Northland man overwhelmed by support after living in tent for months
Since the Northern Advocate highlighted John's plight on May 31 – when he'd been sleeping rough with his two dogs despite applying
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Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
Fairview At 25: A Celebration Of Community And Care
Press Release – Digitalstream In 2000, John and Mary Gardner were appointed as village managers just as construction began. For the first few years, they were the heart of Fairview – handling everything from sales and security to cooking and care. From its humble beginnings as a muddy construction site – so sticky it earned the nickname 'Albany Gold' – Fairview Villiage has grown into one of the North Shore's most cherished lifestyle communities. In those early days, gumboots were a must, and navigating the construction was part of daily life. 'They were good days. It was wonderful. Looking back, some of our fondest memories were from those days when the village was just starting up and we all got into a lot of mischief.' recalls Mary. Even then, it wasn't just about the buildings, it was about the people and the spirit of community they created together. The Early Days: Foundations in Clay and Heart In 2000, John and Mary Gardner were appointed as village managers just as construction began. For the first few years, they were the heart of Fairview – handling everything from sales and security to cooking and care. 'We were everything in those days,' John says. 'Office staff, security staff, sales, cook, show producer.' They lived on site in a homestead that served as both their home and the village lodge. It wasn't glamorous – the site was difficult to navigate due to the remote location. As Mary remembers, visitors would often say it was 'too far out in the sticks,' worried they'd be isolated. 'I can remember the words one of the owners said to me, he said, Mary, one day this village will be in the centre of Albany.' Today, that prediction has come true. Plays, Pranks and Camaraderie: The Fun of the Early Years Bev Barnes, 96 years and a founding resident remembers those early days with great fondness. 'In the early days, even though we had few people here, we knew everybody else and we always worked out things to have fun with – we were resourceful.' 'It was mud, builders, mud, and we all had to have gumboots.' 'When a new resident came in, I was always on the welcoming committee. That was my job, making them feel they weren't on their own.' Mary and John weren't just managers—they were the glue that held the community together. 'Mary and John initially, because they were everything—salespeople, managers, nurses. Often cooks, they put on all the initial entertainment.' John was known for his wild sense of fun. ' John's a very—he was a very—what would you say—he's a person who wanted to have fun and I liked to start the fun. I was quite mischievous in the early days so I joined in. I still could be if given the chance!' 'John used to put on mad, mad plays and we had Stalag 21 in production one time—and I was a German guard. The costumes were incredible. All made by Mary. It was such a funny play. It was quite like Monty Python.' 'Every April Fool's Day we knew John would come up with something (a prank) and you never knew what it would be.' 'And the care was always personal'. Laying the Foundations of a Special Village From the very beginning, it was the people – not just the buildings – that made Fairview special. In John and Mary Gardner, along with residents like Bev Barnes, the village found its earliest champions. Together, they laid the foundations of a community infused with care, fun, and laughter. John and Mary brought dedication and heart to every task, from hosting dinners to providing entertainment. Residents like Bev Barnes, who moved in back in 2002, brought their own energy too. A former school principal and competitive hockey player, Bev helped form the first residents' committee, hosted bingo nights, and starred in John's plays Building a Village, Building a Community This spirit of care and fun created a culture that continues today—a place where everyone feels at home from day one. Their legacy isn't just in stories; it's in the culture that lives on today. The community they helped build still thrives – a place where people look out for one another and joy is found in the little moments shared. The physical village slowly took shape – villas, community spaces, and gardens all emerged from the mud – but it was the people who truly built Fairview A Night to Celebrate 25 Years On Wednesday 25 June, residents came together for a very special dinner in honour of Fairview's 25th anniversary. Chef Noris and the Relish Café team served a three-course meal, including poached salmon à la salsa verde and wine-braised beef medallions. Traditional date pudding with butterscotch sauce rounded out the night. The dining room was beautifully decorated, and residents arrived dressed for the occasion. Music by Jim Joll filled the air as speeches reflected on Fairview's journey and enduring spirit. No anniversary at Fairview would be complete without a cake by Mary Gardner. For this milestone, she designed one that wove together past and present—combining the original sunflower logo and the current leaf motif with her signature handcrafted flowers. It was a beautiful tribute to how far the village has come. Still a People Place At 96, Bev Barnes still paints, reads, plays the piano, and takes part in village life. She describes Fairview as 'a warm, caring place to be.' When surgery left her unable to drive, her neighbours Jim and Natalie stepped in, and five years later, they still help with her shopping. 'This is a people place,' she says. 'Each home is a home. Right from the word go, I said to my children, 'I've done the right thing.'' John and Mary now live at Fairview themselves, enjoying the very lifestyle they helped to build. 'Living in Fairview as a resident has been marvelous, ' Mary says. 'Just as we promised to all those who moved here.' Looking Ahead Fairview has changed over the past 25 years, but its heart remains the same. It's a place shaped by its people, built on laughter, friendship, and care. And if you ask those who helped lay the first bricks or stirred the first pot of soup, they'll tell you: the best part of Fairview isn't the buildings. It's the feeling of belonging that's grown here. As Mary puts it simply, 'Our hopes for Fairview are that it stays just as it is.' Why 25 Years Matters When Choosing a Village Fairview's 25-year journey isn't just a milestone, it's a reminder of the quiet strengths that come with an established village. While newer retirement villages may dazzle with their modern fit-outs, there's something deeply reassuring about walking into a place where the community is already thriving. Mature gardens, established trees, and park-like grounds offer a sense of peace and timeless beauty Wide walkways, open-plan homes, and generously spaced communal areas create comfort and ease of movement A culture of care and connection has been nurtured over decades – not invented overnight The truth is, choosing a retirement village isn't like booking a hotel—it's choosing a home. And once the initial excitement of something new fades, what will make the biggest difference day-to-day is how the place makes you feel. So many Fairview residents have said they knew immediately that this was the right place for them. There's a pull, an unspoken warmth, and a sense of belonging that's hard to define—but easy to recognise. When it comes to retirement living, the unseen things often matter most. As one resident put it, 'This is a people place. It's a place where people care.' That's the kind of home Fairview has been for 25 years—and continues to be today.
