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The Co-operative Bank giving $170,000 back to Bay customers
A total of 128,000 customers of The Co-operative Bank throughout New Zealand are receiving a mid-winter boost, thanks to the Bank's annual rebate – this year totalling $2.5 million.
A total of 8600 customers from the Bay of Plenty will receive a share of The Co-operative Bank's profits, totalling $171,610.
The Co-operative Bank's chief executive officer David Cunningham says customers are the focus of everything the Bank does, and giving back to customers is a highlight each year.
"Since 2015, we have shared more than $15m of our profit with customers through rebates. Last year, because of Covid-19 we weren't able to pay a rebate, but we are excited that the business can give back to our customers again this year.
"We're owned by our customers and are unique in being the only New Zealand bank to pay a rebate – it is a big part of the way we do things."
The remainder of The Co-operative Bank's annual profits is reinvested to fund growth, and to develop new products and services for its customers.
First Mortgage Managers appoints new CEO
First Mortgage Managers (FMM), manager of First Mortgage Trust (FMT), New Zealand's largest first mortgage trust lender has announced Paul Bendall as the new chief executive officer.
Michael Smith, chair of First Mortgage Managers has announced the appointment of Paul Bendall as chief executive officer.
Paul joined First Mortgage Trust in August 2020 as general manager and has more than 20 years' experience in the property, banking and finance industries.
Smith says he is delighted to announce Paul Bendall has been appointed as the new CEO.
"Paul has spent the last 12 months working closely with the current CEO, Tony Kinzett, and the Board, and has a thorough understanding of the business and shares our vision and goals for the future of FMT."
Bendall says it's a great honour and responsibility to take over the reins of the company.
"First Mortgage Trust is going from strength to strength.
"We have over $1 billion funds under management and we have recently surpassed $1 billion in loans for the first time.
"We have a great team of people, who really focus on the needs of our clients and I'm truly excited to lead the business into the future."
Bendall will take over from long time CEO Tony Kinzett on September 3.
"The Board members and I have enormous confidence in Paul, and I will be continuing to work closely with him over the next couple of months as I transition out of the company," says Kinzett.
Kinzett has been CEO for 15 years and is retiring.
"We would like to thank Tony for his leadership over the years and everything he has achieved as CEO, and we look forward to this new chapter under Paul's very capable leadership," Smith says.
The Kollective thrives in post-Covid climate
Tauranga's co-working space for non-profit organisations The Kollective is thriving after Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Kollective's recently released second annual report shows it is well placed to suit organisations that have staff working from home but also needing a place to connect.
"The need for an organisation to have its own office 24/7 is becoming less vital if you have staff working from home one to three days a week," manager Gordy Lockhart says.
"Every minute and every dollar we save an organisation through connection to our shared-space collaborative community, is a minute and a dollar redirected toward effective client service."
The preparations, planning and stresses of operating at the various Covid-19 alert levels post lockdown were more than challenging, the report says.
"As community members face increasingly complex, interdependent problems, as has been observed by many social service providers, the need for organisations to work together to achieve greater impact and provide a more integrated and holistic response has never been more important."
The Kollective won the Social Enterprise Award 2020, for demonstrating the most effective social impact results while also showing sustainable and effective operations in business practice.
Revenue was up on its first year's $551,993 result to $591,979, returning $172,277 to sponsors TECT for redistribution to community organisations.
TK membership was 71 per cent not-for-profit and 29 per cent commercial, and individual memberships from the community sector had increased by 50 year-on-year.
"Interest in membership from the commercial sector was encouraging but is stretching the bounds of our ideal membership balance," Lockhart says.
Work experience 'for a lifetime' launched
The civil construction and infrastructure industry has teamed up with government, industry bodies and employers to help meet New Zealand's infrastructural skills challenge.
The Infrastructure Skills Centre has been developed jointly by Fulton Hogan, the Ministry of Social Development, Civil Contractors New Zealand, the Construction Accord and a range of civil construction employers to give New Zealanders a unique range of experiences.
The first intake of 12 participants assembled in Christchurch this month for an intensive six weeks, learning about the many aspects of infrastructure and the skills that underpin the industry.
Trainees are employed prior to the course and will be mentored by the companies they are employed by throughout their training. There will be another intake in Auckland in October. The results will then be assessed and the concept refined as necessary for the future.
They hope the model will grow to include other regions like the Bay of Plenty and give more people the foundation skills they need to establish a successful career in infrastructure.
Fulton Hogan NZ chief executive Graeme Johnson says the centre aims to give people an experience that can set them up for a lifetime in infrastructure - an across-the-board appreciation of the various skills required in building, operating and maintaining infrastructure.
He says that starting "on the tools" after attending the Infrastructure Skills Centre, along with subsequent industry training, can lead to a diverse and satisfying career and be a stepping stone to managerial careers.
