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neWsletter

Issue 2B - april 2011

youth 4 youth

show your spirit

summer holiday . programme

our community

education

...more to say on page 8

val on the y...What does being a part of the yMca tauranga mean to you?Fitness and friendship.

describe your favourite yMca moment?Exercise.

how has yMca tauranga helped you in other areas of your life? What have you learned at the yMca tauranga?

Helps keep me active in my 70s and a healthy lifestyle.

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hello & WelcoMe...

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Kia Ora! Welcome back to our second edition of the YMCA Tauranga’s newsletter. I hope you have all been enjoying the best of what the Bay of Plenty has to offer during the beautiful summer months and that the transition from the holidays back to work and school hasn’t been too diffi cult.

Here at the Y we have been experiencing a lot of transitions over the New Year. As you will see on page 6 we have quite a few new faces on our staff. We are very excited to have all of them on board and look forward to seeing the benefi ts of their skills and efforts in the coming weeks and months. We also wish those who are leaving the very best in their future endeavours.

Speaking of the future, be sure to check out the exciting news about our historic Board Giving Policy on the opposite page. This is a major coup for the YMCA Tauranga and one we hope will future proof the Y for many years to come.

Indeed, maintaining the YMCA Tauranga as a robust and effective organisation for our community now and well into the future is one of my key responsibilities as CEO, and it is not something I take lightly. After all, responsibility – one of our core values – is about being morally and mentally accountable for an action or a purpose. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I knew I was fl agging on my duty – my responsibility – to the Y and to all those we serve in the community.

As Josiah Stamp, the President of the Bank of England in the 1920s, very aptly wrote, “it is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” It is this wisdom that inspires me to forge a culture of taking responsibility on a daily basis at the Y. After all, the consequences of the YMCA failing in its responsibilities would be just too signifi cant.

But learning to take responsibility is not just about preventing negative consequences. It is also the road to building character and the source from which self-respect springs. Furthermore, it is an essential fi bre in the social fabric of any community and vital for maintaining a productive and positive way of life.

That is why encouraging responsibility in YMCA staff is paramount as it makes them much stronger role models for the impressionable children, youth and students attending our programmes. Taking responsibility is contagious and rubs off on all those who experience it. What’s more, it is just the right thing to do.

CEO, Amy S. Thaler

We couldn’t to it Without:PARTNERS SUPPORTERS RECENT GRANTS

FARMER AUTOVILLAGE

auto store

quickee lube

big softee car wash

engine room café

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shoW your spiriton our BlackBoard

In a fi rst for a New Zealand YMCA – and possibly for any non-profi t organisation in the country – the YMCA Tauranga has established a formal Board Giving Policy. In this historic move, each member of the Y’s Board of Directors commits to making an annual cash donation to the Y that he or she considers to be “meaningful”.

This money is then added to other donations in a newly-created, named endowment fund that has been created with the Acorn Foundation.

The establishment of the Board Giving Policy, along with the establishment of the endowment fund, are the fi rst steps in a comprehensive fundraising campaign to cement the YMCA Tauranga’s long term fi nancial security.

“It is quite an amazing thing that the Y has done. Even the Acorn Foundation doesn’t have a formal written policy about giving. I applaud the Board of the Y for setting such a high standard and the Acorn Foundation is honoured to be a part of this legacy” says Bill Holland, Chairman of the Acorn Foundation.

In fact, the management at Acorn were so impressed with the YMCA policy and efforts they created a matching fund. If the Y raises $15,000 per year and three named funds are established as a result of the YMCA, they will match the $15,000 dollar-for-dollar. That means that at the end of fi ve years the YMCA could have $150,000 shoring up its fi scal future.

CEO Amy Thaler explains, “much of what I focus on is establishing systems, policy and process that will ensure the long term future of our YMCA. The endowment fund at Acorn will grow in perpetuity and will always be there for the YMCA and our community. No one can mess with it. My hope is that we can raise at least $50,000 within two years and then continue to grow it from there. The potential is unlimited.”

Donations to the YMCA Tauranga’s named fund are always welcome! You can help us reach our fundraising goals by completing the form on the back page or contacting Margot McCool at the Acorn Foundation on (07) 579 9839 or margot@acornfoundation.co.nz.

As any visitor to our home at 428 Devonport Road knows, the YMCA Tauranga has an entire ten metre wall covered from fl oor to ceiling with blackboard paint. It is a great place to doodle, leave notes and impart words of wisdom, as well as a fantastic distraction for kids while Mum and Dad fi ll in paperwork.

