Rotary Toyarama

The Rotary Club of Oamaru has been running an annual Bookarama for decades – turning good reads in to good deeds.

Tomorrow we launch the club’s first Toyarama, selling baby gear, books, dress-ups, games, puzzles, and toys to fund community projects.

We’ve been delighted with the quality and quantity of donations – some are brand new.

Toyarama is open from noon until 5pm tomorrow and 10am until 4pm on Sunday at 137 Thames Street Oamaru (in what was Camerons’ shop opposite the Opera House).

Still giving

A small group of Rotarians started sorting books we’d collected since last year’s Bookarama on April 12th.

We set up the venue for this year’s sale on the 14th and with the help of the rowing club moved everything in on the 15th.

Two days later Rotaraians and book-loving volunteers started sorting, categorising, pricing where applicable, and displaying books, magazines, puzzles, games, CDs and DVDs, as they were donated.

We did that every day from Monday to Saturday, except Anzac Day, until we opened on May the 5th.

A queue of people almost the length of the block, including dealers with huge bags, was waiting for the doors to open at 10am and we were busy until the doors closed at 8pm.

Mindful of the pressure on most people’s budgets we were more conservative in pricing this year and most books cost only $2. In spite of that we took around $22,000 in cash and EFTPOS the first day.

Working at Bookarama gives a fascinating insight into human nature. There’s those who pull off the stickers showing prices we’d put on newer or more valuable books; others who take CDs and DVDs, leaving empty cases behind and some who complain that prices are too high, even on the last couple of days when everything was half-price.

But they are the minority and a wonderful contrast to them are the people who donate what we sell – sometimes books or puzzles they’ve bought from us at previous Bookaramas or even only a few days earlier; the ones who tell us how grateful they are to be able to buy so much for their children or themselves for so little; and the ones who tell us to keep the change or add quite a bit to the EFTPOS payment.

And of course there are the Rotarians and other volunteers who were there day after day and without whom Bookarama couldn’t happen.

Experience from past years indicates that the final total is about twice the first day’s and we did better than that. We finished nine days later having raised more than $50,000 which will be donated to local causes.

While Rotarians were selling books, Lions were also busy with their winter feed competition and by the end of their celebration dinner last Friday they’d raised more than $60,000.

That’s more than $100,000 raised in the same week by two service clubs from people in what is not a wealthy area, evidence that in spite of tougher times we’ve still got people who are still giving.

Race not need not fair not right

A charity had been helping vulnerable families.

They were making a positive difference to the lives of people they were helping and were getting government funding to assist them.

Were is the operative word in that sentence.

They’ve been told they won’t get government funding because it’s now going only to help Maori and Pacific people.

It doesn’t matter that a good number of the people the charity was helping are Maori and Pacific.

It doesn’t matter that others equally, sometimes more, in need of their help don’t happen to have those genes.

This is the way the government works – funding not on need but race.

That’s not fair and it’s not right.

It took a team

Work for the Rotary Club of Oamaru’s annual Bookarama is a year-long process with people picking up books from donors at any time.

This year it included a house lot which took two SUV loads to shift. It was well worth the effort, I have never seen so many books of such good quality and variety from a single source in the more than 10 years I’ve been helping with the event.

Sorting began in April and the Old Boys’ Rugby Club moved books, tables, empty banana boxes and other paraphernalia into the venue – what used to be Noel Leeming’s on the town’s main street on April 30th.

Two days later a team of volunteers began the work of setting up and sorting donated books.

People were dropping books off every day and we had so many really good books we set up a table outside giving away the not so good ones.

We use the bed sheet rule when deciding what to keep and what to discard – if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with a book touching your sheets if you’re reading in bed it goes out.

Charity shops find they’re used as a dump and some boxes and bags always go straight to the skip. Often these would have been very salable had they not been stored in garages or sheds where they got dirty and damp.

There’s other books that are still clean and in good order but don’t sell including Readers’ Digest condensed books which we couldn’t even give away.

