EPIC Te Puke grows as community need comes to the forefront

EPIC Te Puke secretary Beks West (left), marketing manager Rebecca Larsen and volunteer Jody Tait. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

The induction of two new team members at EPIC Te Puke signifies the growth of a small organisation, but also the need for it in the community.

Manager Rebecca Larsen said there were now two new people on the books; Beks West, who will work a combined secretary and administration role paid part-time, and Jody Tait, a volunteer who will help with the administration work.

"We're always on the lookout for more help and we still have a volunteer position out. I would like to grow the team and split out promotions and events a little bit further as well," Rebecca says.

"We are ramping up to building a new social commerce platform and in that sense that is why we are getting extra help, because we will need to go forth and share that with as many businesses and community groups as we can.

Larsen said the team were going to be busy in the not-so-distant future putting the website, which includes marketing tools, out to those who needed it.

"We've all been given a bit of a wake-up call to get our businesses online and watching what is happening overseas, I think we need to be prepared and make sure our town is represented online.

"It's come to the forefront for us as a need."

Tait said she was new to the area but it was the community spirit of Te Puke that drew her here in the first place. Working for EPIC enabled her to be a part of it.

"My background is project management and administration so that works quite well with all of this.

"At the moment we are just building on who we know is in the area and we're thinking of ways to support new businesses. It's a give-and-take thing of what we can do to support businesses and what they can do to support the community."

West said she had always been interested in events, and as the manager for bookings at Te Puke Memorial Hall, the role at EPIC fitted perfectly.

"I live in Te Puke, my kids go to school in Te Puke, we go to the events in Te Puke ... wanting to be more involved in the community, EPIC was the way I could do that.

"I think Te Puke is an amazing community that has given me so much and I just want to be involved and getting to know local businesses more."

West said there were amazing local businesses, "so why not support them?"