We were absolutely thrilled to fi nd the words of wisdom “I will like you for who you are” (pictured to the right along with their picture of a “squid fi sh”) written by Ethan (aged 8) and Alex (aged 7), two brothers who have recently enrolled for our Welcome Bay After School Care programme.

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Ethan and Alex are in good company on our blackboard. Mahé Drysdale, the YMCA Tauranga’s patron, also left his mark on one of his previous visits. He was then obviously followed by someone else!

4

The sun was shining (well, most of the time) and, as you would expect, the kids on our Summer Holiday Programme got to spend their days outdoors, experiencing adventures and generally having a great time!

They got to play glow-in-the-dark mini putt golf, picked berries at Somerfi eld Berry Farm, climbed the walls at the Rock House, went boating with Kewpie cruises, got lost and found at Edgecumbe’s Amazing Maze, had awesome fun at Taupo’s Action World, and.... and... the list continues!

Of course it wasn’t all about getting out and about. One of the biggest aims of YMCA Holiday Programmes is to let kids be kids and to let them enjoy the simpler things in life like making friends, singing, dancing and laughing.

The YMCA was very fortunate to have Steven Campbell, Javon Bark, Katie Woods, Aimee Snelgrove, Georgia Chalmers-Jones, Sophie Futter, Kirsty Callaghan and Rebeka Adams volunteer their time over the holidays to help make

the programmes even more fun. We heard glowing reports about all of them and hope that they enjoyed their time with us as much as we appreciated having them. A big thank you also goes out to all of the staff and kids that made our summer amazing!

Unfortunately, like all good things, summer had to come to an end and so too does our time with some of our fantastic supervisors and leaders who are moving onwards and upwards. We wish you the best of luck

and hope that you will be successful in whatever you’re moving onto. So to all of you, and you know who you are, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you. The children have loved you and so has the Y!

Now it is back to the drawing board as we come up with bigger and brighter plans for our Autumn Holiday Programme from April 18th to 29th. Keep an eye out for our brochures and, in the meantime, have a great school term!

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suMMer holiday prograMMe overvieW

by Valdina Camille-Dawson

4 yelloW shirtsIf you’re out and about during the school holidays, there is a good chance you’re going to see yellow. That’s because all YMCA Holiday Programme participants get to wear a yellow t-shirt when away on excursions. They look great plus make life a great deal easier for YMCA staff to keep tabs on where our kids are, thus helping our participants stay safe.

5

If you were one of the estimated 1,200 people who attended the TECT All Terrain Park (ATP) on the 11th of December 2010, you no doubt will have seen a YMCA presence there.

Using seven of its vans, the YMCA provided a shuttle service for the opening celebrations, allowing visitors to the 1,255 hectare park to get a much better (and dustier) view of what it has to offer. The Y also provided arts and crafts activities for kids at the park’s Arrival Centre.

Driven by YMCA staff (who served as tour guides as well as transportation gurus), the vans collectively clocked up 1,000km on the day as they ferried patrons between the festivities at the centralised visitor area out to the various activity zones of the park.

The ATP, off State Highway 36 half way between Tauranga and Rotorua, is designed to be an outdoors playground for a range of active and passive recreational pursuits including firearm sports, mountain biking, archery, 4x4, trial and trail bikes, motocross, quad bikes, car rallying, equestrian, tramping and orienteering.

The YMCA Tauranga is very excited by the opening of the park, so much so that our Holiday Programme groups visited there at least once a week during the Summer programme. We have big plans for the future as well with overnight camps and youth volunteering at the park.

4

2011 is an exciting year for the YMCA Tauranga for many reasons but one BIG reason is the launch of our new youth programme. For as long as the YMCA worldwide has existed (which is a very long time!) it has been renowned for the extraordinary work that it does with youth. And although the YMCA Tauranga has always been engaged with youth through its various programmes such as OSCAR, it has been a while since we had a fully fledged youth group up and running. Therefore, it is with great anticipation that we launch one this year.

The new programme is called Youth 4 Youth and was initiated by the combined efforts of Carl Hetherington, Keeley Ferguson and Maria Woods. Their passion to see the YMCA impacting the lives of young people fuelled a well thought out proposal which was embraced by the Board of Trustees as something the Y should definitely take on. Keeley began the groundwork for the programme late in 2010 before leaving on maternity leave.