But there were plenty that would sell and some gems included this which had an inscription showing it was awarded as a Hampden School prize in 1882.

Also of historical interest was a Plunket mothercraft book from the 1950s.

It has  a recipe for a supplement for breast milk which included cod liver oil and this photo:

It took three weeks of sorting,  categorising and displaying to get ready for the sale.

People were queueing outside more than an hour before we opened the doors on the first morning.

By the end of the day we’d taken about $26,000, more than half the total for the whole sale last year and a remarkable sum given most books were selling for only $2.

We had planned to be open form Monday to Sunday but still had so many good books left we extended the sale to Friday.

It’s very much a case of from the community, by the community, for the community with people donating books, people buying books and all the people volunteering their time to sort and sell.

It took a team to do it but with $60,000ish taken and costs of about $5,000 we’ll have a good sum to donate to good causes.

Books before blogging

A small team of volunteers has spent the last three weeks sorting books for the Rotary Club of Oamaru’s Bookarama.

It’s a big job – we advertised we’d be open for drop offs from 10 to 12 from Monday to Saturday and most days it’s been nearer 5pm that we’ve closed.

We have thousands of books, jig saw puzzles, CDs, DVDs, videos, games, magazines and a few other items we’re not sure how to categorise.

All have been donated and many of the donors have told us they’ll be back to buy replacements.

It’s a lot of work but worth it as it’s also a wonderful fundraiser and all the profit goes to community initiatives.

We open at 10am today and if the past is any guide, buyers will be queuing to get in for more than an hour before that.

For the next five days – and possibly longer as we clean-up – blogging will be light as Bookarama will take priority.

Going many extra miles

My daughter Jane has gone many extra miles, figuratively and literally, to raise awareness and funds for research into low grade serous ovarian carcinoma since she was diagnosed with the disease in 2017.

When she came across the Kilt Walk she encouraged other women with the disease and their supporters in the UK to take part, decided she needed to lead by example and asked me to join her.

After she was diagnosed I said I’d do anything I could to help her. I hadn’t anticipated that meant walking up Dunedin’s Signal Hill three times in a morning, but that’s what we did.

She chose the hill because of its link to Scotland through the rock from Edinburgh Castle at the top.

All the funds raised went towards the research being done by Professor Charlie Gourley at Edinburgh University through Cure Our Ovarian Cancer. and were matched pound for pound by philanthropist  Sir Tom Hunter.

Jane and I appear, briefly, in the video at 3:17 with Stella the chocolate lab who accompanied us.

Among the advocacy work Jane is doing, is a petition to improve outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.

It is urging the government to support the development of ovarian cancer awareness/education campaigns for the public and health professionals; ensure women with OC symptoms have timely access to testing; improve access to approved therapies and clinical trials; and dedicate funding to ovarian cancer research.

Every week four New Zealand are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, every week two New Zealand women die from it. That is more women dying of this disease than are killed on the roads each year.

These dreadful statistics aren’t peculiar to New Zealand. All over the world many women are diagnosed late because they, and too many doctors, don’t have sufficient awareness of the disease; there isn’t enough access to tests and approved treatments and there is too little research.

The action the petition is urging will save lives.

It is non-partisan and has the support of Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer New Zealand, Talk Peach and the NZ Gynaecological Cancer Foundation.

Please sign it here and encourage others to sign too.

You don’t have to be in New Zealand or even be a New Zealand to sign. Better awareness, treatment and research anywhere will help women everywhere.

Virtual Dundee Kiltwalk

White isn’t the most practical colour for walking shoes when most of my daily perambulations are on farm tracks and unsealed roads.

But they were the only ones selling at a 30% discount that fitted me and the bargain trumped the colour.

Besides, they’re comfortable which is especially important today because they’ll be doing a lot of walking.

My daughter and I are doing the virtual Dundee Kiltwalk.

Our media release says:

While Scotland sleeps on Thursday night, two women will be starting the virtual Dundee Kiltwalk almost as far from the city as it is possible to get.

