Community

At 74 years old, Allen Shearer is hanging up his boots – his big black boots as well as his scarlet coat and trousers which he has donned every year since 1978. However, talking to HELEN PERRY, this veteran Santa Claus and Grey Power member vows he’ll be back...

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat Please put a penny in the old man’s hat If you haven’t got a penny, a ha-penny will do If you haven’t got a ha-penny then God bless you This lovely, old nursery rhyme, carried forward over generations by such artists as Bing Crosby,...

The immediate nationwide adoption of all-hazard sirens into the design principles of an integrated safety management system for New Zealand is deemed imperative by Grey Power Federation NZ. Grey Power national president, Gayle Chambers says such sirens are vital for the enhanced safety of all citizens but are particularly important...

Grey Power welcomes fresh government plans to overhaul New Zealand’s emergency management system. The Hon. Mark Mitchell (Minister for Emergency Management), recently outlined a long-term vision for strengthening disaster resilience and emergency management. A document, which builds on the 14 recommendations made in a damning inquiry into last year’s deadly weather...

Founder of the Death Without Debt movement, Fergus Wheeler, recently outlined to Parliament, suggested reforms to the country’s outdated burial, cremation and death registration laws and regulations. He has made similar presentations to some Grey Power associations so his message will be familiar to many members. In particular, Fergus noted that...

Police response to an attempted Hamilton home invasion which left a wheelchair-bound, cerebral palsy sufferer shaken and frightened has been labelled by Grey Power as “falling woefully short”. A recent New Zealand Herald report outlined the incident in which 74-year-old Toira Newman bravely squared up to a man who knocked...

September is Wills Month There’s something really reflective around planning for the end of life. There are the practical considerations of estate planning and there are personal considerations of the legacy you want to leave behind. Many people approach the end of their life reflective of their life experiences, their...

Temperature rise caused by climate change is a major threat to the ecosystems of the world’s oceans, but it’s just one of a range of problems affecting our seas. Associate Professor Linn Hoffmann (Botany) is director of the University of Otago’s Future Oceans Research Theme, which is investigating the impacts...

For many Hawkes Bay residents, Cyclone Gabrielle required them to re-evaluate their needs, and shone a spotlight on just how important safety and community really is. Being unable to reach loved ones and cut off from basic amenities for an unknown amount of time, made people feel isolated and...

Daryn* is 10 and sleeps on a damp piece of foam under threadbare blankets in an often freezing sleepout behind his parents’ home with his two younger brothers aged six and five. He knows that his mum and dad are desperately struggling with money this year, which is why the...

Volunteers drive positive change. Whether it is planting trees, campaigning, or pest control, a team of dedicated volunteers has backed Forest & Bird’s work to protect te taiao nature since its launch on 28 March 1923. This year, Forest & Bird is celebrating a century of conservation mahi and the...