Strong Voices

The hard work is much more satisfying since a group of Christchurch IDEA Services volunteers joined the Student Volunteer Army.

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IDEA Services could do with more people like Ghanshyam Diyora. And thanks to him, we have more people like him.

When some old tree ferns were removed from a Mosgiel backyard in November last year, they left behind a bare fence line and empty spaces. That provided a blank canvas for the creative types among the staff and residents at an IDEA Services home.

A new Māori strategy is giving IDEA Services staff the confidence to explore cultural opportunities with the people we support.

It’s hard to innovate in the middle of a pandemic. But it might also be exactly the right time to rethink how the lives of people we support can be more creative, be more fulfilling and have more freedom.

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North Taranaki’s old and rare pōhutukawa – at risk from either falling into the sea or myrtle rust disease – have been given a second chance at survival.

Most IDEA Services frontline support workers have now received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.

IDEA Services has now held more than 40 community workshops around the country for families and friends of the people we support, as part of the National Services Review.

It all started with Timoti. He wanted to learn to take photographs and his dream expanded to include nine other people and a course with a professional photographer.

Timoti Schweizer-Marunui, who is keen on videography, says he spent most of his time filming “everything” and “everybody” on his tablet.

COVID-19 vaccinations are being offered to New Zealanders in stages so that people at high risk get the vaccine first, including our frontline workers.