Jane Ludemann and her mother Elspeth will be walking up Signal Hill in Dunedin, New Zealand, three times. They will begin at 9:30am on Friday New Zealand time, which is 10:30pm on Thursday GMT.

Signal Hill is 393 metres (1289 feet) high.

They chose this  hill because the monument at its summit is hewn from the rock on which Edinburgh Castle stands and they are doing the Kiltwalk to raise money for research into low grade serous ovarian carcinoma at Edinburgh University.

When Jane was diagnosed with this rare form of cancer at the age of 32, three years ago, she discovered that there was very little research on the disease and no way to fund research into it anywhere in the world.

That spurred her to establish Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, a charitable trust dedicated to increasing awareness of LGSOC, supportIng  women with the disease and raising funds for research into better treatments and an eventual cure. The University of Edinburgh is their UK charity partner. Since 2019, Cure Our Ovarian Cancer has raised  £10 000 of their £25 000 target. They hope to part fund a researcher at the University of Edinburgh to develop better laboratory models of the cancer to help find new treatments. 

“University of Edinburgh’s Professor Charlie Gourley has provided national leadership of low-grade serous clinical trials in the UK.  Furthermore the work of his research team is world renowned,” Jane said.

“Historically low-grade serous ovarian cancer has been overlooked. It disproportionately affects young women and the overall survival rates are really poor.” “It’s really confronting to stare death in the face at such a young age.” “If I don’t survive, the thing I want most in the world is to know this won’t happen to someone else.” “Knowing that Professor Gourley is on the other side of the world, working hard to improve survival, makes life that bit easier”, says Jane.  

Elspeth said that when Jane was diagnosed she and her husband said they would do anything they could to help her.

“I didn’t think that would entail climbing a steep hill three times, but thankfully the Kiltwalk is about distance not speed.”

The rock at the top of the hill isn’t the only link between the Ludemann’s Kiltwalk and Scotland. Elspeth’s father, Charles Sime, was born in Dundee and lived there until he immigrated to New Zealand in his 20s.

“Although Dad ended up living in New Zealand longer than he lived in Scotland, he retained his accent and took great pride in wearing his kilt,” Elspeth said.

“He would be very sad that his granddaughter has cancer but so proud of what she is doing to raise awareness and funds. He loved tramping and would be tickled pink that we are doing the Kiltwalk with its link to him home town.”

The Dundee Kiltwalk has raised millions of pounds since it started in 2016. Covid-19 means people can’t walk together so this year’s will be the first virtual Kiltwalk. All funds raised will be matched by 50% donations from Sir Tom Hunter.

If you would like to help fund this lifesaving research you’ll find all the details here.

 

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Kiwi charity secures New York Times Square billboard for World Ovarian Cancer Day

A media release from Cure Our Ovarian Cancer:

Friday May 8th is World Ovarian Cancer Day, and a young New Zealand woman, Jane Ludemann, has instigated a huge billboard campaign in New York’s Times Square to raise awareness and funding support for the often overlooked deadly disease.

“This campaign is about ensuring women living with ovarian cancer the world over experience hope for a better future. At times it can feel like we’re alone, almost as if we’re in an empty Times Square. That is why we need more eyes on this disease and more investment in research and hopefully we’re making that point with our new campaign,” says Ludemann.

In 2018 a young Canadian model, Elly Mayday, stood in Times Square in her teal underwear to raise awareness and funding for ovarian cancer research. She died of the disease ten months later but her efforts inspired Brianna Wagner to stand in her place in 2019. In 2020, the research charity, Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, planned to mark the day again with an organised fundraising event that involved sixty ovarian cancer sufferers from around the globe gathering in Times Square. 

Unfortunately Covid-19 restrictions made this impossible but Jane, also an ovarian cancer sufferer and founder of Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, was determined to continue the campaign and went on to secure one of the largest billboard’s in Times Square. Ludemann enlisted creative and digital agency Topham Guerin to develop the campaign to highlight the need for crucial research into curing the dangerous cancer, and honour the contribution of Elly Mayday.

