Welcome aims to bring new Kiwis out of the cold
New arrivals in the northern suburbs can expect a warm welcome in the cooler months, thanks to a planned event which aims to help the newest residents of our region settle in. A mid-winter event is being planned in Whitby to help new comers to New Zealand settle more quickly and make new friends. Given the cold conditions of the great New Zealand winter, the event is expected to take place indoors on the afternoon of Saturday 27 June, with the Whitby Lakeside Baptist Church being looked at as a possible venue. Porirua Settlement Support is running the event and invites both newcomers and the wider community. "The event is aimed at building and maintaining bridges between people," says Settlement Support Coordinator Annette Woods. "It is aimed at all sorts of people ? those who are new and not well established or others with many established friendships who just want to broaden their social circle. ?It's important to help people belong, meet others with common ground, and celebrate diversity and that's what we're aiming for with this first time event." With this in mind, Ms Woods is keen to hear from anyone with ideas on how to make it an occasion that's enjoyable and helpful. Settlement Support New Zealand can provide easy access to information in Porirua that can support your settlement if you are newcomer. Although a Government initiative, it is administered by Porirua City Council's Community Development team, providing information on the Local Settlement Network (LSN) which supports new migrants to Porirua Ms Woods says the LSN meets twice a year to develop plans and a work programme for local initiatives. Membership is open to interested newcomers and people can contact me if they want more information on the LSN. If you would like to share ideas about what you would like at this event please contact the event coordinator Lucie Maruniak on 237 3578 or email .
