| What an interesting year 2022 has been! As we all look towards the end of the year and hopefully the thought of some summer holidays, it is worthwhile to look back and see what this year has been like for the team at One Mahurangi Business Association. While it seems a long time ago, the start of this year brought us more Omicron lockdowns and for the One Mahurangi Ops Team, it meant working from home, limited events, and doing our best to make sure that information on surviving and how best to get through was available to our members on a regular basis. As the year went on and we started to emerge from the Covid nightmare it was great to see how our locals continued to support the Buy Local, Support Local, Employ Local, Love Local message we share. I know that our local businesses, especially the retailers appreciated that support. I particularly liked the pay-it-forward message that became quite common in many cafes, as it really showed our community spirit. Once the country started to open up it meant that we could have some events and for me, the highlight was the Emergency Services Dinner. This event was put on to thank our local Emergency Services for their outstanding service to our community during the year and we had over 180 local emergency services personnel and their partners at the Warkworth Town Hall for the occasion. This event was amazing because virtually everything from the food, entertainment, spit roasts, venue, and drinks were donated by the local business community and we had 40 local volunteers who came in and served our emergency services heroes. For the evening our two local MPs, the Minister of Police, and the Opposition spokesperson for the Police also rolled their sleeves up and helped serve. It was an amazing night and one that Warkworth should be very proud of. The evening was a demonstration of how strong we are when we work together and how much we love local. Two messages we, as a community live by. #StrongerTogether #LoveLocal The Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights is run by a dedicated group of local volunteers, and supported by the One Mahurangi team. The festival was a big success with large numbers attending both nights and our local hospitality businesses all showing big increases in turnover on those two days. These community events bring a large number of visitors to our region. The Warkworth Santa Parade, held after an absence of two years, was one of the largest Santa Parades ever held in Warkworth and there is nothing that can beat seeing the looks on the faces of the children as Santa and Mrs. Claus go by in the Sleigh. Make sure you check out the photos on our website page. We also took Santa around both the neighbourhood streets of Warkworth and Snells Beach/Algies Bay during the week after the parade. HUGE thank you to Tyrepower who look after the Santa Sleigh for us during the year and to Hireworks who supplied the trailer for the Sleigh. Throughout the year One Mahurangi continues to work on infrastructure issues that affect our town and this includes, of course, Hill Street and the planned wastewater pipe that Watercare is consulting on. There is always an enormous amount of advocacy work that goes on by the One Mahurangi team in the background. It is often unnoticed by the community but I guess that might be a sign disruptions are being managed with minimal fuss. As we head into the frantic last weeks before Santa arrives, I want us to remember that it is not the size or dollar amount of the gifts we give, it is about the fact that we are there and that we care about each other. Please don’t put yourself under financial pressure, especially at this time of year. Talk to our retailers as I am sure they will have some great ideas for you, whatever the budget. When you support local, they too will support you. Friendly, local customer service in the spirit of Christmas. I want to finish this year with some words of gratitude and thanks. Firstly to our family of One Mahurangi Sponsors who continue to support us and our work each year. Your continued, generous support is appreciated and never taken for granted. Further thanks goes to the One Mahurangi Committee for their ongoing support and commitment during what has been another disruptive year. Yet more thanks of course to our very special One Mahurangi Ops Team of Alison Hitchcock who manages the Information Centre with her team of amazing volunteers, and my Marketing and Comms Manager Lauren Kumerich. We make a great team and they make my job so much easier, I appreciate them all! Lastly, I want to thank all of the people in our region that I have had the pleasure of interacting with over this year. I love what I do and being able to meet, chat and even argue with you all as I walk around makes me appreciate this wonderful place we all live in. Thank you for continuing to support this thriving, local community we are all part of. From the One Mahurangi team and I, we wish you, your staff, and your families a quiet and restful Christmas and that 2023 brings you all the joy and prosperity that you desire. Murray Chapman Manager, One Mahurangi Business Association murray@onemahurangi.co.nz www.onemahurangi.co.nz Support Local, Buy Local, Employ Local, Love Local! |
Read the full newsletter HERE>