Cure Our Ovarian Cancer is a New Zealand based charity dedicated to improving the survival of women with low-grade serous carcinoma. Founded in 2018, they raise funds directly, and through partner organisations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. They want to see the survival rates of Low-Grade Serous Carcinoma (LGSC) reach those of breast cancer.

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer is the most lethal of all women’s’ cancers, the death rate being double that of breast cancer and it is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. Every year more than 300,000 women are diagnosed with the disease – about the daily number of people that pass through Time Square each day (330,000) – and 180,000 women will die from it. By 2024 the incidence of ovarian cancer will increase by 47% and the number of deaths each year will rise to 293,000 it is predicted. 

Background – Low-Grade Serous Carcinoma (LGSC)

Jane Ludemann was diagnosed with LGSC in 2017. LGSC is an often incurable subtype of ovarian cancer that disproportionately affects young women. Half are diagnosed in their 20s, 30s and 40s and the initial treatment usually consists of menopause inducing surgery, chemotherapy and/or hormone inhibitors.

In 1997 research showed the addition of hormone inhibitors like Letrozole could double the time it takes for a woman’s cancer to return. Letrozole received FDA approval for breast cancer in 1998.

“A 20 year delay in cancer treatments is unacceptable” says Ludemann. 

She was shocked to discover fewer research papers per year were being published on her ovarian cancer per year than on breast cancer papers per day.

“It was hard to believe just how little research was happening anywhere in the world for the cancer trying to kill me.”  

In 2018 she founded research charity Cure Our Ovarian Cancer to raise crucial funds to help researchers find treatments to improve survival.

“It’s a horrible, horrible silent killer and being diagnosed feels really isolating. But, despite what they are going through, we are an amazing community and this is what drives Cure Our Ovarian Cancer.”

“It’s really hard at any age to get this diagnosis, harder still to be diagnosed when you’re in your 20s, 30s and 40s. Elly was really brave and was one of the first women to be really public about her journey, and other women diagnosed looked up to her,” Ludemann says. “This is why we wanted to honour her memory and generate a conversation around ovarian cancer research. It also helps other sufferers to know they are not alone when going through this.”

The theme of this year’s World Ovarian Cancer Day is powerful voices and while there won’t be many people in Times Square because of the lockdown the billboard will provide a powerful voice to raise awareness of the disease and the need for research funding.

The billboard will go live at 4pm New Zealand time (midnight in New York).

You will be able to see it here

How to lose donors

Oxfam claims inequality is increasing in New Zealand  but it’s wrong

While Oxfam claims inequality is increasing and uses its latest report to push a political campaign, the official data shows the complete opposite, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers‘ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Oxfam bases their conclusions from the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2018. That report shows wealth inequality in New Zealand measured by the Gini coefficient falling from 72.3 to 70.8. Instead of using a comprehensive statistic like the Gini coefficient, Oxfam abandon any of their residual credibility and instead choose to cherry-pick two wealthy New Zealanders and highlight their improved financial position. It is a dishonest political manipulation of public debate.”

“As is clear from this campaign, Oxfam is little more than a left-wing political campaign group. In the same way that Family First and the Sensible Sentencing Trust are not allowed charitable status, it is time the same rules were applied to Oxfam and it was deregistered as a charity.”

Charities which get political risk losing donors.

A few years ago my daughter gave me a midwife for Christmas. It was an Oxfam programme that paid for midwives in a developing country.

The charity got my email and began asking for funds. I liked the idea of practical help and donated.

Then I saw a media release similar to this one that I knew was based on misinformation and stopped my donations.

Political advocacy plays an important role but charities which get into it risk confusing people about their priorities and losing support for their charitable work.

IHC cans calf scheme

Mycoplasma bovis has claimed another victim – the IHC Calf Scheme:

Due to the very real risk of spreading the Mycoplasma bovis disease, IHC has decided for the first time in 33 years to suspend crucial aspects of its Calf and Rural Scheme.

This includes picking up calves and organising IHC sales, simply because we cannot be part of something that puts farmers’ livelihoods at risk.

