Waipā-King Country Life Education trustee Kay Moir (second from left) and Harold the Giraffe receive a $5750 donation from the team of Rosetown Real Estate. Photo / Dean Taylor
Waipā-King Country Life Education trustee Kay Moir (second from left) and Harold the Giraffe receive a $5750 donation from the team of Rosetown Real Estate. Photo / Dean Taylor
Long-standing supporters of the work of the Waipā-King Country Life Education teachers and trustees, Rosetown Realty Ltd, have stepped up and made a substantial donation for vital maintenance on top of their annual grant.
Trading as Ray White Real Estate, Rosetown Realty has been part of the Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust support team for eight and a half years.
Principal and owner Gregg Tickelpenny and the Te Awamutu team handed over $5750 to Harold the Giraffe and trustee Kay Moir on Tuesday. Gregg’s company also makes an annual grant of $3500.
Gregg purchased United Realty in 1999 and as part of the Ray White team, Rosetown Realty has now expanded into Ōtorohanga, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa and Taumarunui. From next Friday the Raglan office joins his team.
“The work of Waipā-King Country Life Education sits well with all our offices,” he says.
“Where the mobile classroom goes we have branches, so we do our best to support and champion their important education programmes for the young people of the region.”
Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust is a long-standing organisation, which is part of the national body.
A dedicated team has seen this service grow to be in high demand in Waipā-King Country.
Harold the Giraffe at the launch of his fundraising cookbook in 2008, with then Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust chairman Bruce Carey (left) and cookbook committee (from left) Sue Milner, Ginny Ashmore and Kay Moir. 2008 was also notable as the year the mobile classroom was damaged by arson. Photo / Dean Taylor
From the initial mobile classroom, fundraising was undertaken to add a second classroom and educator and in 2019 that project came to fruition.
Covid added another twist to the work of Life Education Trust, but the Waipā-King Country team continue to operate a modified programme to support learning through this difficult time.
Now the local team is fully committed to school visits once again.
Kay says their two educators and classrooms are fully booked, visiting over 60 schools and seeing around 9000 children annually.
Keeping the programme operating is expensive. Waipā-King Country Trust needs to raise $250,000 each year to provide educators, classrooms and resources.
Major maintenance and replacement projects are over and above this budget.
Kay says the success of the programme is the hard work of the trustees and supporters and the trust’s two amazing educators Nicky Wise and Abby Miles.
In 2012 Harold showed off his new look at a sausage sizzle, pictured here with then trust treasurer Joanne Wansbone serving sausages to Talor Appleton (left) and Emily Moffat. Joanne is the current Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust chairwoman. Photo / Dean Taylor
Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust offers the Healthy Harold Programme, supporting children to: develop life skills relating to their health and well-being; understand how to make healthy choices; gain knowledge about health and their bodies; develop self-esteem and a positive understanding of themselves; and, develop strategies for relating to others.
Teaching covers content across five major strands: food and nutrition; human biology; relationships and communities; identity and resilience; and, substances.
Schools get experienced, registered teachers who have undergone additional training for this specialist role.
They provide a flexible resource that supports teachers in delivering the health curriculum to their children, take part in a shared planning approach to create lessons specific to children’s learning needs and the programmes are delivered in a unique and engaging learning environment via the mobile classrooms.
The quality programme is proven to be highly motivating and engaging, while flexible to the individual needs of the school and children.
School staff also have the opportunity to gain professional development.
The national Life Education office also offers programmes for high school students.
Interestingly, following the Labour announcement that financial literacy will be included in the secondary curriculum, one of the programmes is SMART$, a programme designed to teach everyday financial skills to Year 9-11 students.
Cameron Bagrie, Bagrie Economics MD and Life Educationn Trust National Board member. Photo / Alex Burton
The programme is being driven in part by economist and Life Education Trust National Board member Cameron Bagrie.
It combines theatre and workshop elements to encourage audience input and engagement and demonstrates the potential impacts of decisions including savings, deferred payment schemes, credit card use and KiwiSaver.
SMART$ was launched in May 2020 and is currently touring secondary schools nationwide.
SMASHED Programme is designed for Year 9 and 10 students and uses live theatre and interactive workshops to engage students on the dangers of underage drinking.
A half-hour performance communicates important information and facts about alcohol and shows the potential impact of underage drinking on; relationships with peers and adults; academic results and aspirations; anti-social behaviour and violence as well as accident and injury.
It is followed by a half-hour interactive workshop to engage students in discussion as they explore the facts further.
Waipā-King Country Life Education Trust says it continues to be humbled by the generosity of the community and its major sponsors are much appreciated for their ongoing support, which enables the trust to continue its work.
Any person or business who would like to find out more about the work of the trust and who may possibly be interested in supporting their work is encouraged to contact trustee Donna Davies donnadavies6@hotmail.com.
Dean Taylor is the editor of the Te Awamutu Courier and a community reporter with 35 years of experience.