Each intake will have 22 practical hands-on sessions, 32 theory-based class sessions and six site visits – to Allied Concrete, Stahlton Precast, Miners Road Quarry near Christchurch, Fulton Hogan's Canterbury laboratory, a civil construction site and an asphalt plant.
The modules are facilitated by a team of 26 Fulton Hogan workplace instructors and subject matter experts.
The skills covered range from effective communication to environmental awareness/management, health and safety, budgeting, time management, nutrition and mental health awareness through to concrete pouring and finishing, reading and interpreting plans, applying asphalt, traffic control and use of power tools.
Course entrants will go to jobs after the course with major sector employers - Higgins Contractors, Fulton Hogan, Blakely Construction, Isaac Construction, Better Trade Solutions, Christchurch Ready Mix Civil, BG Contracting and Rock Control Ltd.
Reporoa site wins at 2021 Best Site Cup
Reporoa is the winner of Fonterra's Cup for Transport site following Fonterra's Best Site Cup Awards.
Reporoa picked up the hotly contested award ahead of the 25 other Fonterra manufacturing sites throughout the country.
In the past year, the Reporoa site has achieved high driver performance scores, fuel efficiency and great culture.
"If our drivers drive well we keep ourselves and the public safe on the roads, save money on fuel and take better care of our tankers," says a spokesperson for Fonterra.
Reporoa's depot manager Stuart Reed says winning the TAM's trophy has "really lifted the spirits of the team. It really cements to us that what we doing is the right thing for staff".
"We have a team that has high driving standards. We are very open and honest about the areas where we need to improve while taking time out to celebrate our success."
Local students win 2021 scholarships to Outward Bound
The Acorn Foundation hosted the 2021 Outward Bound Scholarship celebration on June 29 at The Kollective in Tauranga.
These scholarships are awarded annually to Year 12 students from Western Bay of Plenty schools, plus Whakatane High School, to attend the Tangaroa Watch programme at Anakiwa in the South Island.
Students are nominated by their schools and selected by Outward Bound staff members based on their commitment to their school and the community, with demonstrated financial need and an opportunity to improve their self-confidence.
This is the fifth year that committed Acorn donors and other local supporters have provided these valuable scholarships to this three-week programme that uses outdoor adventures and physical activities to build resilience, perseverance and communication skills, which deliver life-long benefits.
Congratulations to the following scholarship winners:
Katikati College: Leo Morley
Ōtumoetai College: Eva Karena and Finn Gray
Pāpāmoa College: Saskia Gesthuizen and Nick Cooper
Tauranga Boys' College: Micah Pugh and Tom Hughes
Tauranga Girls' College: Talia MacKinnon and Lani Payne
Te Puke High School: Sophie Sullivan and Daehn Nathan
Whakatane High School: Iziah Carter and Tyler Long
New business opens in Tauranga CBD
A new concept store in Tauranga that will donate $1 from every order above $20 towards saving the rainforests has been dubbed a "first for the region".
The Boho Store has opened on Devonport Rd as part of Mainstreet Tauranga's Activate Vacant Spaces programme, which matches vacant spaces in the CBD with creative, cultural and start-up ventures.
The new store at the entrance to the Piccadilly Arcade is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Callum Armstrong and Jess Elliot and aims to drive demand for native plant extracts and help landowners plant more forests.
"We care about the planet and the communities of people that live within it," says Armstrong.
The pair plans to host regular workshops to help educate people how to make body care products at home, custom develop items and contract manufacture for other brands to support community groups to run fundraisers with their products.
It also hopes to help foster the Bay as a hub for sustainable enterprise, says Armstrong.
"It's about helping others to succeed. How cool would it be if our region became a destination where the top talent comes to build tomorrows enterprises that care for the earth?"
The Boho Store will also donate $1 to the Reforestation Fund, with every order over $20.
Founded by Callum and his partner, Anna Wentsch, the fund is designed to help plant more native forests around Aotearoa and look after our biodiversity.
"Our mantra is 'Connecting Conservation with Consumption'. We passionately care about the planet and the communities of people that live within it... we hope to inspire increased demand for native plant extracts and encourage more landowners to plant forests."
Mainstreet Tauranga spokesperson Sally Cooke says they're delighted to have this latest addition to the programme of offerings.
"Having this new concept store in our city centre is a first for the region and an exciting addition to Downtown Tauranga.
"It is such a privilege to be able to support such an amazing new enterprise through the Activate Vacant Spaces programme..."
Girls get 'hands-on' in the infrastructure industry
A series of hands-on open days held throughout the country has opened the eyes of female secondary school students to a career in the infrastructure industry.
Girls with Hi-Vis (GWHV) has seen events held nationwide throughout June to offer young women the opportunity to visit an infrastructure company through their school, get hands-on experience and hear from inspirational women in the industry.
The open days provide an understanding of what's involved in the many and varied roles in infrastructure's Civil, Energy, Telco and Water industries.
A total of 539 students, from 64 schools in 11 regions (Auckland, Christchurch, Selwyn, Mackenzie, East Cape, Hawkes Bay, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Taupo, Hamilton & Wellington) attended 23 events held by 14 host companies.