IHC has had a long and important partnership with farmers, which means together we have been able to make a real difference to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities – particularly those people living in rural communities.

We’ve spoken to many farmers, including at this year’s Fieldays, many of whom were concerned about the spread of Mycoplasma bovis.

Since the eradication programme was announced by Government, IHC has been in ongoing talks with the Ministry for Primary Industries – and based on information provided to us we have had to make some very tough decisions.

Over many years, IHC has tightened its practices – only picking up animals with National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) ear tags and Animal Status Declaration (ASD) forms.

IHC National Manager Fundraising Greg Millar says despite significant improvements in these systems, the risk remains too high.

“We have determined there should neither be IHC-organised transportation of weaned calves to sales, nor IHC calf sale days,” says Greg.

“IHC looked at every possible way to keep the scheme running as is, but after deliberating with MPI we determined it was too much of a risk.

“This is an important decision and one that we have not made lightly – the Calf and Rural Scheme is a long-standing fundraising programme that is now in its 33rd year, and generates more than $1 million annually for people with intellectual disabilities.

“We have a real obligation to do what is right for New Zealand farmers, their livelihoods and long-term sustainability.

“We are keeping up to date with the latest findings, and are working to gather the best data possible, to determine how the scheme will operate in the future.”

IHC would like to encourage people who want to continue to support people with intellectual disabilities to donate and take part in our virtual calf scheme, donating $300 in lieu of a calf, by visiting www.ihc.org.nz/pledge.

“We would also like to acknowledge what a tough time this has been for farmers, and we’re making a commitment to those in rural communities around New Zealand who have supported those with intellectual disabilities over the past 33 years.

“IHC is very grateful for the ongoing support in this difficult year of the key sponsors, in particular PGG Wrightson, who has supported us from the beginning of the calf scheme.” 

On The Country today, Jamie Mackay was encouraging everyone to donate money in lieu of stock.

We will be.

IHC was wonderfully supportive of our son who was profoundly disabled, and us.

Their attitude was summed up by the response to a query about what help was available.

The local IHC manager said, “You tell us what you need and we’ll make our system work for you.”

It’s more than 20 years since we needed that help but there are lots of other disabled people and their families who still need IHC’s assistance.

Purple Madona

One time on Hollywood Boulevard I saw a young girl with a baby. It was a crisp winter morning & her hair shone dark purple in the sun. She was panhandling outside the Holiday Inn & the door clerk came out & told her to be on her way & I wondered if anyone would recognize the Christ child if they happened to meet. I remember thinking it’s not like there are any published pictures & purple seemed like a good colour for a Madonna so I gave her a dollar just in case.

Copyright 2012. Brian Andreas at StoryPeople.

If you would like a daily dose of whimsy like this you’ll find where to sign up by clicking on the link.

Purple Madonna ©2013 Brian Andreas

If . . .

If you’d offered to host a dinner for six people as a lot in a charity auction what would you serve and/or if you’d made the winning bid what would you want to eat?

We made the offer for an auction at the local church fair last month.

The three couples who made the winning bid are coming on Saturday and I can’t decide what to serve.

They paid $400 and something in total.

Something better than ordinary is required and it would be preferable if most of the meal could be prepared before the guests arrived.

Please help a small surf lifesaving club

A friend has asked me to spread the word and solicit votes for Warrington Surf Lifesaving Club:

BP is running a nationwide competition for Surf Life Saving, where an IRB (Inflatable Rescue boat) is the prize for the club with the most votes. Warrington Surf Club was leading the votes, since a campaign was kick started by Columba College, after the incident at Purakunui, when the IRB from their club was used.

The boats are worth $25,000 and for a small club like Warrington, this would mean lots of raffles, sausages sizzles and quiz nights to raise the money to buy one.

Please support Warrington and go on-line and vote for Warrington Surf Lifesaving Club, and to pass this on to friends, workmates and family for their votes (voting closes on Sunday March 31, so not long to go!). One vote per email address, so multiple emails equals multiple votes.