This is where I need to introduce myself as Tamati Cameron and that I’ve taken on the role of Youth and Volunteer Coordinator in 2011. For those familiar with our YMCA you may recognize me from last year as the After School Care Coordinator. Although I enjoyed my time in this role I was eager to take on an opportunity to work more directly with young people. My previous experience before arriving at the YMCA was predominantly in the youth sector. I spent seven years running a Christian Youth Programme called Primal in Hamilton. I’m passionate about working with young people and am very excited about what impact the YMCA can have on the youth of Tauranga.

One desire through the programme is to unlock the potential in young people. My

experience shows that very few people, especially young people, recognise the potential that is within a young person. More often than not this lack of self belief serves to hinder their opportunities and personal growth. They settle for what comes at them and they give up striving for their dreams.

A young person that gives up on their dreams because they feel they lack what it takes is often likely to begin destructive behaviour that gets them further into a hole. This is largely responsible for many of the negative trends we see in society such as self harm, youth suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders and teenage pregnancy.

Most non-religious youth programmes are aimed towards ‘at risk youth’ and would categorize them as the bottom 10%. But I feel that potentially the middle 80% of young people are at risk of falling into this category over time if we fail to help them believe they have what it takes to succeed. A young person who gives up on themselves will also give up on the world they live in and that is a dangerous state for our nation.

The best way of reaching youth is through youth. That is why we’ve chosen the name ‘Youth 4 Youth’. One of the ideas is to stop young people from being so inwardly focused. The more they stare at the flaws that society quickly points out in them, the more consumed they become with those very flaws. It is when young people get consumed with what they lack and aren’t good at, that they experience a sort of internal combustion.

Young people need others who will point out their strengths, not their weaknesses and get them focused on how they can use these strengths to do things like benefit society. A big part of what the programme will do is release young people to use these strengths

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in a collective way to put on events for young people, organise seminars, and get involved in community projects. By changing the focus from themselves to helping others, young people will experience great reward and understand that as they combine their strengths with others’ strengths they can achieve things of significance. This boosts their confidence in themselves and provides skills that will come useful in pursuing their dreams.

Besides being a truly rewarding and growing experience, Youth 4 Youth will be a heap of fun for all involved. There will be great speakers, discussions, projects, fun nights – all well worth getting involved in. We will be meeting mostly on Monday nights and there will be a strong element of just hanging out and enjoying being together.

to get involvedAll young people aged 14 to 17 are invited to come along and can get involved as much as they like. The highest level of involvement is for those youth who want to commit to being a part of the team that organises and coordinates the seminars, fun nights, and events. If that level of commitment doesn’t work, any young person within the age group can still just come along and enjoy what’s on offer. But remember - as with most things in life - you get out what you put in!

For any more information about the programme and how to get involved email youth@ymcatauranga.org.nz or call Tamati on 027 279 4010.

by Tamati Cameron

5

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In some exciting news for our After School Care and ALFS programmes, construction on the

new Arataki Community Centre started on February 14th. Located in Grenada Park next to Baywave, the new centre promises to be bigger, better and more functional than the old centre, which was demolished in November.

Designed by Marra Construction and Chow Hill to be a multi-use function that serves as a source of pride for the Arataki community, the Centre should be open for use by July or August. The YMCA Tauranga has already requested bookings

for its Arataki ASC programme and its Mount-based Smooth Movers class.

A fi rm believer in the strength and longevity of the Arataki community, the YMCA Tauranga has been participating in the Arataki Community Advisory Group (ACAG), a voluntary community

group formed to provide guidance to the Tauranga City Council on important issues relating to the goals and purposes of the new Centre. The ACAG has also hosted an Arataki Community Day and participated in the safety and crime audit of Grenada Park.

sophie irving

Sophie is our recently appointed OSCAR Administrator. She is working with new OSCAR Coordinator Val Camille-Dawson to deliver our After School Care and Holiday Programmes.

carlee Williams

Carlee has joined our Education team as our Employment Broker, a newly created role that will assist our students to enter or return to the workplace after completing our classes.

  Marie Farrell

With Janine Taylor heading back to school to complete her studies in Early Childhood Education, the YMCA Tauranga is very happy to have fi lled the role of Preschool Gymnastics Instructor with Marie.

ivy patrick

Ivy is our new administrator for the Education Team. You may recognise Ivy from our last newsletter in which she told us of her inspirational story and journey to becoming an early childhood educator.

glennis Matenga

The YMCA Tauranga is now looking spick and span thanks to Glennis, our recently appointed House Cleaning Magician!

neW Faces

eMployMent WorkshopsFor neW MigrantsSince its fi rst “professional” newsletter three months ago, the YMCA Tauranga has made its classrooms available for the Settlement Support New Zealand (SSNZ) initiative to accommodate three small “Employment Preparation for New Kiwis” workshops for 32 migrant clients.

