Rambling Rich – August 2023

Kia ora everyone,

Winter is cracking along, and we have taken advantage of some drier days to get some extensive thinning and pruning of the grounds at Waipuna Hospice – it always looks a bit stark after pruning, but it’s great to know that by spring, things will be back into green and blooming again.

I am writing this piece after an early morning board meeting where I was informed that three Board members wish to stand down at the AGM in November.

These are our Board Chair of the last three years, Vanessa Hamm, together with David McClatchy and Glenda Hutchison. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and dedication – championing Waipuna Hospice and ensuring the governance at Waipuna Hospice is at the highest level.

These vacancies will offer opportunities to others. We will be looking for new board members to bring the board up to a full complement. If you are interested, are a paid member, and can dedicate the time involved, please keep an eye out for the Request of Interest that will be sent to members and appear in local papers. Waipuna Hospice is an Incorporated Society and is required to supply board members from the membership of the society.

Another important call for volunteers is for our Remembrance Tree campaign. This is a vital event for us – not only as a fundraiser and to help raise awareness of Waipuna Hospice, but also to allow our community a moment to remember family or friends who are no longer with us. Remembering loved ones is healthy – it helps us grieve. Grieving is necessary to move forward. I don’t think you ever get over the loss of someone you care about, but a positive grieving process allows you to cope a lot better.

So, we need you! To make the Remembrance Tree campaign a success, we need volunteers to take a two-hour slot overseeing a Remembrance Tree site. There will be several Christmas trees across Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty during November and December where members of the community can write a letter to their loved ones, hang it on the tree, and donate to Waipuna Hospice. We are also on the lookout for volunteer site coordinators who will be manning the campaign behind the scenes. This role will involve ensuring your dedicated collection points are all set up and all the moving parts are running smoothly with your team of volunteers. I hope you can help us with this important annual event.

Keep well and keep warm for the rest of the winter. Spring is just around the corner!

Ngā mihi,

Rich

This update was first published in our newsletter – Waipuna Connections, issue 84.