Every year, each Hobec team dedicates a day to community service. This is an opportunity for our people to spend time out of the office as a team, support initiatives they are passionate about and give back to the communities they care about. Hobec community days take many different forms and cover the whole Bay of Plenty.
As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to share some of the activities our people dedicated time to this year…
In May, Georgina Smith and her property team spent the afternoon at Tauranga Musical Theatre completing a wardrobe makeover, sorting and organizing (and trying on) costumes. TMT is run entirely by volunteers, and it simply wouldn’t be possible for them to put on the incredible shows they do without the time and energy of their dedicated supporters. Georgina also helps out backstage on their productions, while you’ll find Jeremy Sparrow on stage in the limelight.
John Mackay‘s property and commercial team spent an afternoon at Mount Maunganui Main Beach, cleaning up litter from the dunes. Some interesting things were found, including a road cone and a barbie doll leg.
The corporate and finance team spent an afternoon in July with the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Te Puke Highschool Project K, cooking up a storm of freezer meals for those in the community who might need them. Ruby Bell is also a mentor for Project K students, and this was another fun and rewarding way to work with them.
Tauranga’s litigation team hit the beach in September and spent the afternoon planting with Coast Care Bay of Plenty, a coastal restoration programme that aims to restore and protect the sand dunes along our Bay of Plenty beaches. Fierce debates regarding optimal hole depth and fertilizer ratios could be heard, as well as Partners trying to find the best reception amongst the dunes to check their emails.
The wonderful women in our family team spent an October morning at Papamoa College for Kura Kai. Kura Kai is an organisation which lives by the value of manaakitanga (generosity and care for others) with a simple kaupapa of “Whānau cooking for Whānau”. They do this by raising funds to purchase chest freezers, which are donated to the High Schools they support. Local community volunteers then give their time, money and resources to cook nutritious meals to keep the freezers well stocked. Our team prepared 15 family-sized meals, which the school then distributes to rangatahi and whānau who need them.
Our Admin, Accounts and AML teams headed over to Rotorua in early October and spent the day clearing and preparing trails ahead of the Whaka 100. As well as getting stuck in with spades and hedge trimmers, Holland Beckett also sponsors the Whaka 100’s huge volunteer contingent, recognising and rewarding those who donate their time and vibes to the event. Many of our team use trails throughout Rotorua’s forests on a regular basis, walking and mountain biking, so seeing what goes in to keeping these maintained and safe to use year-round by so many passionate people was inspiring – not to mention, it’s a beautiful place to spend the day!
In October our HR team, along with some of our Admin and AML team, went across the road to the Tauranga Pregnancy Choice Centre to volunteer for the day. Pregnancy Choice provides information and support to women facing an unexpected pregnancy, including free pregnancy testing, counselling, information about abortion and adoption and support groups. Our people cleared winter clothing and replaced the racks with summer stock, with the winter clothing put out in boxes for people to take for free. They cleaned and disinfected toys, vacuumed and wiped down shelves, and organised the newborn baby donations. They also created baby boxes for expecting mums, and sorted, tagged and priced clothing donations for the Graced Opp Shop and Koha shop. All the earnings raised through the opp shop go towards assisting Pregnancy Choice and the Koha shop, and it is run completely by volunteers (aside from management).
As spring growth took hold, our employment team put their green thumbs to use at Awhina House, clearing and tidying the garden to be enjoyed by the women who live there. Awhina House provides transitional housing support and wraparound services for women in need, working with a range of other local providers. The space is operated by He Kaupapa Kotahitanga Charitable Trust (HKKT). The mission statement of HKKT is to “nurture, advocate for, and protect displaced women in Tauranga Moana” with a vision that “no woman in Tauranga Moana wake up in the morning without a hopeful future” – Tania Lewis-Rickard, Board Chair, HKKT.
Our Whakatāne team spent a Friday in early November painting the new Whakatāne Kiwi Trust space on The Strand, which will be a fun and interactive space for locals and visitors to learn about the Kiwi Trust and the work they do to protect the precious kiwi who live right on the doorstep of Whakatāne. Our team is passionate about this initiative, Jayden McNeil is a trustee, and the firm also sponsors the Trust to help them continue their dedicated work.
To close out the year, our Rotorua office (along with some Tauranga additions) spent a day with Tipu Wai Trust on Tarawera Road. We purchased native seedlings and planted these, and then spent time clearing weeds around previously planted natives. Tipu Wai Trust are a hands-on not-for-profit, who work to restore, regenerate and rebuild the Waiāriki waterways and native fish species.
Community days are a rewarding and insightful part of Hobec’s community commitment, allowing our people to give back and be present in the communities they care about. These wonderful organisations are always on the lookout for help if you have any spare time on your hands. For more information or to get involved in any of the initiatives, see below:
You may also like ...
Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa
Rewarding a lifetime of community work
