Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Pride of NZ: Gabrielle Allen

Jonathan Dine jonathan dine@hbtoday co nz
Hawkes Bay Today·
11 Jun, 2015 08:44 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
GOOD SORT: Gabrielle Allen, from Napier, has been nominated for a pride of New Zealand award for her online advice group. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

GOOD SORT: Gabrielle Allen, from Napier, has been nominated for a pride of New Zealand award for her online advice group. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Gabrielle Allen had no idea her online coffee group would become such a popular platform for parental advice.

Mrs Allen has harnessed the power of Facebook to connect Hawke's Bay mothers and create a community support network.

As a result Mrs Allen has been nominated for the Pride of New Zealand community Spirit award.

In 2013 Ms Allen launched the group on Facebook called "Out and About with kids in Hawke's Bay."

Mrs Allen said she wanted to use the power of the page to create something for families in need.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In no time at all it grew to become the go-to resource for all things parenting, local information and community actions with more than 5800 followers.

"I didn't expect that sort of response at all, I thought it would be an online coffee group for a few friends," Mrs Allen said. "Its now a one-stop shop for people in need of advice, help and support."

The most important contributions are not seen on the page.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recently she has attended a "Family Violence is not OK" course off her own bat to better support some of the harder messages she receives on the page.

"It's also about women supporting women in abusive relationships or who are dealing with alcoholism."

The page primarily functions with her being a filter for anonymity, allowing people to ask what they feel are silly and embarrassing questions " often to find out they are not alone.

Spinoff pages and groups have started such as 'mums on a mission", which helps mums wanting to lose weight.

Discover more

Editorial: It's great to give credit where due

21 Jun 09:00 PM

Pride of NZ: Local heroes hailed at awards night

16 Sep 08:30 PM

Mrs Allen said this shows how important that sense of connection is, especially to those who find parenting isolating.

"To win the award would be humbling and amazing.

"If I did win it would be more representative of the community rather than myself," she said.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

'Rarely come to the market’: All Black great's farm station up for sale

07 Oct 03:20 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay water users invest $3.8m for new study of impact of Tukituki dam

07 Oct 03:01 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Tourism legend George Hickton dies, age 78

06 Oct 08:05 PM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

'Rarely come to the market’: All Black great's farm station up for sale
Hawkes Bay Today

'Rarely come to the market’: All Black great's farm station up for sale

Sam Whitelock and wife Hannah have put the station on the market after eight years.

07 Oct 03:20 AM
Hawke’s Bay water users invest $3.8m for new study of impact of Tukituki dam
Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay water users invest $3.8m for new study of impact of Tukituki dam

07 Oct 03:01 AM
Tourism legend George Hickton dies, age 78
Hawkes Bay Today

Tourism legend George Hickton dies, age 78

06 Oct 08:05 PM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP