Zenica Mann joins Pride Whanganui team as new manager

Pride Whanganui's new manager Zen Mann (right) with former manager Christina Emery. Photo / Bevan Conley

Pride Whanganui’s new manager looks forward to connecting with and supporting Whanganui’s rainbow community.

Zenica “Zen” Mann (Ngāti Kahu) is in the third week of her Pride Whanganui manager role, which she felt “super grateful” to have, she said.

“To start in Pride Month is fantastic and I’m feeling super grateful to be involved in the community and to have the support of the trust’s chairperson Christina Emery, our trustees and volunteers.”

Mann has worked as the Whanganui schools’ co-ordinator for InsideOut, a programme supporting the local rainbow rangatahi for the past year.

“It involves starting QSA [Queer Straight Alliance] groups so rainbow youth feel more connected and safe in schools.”

They said the opening of the position came at the perfect time.

“I was looking at more ways to support our rainbow community. Getting this job has been a big change, my days are fuller as I still am the InsideOut co-ordinator but I love it. I love being involved with the community so much.”

Christina Emery, who started Pride Whanganui six years ago and decided to hand over the reins this year, said it was like a dream come true to have Mann as the manager.

“I pinch myself with how lucky we are to have Zen. I created Pride Whanganui and a few other organisations six years ago. It’s been my whole world and I couldn’t ask for a better person to hand it over to. I was talking to my wife about Zen and the utter relief that someone as passionate as I am, if not more, would be taking on the role.”

Emery said Mann was the perfect person to carry Pride Whanganui forward.

“The organisation is here to help all rainbow people, not just those in Whanganui but in the surrounding areas too, going down to Kāpiti and right up to South Taranaki. It can be hard to be a rainbow person in small communities. We want to offer support to our rainbow people, transgender whānau and those who are supporting them.”

She said it was important for the rainbow community to have support.

“That’s why we educate people on how to offer support so our rainbow whānau have support and love. We’re here to help and support.”

Emery said people could call in to see her and Zen during Pride Whanganui’s new opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, 10am-2pm.