Tauranga Sunrise Rotary's Simon (left) and Michele Beaton on their bikes at the entrance to the Kopurererua Valley ahead of a big cycle scavenger hunt being held for charity. Photo / Alex Cairns
Tauranga Sunrise Rotary's Simon (left) and Michele Beaton on their bikes at the entrance to the Kopurererua Valley ahead of a big cycle scavenger hunt being held for charity. Photo / Alex Cairns
A New Zealand programme that nurtures young people to become kind, confident and empowered is making “a real difference” in Tauranga.
Now, the Graham Dingle Foundation, which runs programmes such as Kiwi Can, is the subject of a fundraising cycling scavenger hunt this weekend aimed at helping continue the foundation’s work.
The family-friendly Great K Valley Cycle Adventure involves teams on bikes solving puzzles and following clues in Kopurererua Valley. It has been organised by the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise and all proceeds from the cycle adventure event will go to the foundation.
Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise’s Michele Beaton said the Graham Dingle Foundation was an obvious choice.
The foundation runs six programmes covering ages 5 to 24 and helps them become their own heroes. The first of these is Kiwi Can, which focuses on primary and intermediate school-aged students. It sets a foundation of values and life skills that students take with them through school and later life. The programme encourages self-belief and confidence in young minds.
During Blake Loftus Cloke’s time as a teacher at Pāpāmoa Primary School she saw firsthand the impact Kiwi Can has on children.
Cloke worked as a teacher for new entrants and found the weekly arrival of the Kiwi Can team inspiring.
“They were friends with these kids. They really built trust and had the respect of the kids in these situations. It was what my class looked forward to the most.
“The messages they were being taught, the kids didn’t even realise.”
Cloke now works elsewhere but said the Kiwi Can team always took the time to listen to children and ask for their opinions, which created a positive environment “every single lesson”.
“I think it makes a massive difference in these kids.”
Cloke referred to a particular child with behavioural issues who would transform into an attentive, diligent, and respectful boy as soon as the Kiwi Can team arrived.
Tauranga Sunrise Rotary's Michele Beaton on her bike at the entrance to the Kopurererua Valley ahead of a big cycle scavenger hunt being held for charity. Photo / Alex Cairns
She said she wished every school had Kiwi Can.
“I think the more Kiwi Can, or the Graham Dingle Foundation, the more work they can do and the more students they can help, it’s going to make a real difference,” she said.
“It would be amazing just to have more of these leaders in each of our schools to teach things that aren’t part of the curriculum, that possibly need to be.”
Kiwi Can is a 24-month programme that involves every child within a school. It costs about $240 per student per year but is provided at no charge to the student.
For Beaton, she said the cycling event not only helped a worthy cause but also showcased the beauty and history of the city’s Kopurererua Valley - the biggest urban wetland reserve in New Zealand.
The valley a 300-hectare block of walkways, cycleways, waterways and bush runs from Judea to Tauriko, bordered by Gate Pā, Greerton, Westridge and Cambridge Heights.
It was also inhabited by the people of Ngāi Tamarāwaho for many years and there are several pā and archaeological sites located throughout the valley. During the 19th century, it was the staging point and retreat path of two significant battles between Māori and British Colonial forces.
Recent restoration work and river realignment were expected to recreate the fish and bird habitats and help to restore the valley’s mauri (lifeforce). At least 300,000 native plants have already been planted.
“With all the work that’s being done, it will be a real jewel in Tauranga’s crown and there’s a fantastic history to it,” Beaton said.