Each workshop is limited to around ten participants and is arranged by the SSNZ Coordinator and facilitated by Career Services’ resident career consultant. These workshops are designed to assist newcomers arrange their CVs to suit NZ employers, discuss job seeking strategies, the hidden job

market, and practice interview skills.

The workshops are also an enormously benefi cial forum for new and skilled migrants to share their experiences of settlement in our region. They also provide key insights to our own culture, thus assisting newcomers while providing them with another network for making new friends in their neighbourhood.

This last point is extremely important for anyone settling in a new country, far away from family, old friends and familiar things. Every contact and new

understanding from these workshops helps to grow the confi dence of our new settlers to integrate into our society and become productive citizens through many different avenues of involvement in our community.

For more information about the workshops or any other programme SSNZ runs, please feel free to contact me – (07) 579 6532 or ssnz@ymcatauranga.org.nz. There is also more information about Settlement Support New Zealand at www.migrantsupport.org.nz

The YMCA Tauranga has several new faces on the scene.

6

arataki coMMunity centre update

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428 devonport road, taurangaspirit@ymcatauranga.org.nz

07 578 9272www.ymcatauranga.org.nz

7

greetings FroM the education teaM

by Judy KaneEveryone has pretty much settled in well to 2011 and is working hard to achieve their goals for the New Year.

Since I’ve been the Education Manager here I have come to realise that there is one thing we can always count on through our affi liation with our Ministry of Education – that, of course, is change! Some of it is good and some not so good – and all of it challenging.

This year we have been thrown a few big challenges. In order to fulfi l our contracts with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for 2011, we’ve had to readjust our curriculum and learning pathways considerably. These changes affect both our Workplace Computing and Early Childhood Education classes. These changes include:

• All programmes now being targeted towards learners at the highest risk of long-term unemployment.

• A more explicit focus on improving literacy and numeracy skills.

• The length of programmes now being 26 weeks (previously one or more years).

• Classes being held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (previously they were 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

• The primary objective is now to fi nd sustainable employment that is equivalent to each learner’s benefi t type.

• A name change (of course!) with the courses formerly known as Training Opportunity Programmes (TOPs) now labelled Foundation-Focused Training Opportunities (FFTO).

The long and short of it is that more people will be pushed through our programmes at a much faster pace and a very high expectation put on employment and improving literacy and numeracy skills. This is no mean feat for us especially given that the amount of funding we receive will not be increased. We have, however, had to increase our staffi ng to cope with these and other changes. Hence, we warmly welcome Carlee and Ivy to our team (please see the article on New Faces for more information).

Meanwhile, Mistie (Workplace Computing Instructor), Kathryn (MAPS Instructor) and I have been working hard in collaboration with our learners to assist them in becoming great, responsible employees.

We focus highly on the core values of the YMCA – Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility - to support us in this endeavour. We are also proud to boast good whānau relationship concepts between us. You will see tireless efforts between us to improve communication skills and further empower us all.

We also encourage the daily celebration of our cultural and individual differences, starting and closing each day with a blessing and waiata. (If you’re around early in the morning and hear our dulcet tones, please feel free to join us – you are more than welcome!) These protocols bring us together as one and hold us better throughout the day - we sing more, laugh more, enjoy each other more – and as a result, create a safer and more productive learning environment.

aFter school neWsby Jenny Hurliman

note to alFs participantsWe try to make things easy so you can pay at class, by phone, over the internet or in person at our offi ce. But please remember our instructors cannot accept cash at classes. You may pay them with a cheque or, alternatively, please contact our front desk on 578 9272 for instructions on other payment methods.

The start of term one for 2011 went well with the YMCA Tauranga team hitting the ground running. Enrolments are already seeing an upward trend and we’ve been working hard on activity planning to keep one and all healthily fed, positively occupied and meeting new friends.

With the New Year offering new opportunities and change, you will see quite a few new staff members (including me!) at our After School Care (ASC) centres. Be sure to say hi to:

• Laura and Olivia at Arataki

• Claire at Bethlehem

• Steven at Welcome Bay

• Mara at Papamoa

• Tania at Gate Pa

In addition to our new paid staff, also be on the lookout for our enthusiastic team of volunteers who’ll be helping out at various ASC centres. They are such an asset to our team and we’re thrilled to have them on board. After all – nothing beats the heart of a volunteer!