Please visit www.bpsurflifesaving.co.nz select Southern Region and then Warrington SLSC. 

 

Janet Frame’s house needs help

I’m doing my annual stint as receptionist at Janet Frame’s childhood home in Oamaru.

The first two visitors were from the Netherlands. They had read about the house in a book called New Zealand Detours and that is why they came to Oamaru.

The next visitors were four older women from Dunedin.

One of them stepped inside the door, stopped and said, “I’ve dreamed of coming here but never thought I would.”

She didn’t know Janet personally but loves her poetry.

As I type a couple from England are taking their time wandering through the rooms, soaking up the atmosphere.

The house was gifted to a trust and is maintained by volunteers.

The Trust has a plea:

Like all veterans of a certain age there comes a time when the usual day to day care is not enough to sustain you.  Our wonderful haven celebrating Janet Frame is showing her age and needs more than a little TLC.

We are extremely grateful for support we receive from friends, donors and visitors and these contributions help us with the day to day expenses each year.  Earlier last year it was discovered that the window frames all needed replacing as they were rotten then later in 2012 much to our horror it was discovered the plumbing needed extensive repairs as well.

We are trying to raise $6000 to cover the repairs bills for both sets of repairs and to tidy up after them.

Give a little is an approved charitable platform, now sponsored by Telecom.  This sponsorship means every cent donated goes to the cause you intended it for.  It is also a secure site that transfers the funds safely to the charity.

We are asking  the community of support for 56 Eden Street to ‘give a little’ to enable us to fundraise the amount to repair the property and keep it available to visit and store memories.

Please visit Give a Little on this link and donate to Fix our House http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/fixourhouse  by clicking on the blue  Donate now button about the middle of your screen.

The Janet Frame Eden Street Trust is a registered charity and all donations are tax deductible.  A receipt can be downloaded on the spot.

I hope you pause from your day to day and help us keep this wonderful property safe and open to the public.

The Trustees of the Janet Frame Eden Street Trust.

Re-gift or sell

There’s always been re-gifting – passing on a gift you don’t want to someone else.

Now there’s TradeMe:

The Boxing Day ritual that sees thousands of Christmas presents re-emerge on Trade Me is under way, as Kiwis seek to find a new home for unwrapped items they don’t like, won’t use, or already have.

More than 20,000 items had landed on Trade Me since lunchtime on Christmas Day, and spokesman Paul Ford said the online marketplace provided people with an opportunity to recycle a gift, and make some pocket money along the way.

“Yesterday most of us will have received at least one gift that made us groan inwardly, but if you can’t exchange it then selling it to someone who genuinely wants it is often a better option than hiding it in the back of the wardrobe, sending it off to the dump, or awkwardly passing it on at Christmas next year.” . .

There is another option for unwanted gifts – passing them on to a charity shop.

Mr Ford said there were “regular offenders” that routinely turned up on site having missed the mark on Christmas Day. “These are often over-ambitious purchases on the lingerie front by both men and women, and items like books, ties, handbags and kitchen appliances all commonly crop up.”

But should we feel guilty about not keeping something we’ve been given?

The social taboo about recycling unwanted presents still remained, but was felt more keenly by gift receivers than by gift givers, according to research from the London Business School. “Receivers often over-estimate how offensive regifting is to the initial giver,” Mr Ford said. “But for givers, selecting and offering a gift is much more important than getting bitter and twisted about what happens to it after it’s been unwrapped.”

I’ve no doubt given gifts I thought were good ideas when buying them which might not be thought to be so good by those receiving them.

There are others that go out of fashion or just have passed their enjoy-by date.

I’d rather the recipients gave them away or sold them than held on to them unwillingly just because they were gifts.

About that trust

Susan Couch, the victim of a vicious attack in which her work mates were killed, has accepted the payment of $300,000 from the Corrections Department to settle her claim for exemplary damages.

Officer of Corrections, Ray Smith has said, the department is “doing right by Sue and her family”.

