to council to sort their contractor out or sack them, and then take a look at the staff in council who let them get away with it.

I have contacted council on many occasions. The last time I told them where the holes were they sent a report to the contractor and did not even get the road names correct. A number 12 up the you-know-where may do the trick.

Ray Hill

Stop the nonsense

Grey St- what a dog’s breakfast, richly deserving of all the criticism and ridicule being heaped on on it.

It’s clear from all the gobbledegook in the project’s “story” that its planners live away in some parallel universe where no one is trying to run a business and there’s no commercial traffic.

So much disruption and squandered money for a bunch of skateboarders who don’t even pay rates.

Stop the nonsense now.

E Matthews

Quality over quantity

Re: More child poverty under this Government, June 6 letter.

Yet despite Ardern plundering the country’s coffers into massive debt, the facts tend to show a different story.

Under the careful management of Key/English, child poverty was reduced by 56,200 children. Under the extravagantly meaningless spending of Ardern/Robertson, the decrease was only 20,700.

Perhaps it’s how you spend, not just the spending itself.

If the Ardern/Robertson years showed us nothing else, the quality of the spend is paramount. Quantity is meaningless without accountability and purpose.

Iain Boyle