GWHV is an initiative of Connexis - the Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation (ITO) – and the month-long event was held with support from the Ministry of Education.
Connexis CEO Kaarin Gaukrodger says it is important that females are aware of all the career opportunities open to them including those in infrastructure and roles that may have previously been male-dominated.
"The benefits of having both men and women working on our infrastructure has been highlighted in numerous research projects over the past 10 years.
"In response to this, we're actively working alongside industry to support, promote and increase numbers of women seeking a career in infrastructure."
NZCT grants awarded in June
A total of $351,016.74 of New Zealand Community Trust grants were awarded in the Bay of Plenty last month.
That included $80,000 for an artificial green at Bowls Tauranga South and $40,000 to provide a contractor for football club Tauranga City AFC.
There was also $33,038 gifted to Netball Rotorua Centre for operating costs for 2021 netball tournaments.
NZ Rugby League was awarded $26,617.49 to cover salaries for its Coachforce Rugby League Development Officer (covering Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Gisborne), operations manager (covering Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Gisborne), and national football operations manager.
Kawerau Golf and Squash Club was also gifted $24,990 for a new tractor.
A total of $20,000 was also awarded to Graeme Dingle Foundation Rotorua to cover salary and another $20,000 to the Graeme Dingle Foundation Western Bay of Plenty for Project K programme costs.
STEMFest back with a bang in 2021
Expect experiments and explosions as the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics festival STEMFest returns, promising an even bigger and better event for 2021.
The inaugural Tauranga STEM Festival (STEMFest) in 2019 attracted 3500 visitors from across New Zealand. The event also scooped the TECT Community Awards for Event Excellence for its innovation and creativity.
Now, after being cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the free, family-friendly festival returns on October 3, 2021, in Tauranga's Durham St.
STEMFest organiser, registered charity STEM Wana Trust, hopes to attract 10,000 visitors in 2021 in its aim to engage and inspire a new generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
"STEMFest is interactive, it's hands-on, it's experiments and explosions - it's all based around STEM but learning by doing," says STEM Wana Trust Founder Tia Lush.
"There is a global shortage of young people entering STEM fields and careers. If we want to create a workforce of future problem solvers in New Zealand, we need to engage them as young as possible and show how broad STEM is and what amazing opportunities there are."
Hosting the event during the first weekend of the October school holidays will hopefully encourage holidaymakers to the region, Lush adds, and stimulate activity in the Tauranga city centre.
"This is the biggest event of its kind in New Zealand. We had hundreds of visitors from other regions at the last event and there'll be something to impress the whole family at this one-day extravaganza.
"We'll be running a diverse programme to engage different communities and make STEM fields attractive and accessible, working closely with local organisations including the Pacific Island Community Tauranga Trust (PICTT) and Māori employment pathway group Kiwi Leaders."
Highlights of STEMFest this year include an International Space Zone, capitalising on New Zealand's high-flying space industry. Exhibitors will include NASA, the New Zealand Rocketry Association, and the NZ Astrobiology Society with its amazing planetarium.
Also featured is an AquaSTEM Zone which will showcase STEM opportunities around water, spearheaded by 2021 STEMFest ambassador and PhD student in Marine Biology, Natalie Prinz. Exhibitors will include the Coastal Marine Field Station, and Tauranga City Council with its water education programme.
There will also be a focus on the strong STEM knowledge base in the Bay of Plenty, thanks to sponsorship from energy provider and generation company Trustpower, food science specialists Zespri and Comvita, engineering leader Beca Group, startup tech software company Lawvu, cloud software company Xero, and tertiary providers Toi Ohomai and University of Waikato.
Trustpower Tauranga Community Fund open for applications
Trustpower's Community Fund, aimed at supporting Tauranga's hardest working folk, volunteers and community organisations, is currently open for applications throughout July.
The fund is aligned to Trustpower's values and seeks to give financial assistance to groups who are doing the mahi to care for our people, place and future.
This is the third round of the fund, with money being donated last round Parent to Parent, BOP Youth Development Trust, Bellyful, Homes of Hope, Tauranga Jazz Society, Kids Campus and Families Achieving Balance.
One of the recent fund recipients, Parent To Parent, are running a workshop for kids who have a sibling with a disability.
The workshop, named 'Sibshop', help develop resilience, build peer support and is a
great programme in the development of leadership skills.
Trustpower's community and communications support Brigette Horgan says the fund is extra special as it's also linked to our own people with the judging panel being made up of a diverse group of different staff, from all departments each round.
"The idea behind these funds is to support the local communities where many of our people work, live and play, while also providing a hands-on experience for our staff to give back to the community."
This round there is $10,000 up for grabs and applications are open until 5pm July 31.
For more information or to download an application form, visit trustpower.co.nz/taurangafund
Trustpower will run the fund three times a year, with funding rounds open for the month of March, July and November.
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