“Compensation is only available in New Zealand via the ACC legislation…Sue is a social welfare beneficiary as ACC legislation does not provide her with adequate support” said Brian Henry.

ACC is not injury based compensation; it is salary based compensation.

Susan will continue the fight for compensation, which now moves to a campaign to change the ACC legislation so that victims, especially women, receive a fair outcome. . .

That is not a lot of money given the severity of her injuries which were inflicted by a man  with a string of violent convictions who was on parole.

“I want to thank all my supporters over the past 11 years, especially Garth Mc Vicar and Sensible Sentencing Trust for the huge support I have received from them over those years”.

“I also especially wish thank Winston Peters for the donation that established the Susan Couch Victims Trust, which helps all victims of violent crime”.

Ah yes, that trust.

That’s the one which was established with  some of the $158,000 New Zealand First owes taxpayers after spending parliamentary services’ funds on its 2005 election campaign.

I don’t begrudge Ms Couch any money. She is disabled as a result of her injuries and isn’t eligible for much compensation through ACC.

But the trust was established with money which ought to have been used to pay back parliamentary services.

Given that, we have a right to know how much it gave her and what other donations the trust has made.

Not such a quick dash

What was meant to be a quick dash into town to get my weekly fix of fine food from the Oamaru Farmers’ Market led me on a detour.

A friend at the market told me she’d just been to a house of flowers and I ought to go too.

It was a fundraising collaboration between Altrusa and floral artists.

The house and garden hosting the event were attractive to start with and the lawns and each room had been enhanced with stunning arrangements of flowers. Some had Christmas themes, all were amazing.

We were asked not to take photos so I can’t share any with you, but my mind’s eye is still full of beautiful floral pictures.

The quick dash to town took a lot longer than I’d planned but the detour was well worth the extra time.

 

1 Young Nat beats Labour Party

A Young Nat took part in Live Below the Line – living on just $2.25 a day for five days.

She raised more than $2,000 in sponsorship.

The Labour Party took part and raised $1,986.

One student managed to make more money for charity than Labour.

Can we claim another victory for the principles of self-reliance and capitalism against socialism?

 

 

Wish for a smile

A few weeks ago friend who is an orthodontist spoke to me about a trust her profession was planning to set up to help children whose families can’t afford treatment.

It sounded like a good idea but like many good ideas needed a lot of work to make it work.

That work has now been done and the Wish for a Smile Trust was launched last night.

The Wish for a Smile Trust is a public health initiative of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists. The trust aims to make specialist orthodontic treatment available to young New Zealanders who would otherwise be unable to access orthodontic care.

Orthodontic treatment can make a huge difference to a child through increased self esteem and an optimistic future outlook. Unlike standard dental care, orthodontics is not free for young people in New Zealand.

This isn’t cosmetic surgery for the vain, it’s orthodontic treatment for young people with serious dental problems.

Campbell Live’s story about the trust is here.

Political activism isn’t charity

Greenpeace is in the Court of Appeal trying to overturn a ruling that it doesn’t qualify for charitable status:

Greenpeace of New Zealand, the environmental lobby group, is too big to miss out on charitable status just because the actions of a few members may be deemed illegal, the Court of Appeal heard today.

Counsel for the non-profit organisation , Davey Salmon, told Justices Rhys Harrison, Lynton Stevens and Douglas White, there was no evidence Greenpeace was engaged in illegal activities that would block it from registering as a charity. Even if some members were found to have trespassed in their non-violent action in support of Greenpeace’s goals, it was a side-issue to the organisation’s primary goals. . .

They’re arguing it’s only a few members whose actions are illegal. But look at the organisation’s core values:

. . . We take non-violent direct action to raise the level and quality of public debate and end environmental problems. Whether it’s a sit-in in front of a local government, or the scaling of an oil rig – peaceful direct action is our way to get us all talking and demonstrate solutions. . .

Scaling an oil rig isn’t very different from a sit-in on an oil drilling ship for which Greenpeace activists were charged and pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Both  look a lot more like political activism than charitable service.