We would like to wish Laurel, Lauren, Janaya, Katie and Sam all the best on their future endeavours.

We’d also like to congratulate Keeley and her fi ancé Josh on the birth of Caleb Nicolas Brown. Their new bundle of joy arrived at 9 p.m. on the 2nd February, weighing 7.5 pounds.

With respect to ASC programme activities, here are just a few samples of what we’re planning:• Troy Project Week – We’ll be

making Trojan horse, togas and armour, re-enacting the famous battle, and all the while, learning the story behind the Greeks and Trojans

• Pirate Day• Spies and Detectives• Map Making and Orienteering• Blindfold Tasting• Hacky Sack Making• Pizzas and Mousetrap Making

let the fun and games (and learning!) begin!

air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest lieliness humour essence quality respect welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance peace contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life peace vigour excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air willpower atmosphere courage quality encouragement charactervibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment breathe vitality attitude backbone liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivan perseverance love caring contentment excitement vivacity verve vigour dynamic attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy air life soul spark character encouragement energy peace vigour liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance energy honesty peace vigour zest liveliness humour atmosphere soul welcoming humour motivation perseverance love excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life souls park character energy peace vigour zest liveliness soul responsibility spark quality welcomingmotivation perseverance love excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone zest willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm caring honesty attitude vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour love liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance peace contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe humour attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasmhumour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character eny peace vigour responsibility zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love show your spirit... contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy lifesoul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragemevibrancy life soul spark caring character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welco w lcome Whakangakau to wairua love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic

val tells us y...

you can help the yMca tauranga Show us your spirit by donating to the YMCA Tauranga. Your donation will be earmarked for our newly created endowment fund at the Acorn Foundation. Help us help ourselves for the long term. Simply fi ll in the form, cut it out and send it to 428 Devonport Road, Tauranga.

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All donations will be acknowledged and qualify for income tax exemption in accordance with IRD rules. If you do not wish to receive our newsletter, please let us know.

How did you fi rst get involved with the yMca tauranga and how are you now involved?Newspaper advertisement. I now attend three ALFS sessions a week.

What do you think people miss out on by not being involved with the yMca tauranga?Fitness, friendship, fun and lots of laughs.

if you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?A bird. I would fl itter about.

What is your favourite ice cream?Hokey Pokey.

What is your favourite expression/quote/words of wisdom?Thanks for making all of us feel we are very special.

What does lunch normally look like?A light sandwich.

Best thing about living in the bay?Weather – the climate is lovely.

air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest lieliness humour essence quality respect welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance peace contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life peace vigour excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air willpower atmosphere courage quality encouragement charactervibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment breathe vitality attitude backbone

caring contentment excitement vivacity verve vigour dynamic attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy air life soul spark character encouragement energy peace vigour liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance energy honesty peace vigour zest liveliness humour atmosphere soul welcoming humour motivation perseverance love excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life souls park character energy peace vigour zest liveliness soul responsibility spark quality welcomingmotivation perseverance love excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone zest willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm caring honesty attitude vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour love liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance peace contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe humour attitude backbone willpower atmosphere humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement

character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness

motivation perseverance love contentment keen respect vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage responsibility zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment responsibility zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment responsibility

excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love contentment excitement keen vivacity verve vigour dynamic air breathe vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy life soul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness humour essence quality welcoming humour motivation perseverance love show your spirit... vitality attitude backbone willpower atmosphere courage enthusiasm encouragement vibrancy lifesoul spark character energy peace vigour zest liveliness essence quality welcoming humour motivation

val tells us y...val tells us y...

you can help the yMca tauranga

How did you fi rst get involved with the yMca tauranga and how are you now involved?Newspaper advertisement. I now attend three ALFS sessions a week.

What do you think people miss out on by not being involved with the yMca tauranga?Fitness, friendship, fun and lots of laughs.

if you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?A bird. I would fl itter about.

What is your favourite ice cream?Hokey Pokey.

What is your favourite expression/quote/words of wisdom?Thanks for making all of us feel we are very special.

What does lunch normally look like?A light sandwich.

Best thing about living in the bay?Weather – the climate is lovely.