Hopefully you’ve heard the good news that the Community Networks/LINK Community Shuttle Trial restarts next week!

You may have heard by now that a second Community Networks/LINK Community Shuttle Trial is coming very soon, funded by QLDC and Lake Wānaka Tourism. This second trial will build on the first service – which ran for three months last year - refining the model based on feedback, and trying some new things to collect different data. We’ll be able to share the final details of that with you very soon – but for now, we’d like to share some of our findings from the first trial.

This month, we’re highlighting what the Wānaka Community Hub (our landlord) is all about – and what some of the other services available in the building can offer.

It can be confusing, we know, but Community Networks/LINK and the Wānaka Community Hub are two organisations with a very close relationship.

Whether you’re struggling to make ends meet or working on trying to save, Community Networks/LINK can connect you with free financial advice and support for a whole range of issues.

Last week, we talked about what we’ve been up to so far. This week, we’re sharing what we plan to achieve over the next nine months or so - and how you can get involved as a senior, individual or community group.

This month, we’re sharing an update on the Reconnecting Seniors project, which started off in November 2022. This project, funded by Te Hau Toka and led by the Reconnecting Seniors Network (formerly the Champion for Older Persons Group) aims to help seniors get and stay connected in the community and in their homes, by taking stock of all the current activities and services available; building on what exists; and identifying any gaps or barriers that are hindering seniors wanting to connect.

Social work is all about change - whether that’s supporting people to make a change in their life by addressing challenges, or promoting social change in the systems we live in.

This month, we’re reminding people in the community that social work support is available at the Wanaka Community Hub and in the community for a range of issues – from family wellbeing to finances, injury and mental health.

Community Networks/LINK want to say Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a huge thank you to the Wānaka and Upper Clutha community for all your support in 2022.

At this time of year, we’re reminded how generous our Upper Clutha community is. We’re already receiving lots of kind donations of food, gifts and money – and many enquiries about how best to support the work we do. So, if you'd like to donate to Community Networks/LINK this Christmas, here are a few ways you can do it!

Our Community Shuttle Trial giveaway is underway, with our first winner claiming his $50 Fedeli voucher on Tuesday. Duncan uses the Shuttle to come into town from Hāwea when he has meetings (even though it is a bit of a walk from town to Anderson Road, where he works). It’s great to see people making the Shuttle work for them – and, of course, the feedback that a stop in that area of town would be useful is useful for us.

With school holidays now over, we’re continuing to share the reasons why the Community Shuttle Trial could be helpful to you – this week, with a slightly more grown-up theme!

You’ve probably heard by now that our three-month Community Shuttle Trial will launch on Wednesday, September 28.

Wānaka is a great place to live, but life here isn't always easy. It's a fine balance to pay for power, petrol, kai, and rent… all it takes is an unexpected medical, car, or school cost to make life unaffordable. That’s when a food parcel can take the pressure off living costs for a while. Food parcels are available to anyone locally in need of a little extra help to make ends meet.