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Scoop
Fairview At 25: A Celebration Of Community And Care
From its humble beginnings as a muddy construction site - so sticky it earned the nickname 'Albany Gold' - Fairview Villiage has grown into one of the North Shore's most cherished lifestyle communities. In those early days, gumboots were a must, and navigating the construction was part of daily life. 'They were good days. It was wonderful. Looking back, some of our fondest memories were from those days when the village was just starting up and we all got into a lot of mischief.' recalls Mary. Even then, it wasn't just about the buildings, it was about the people and the spirit of community they created together. The Early Days: Foundations in Clay and Heart In 2000, John and Mary Gardner were appointed as village managers just as construction began. For the first few years, they were the heart of Fairview - handling everything from sales and security to cooking and care. 'We were everything in those days,' John says. 'Office staff, security staff, sales, cook, show producer.' They lived on site in a homestead that served as both their home and the village lodge. It wasn't glamorous - the site was difficult to navigate due to the remote location. As Mary remembers, visitors would often say it was 'too far out in the sticks,' worried they'd be isolated. 'I can remember the words one of the owners said to me, he said, Mary, one day this village will be in the centre of Albany.' Today, that prediction has come true. Plays, Pranks and Camaraderie: The Fun of the Early Years Bev Barnes, 96 years and a founding resident remembers those early days with great fondness. 'In the early days, even though we had few people here, we knew everybody else and we always worked out things to have fun with - we were resourceful.' 'It was mud, builders, mud, and we all had to have gumboots.' 'When a new resident came in, I was always on the welcoming committee. That was my job, making them feel they weren't on their own.' Mary and John weren't just managers—they were the glue that held the community together. 'Mary and John initially, because they were everything—salespeople, managers, nurses. Often cooks, they put on all the initial entertainment.' John was known for his wild sense of fun. ' John's a very—he was a very—what would you say—he's a person who wanted to have fun and I liked to start the fun. I was quite mischievous in the early days so I joined in. I still could be if given the chance!' 'John used to put on mad, mad plays and we had Stalag 21 in production one time—and I was a German guard. The costumes were incredible. All made by Mary. It was such a funny play. It was quite like Monty Python.' 'Every April Fool's Day we knew John would come up with something (a prank) and you never knew what it would be.' 'And the care was always personal'. Laying the Foundations of a Special Village From the very beginning, it was the people - not just the buildings - that made Fairview special. In John and Mary Gardner, along with residents like Bev Barnes, the village found its earliest champions. Together, they laid the foundations of a community infused with care, fun, and laughter. John and Mary brought dedication and heart to every task, from hosting dinners to providing entertainment. Residents like Bev Barnes, who moved in back in 2002, brought their own energy too. A former school principal and competitive hockey player, Bev helped form the first residents' committee, hosted bingo nights, and starred in John's plays Building a Village, Building a Community This spirit of care and fun created a culture that continues today—a place where everyone feels at home from day one. Their legacy isn't just in stories; it's in the culture that lives on today. The community they helped build still thrives - a place where people look out for one another and joy is found in the little moments shared. The physical village slowly took shape - villas, community spaces, and gardens all emerged from the mud - but it was the people who truly built Fairview A Night to Celebrate 25 Years On Wednesday 25 June, residents came together for a very special dinner in honour of Fairview's 25th anniversary. Chef Noris and the Relish Café team served a three-course meal, including poached salmon à la salsa verde and wine-braised beef medallions. Traditional date pudding with butterscotch sauce rounded out the night. The dining room was beautifully decorated, and residents arrived dressed for the occasion. Music by Jim Joll filled the air as speeches reflected on Fairview's journey and enduring spirit. No anniversary at Fairview would be complete without a cake by Mary Gardner. For this milestone, she designed one that wove together past and present—combining the original sunflower logo and the current leaf motif with her signature handcrafted flowers. It was a beautiful tribute to how far the village has come. Still a People Place At 96, Bev Barnes still paints, reads, plays the piano, and takes part in village life. She describes Fairview as 'a warm, caring place to be.' When surgery left her unable to drive, her neighbours Jim and Natalie stepped in, and five years later, they still help with her shopping. 'This is a people place,' she says. 'Each home is a home. Right from the word go, I said to my children, 'I've done the right thing.'' John and Mary now live at Fairview themselves, enjoying the very lifestyle they helped to build. 'Living in Fairview as a resident has been marvelous, ' Mary says. 'Just as we promised to all those who moved here.' Looking Ahead Fairview has changed over the past 25 years, but its heart remains the same. It's a place shaped by its people, built on laughter, friendship, and care. And if you ask those who helped lay the first bricks or stirred the first pot of soup, they'll tell you: the best part of Fairview isn't the buildings. It's the feeling of belonging that's grown here. As Mary puts it simply, 'Our hopes for Fairview are that it stays just as it is.' Why 25 Years Matters When Choosing a Village Fairview's 25-year journey isn't just a milestone, it's a reminder of the quiet strengths that come with an established village. While newer retirement villages may dazzle with their modern fit-outs, there's something deeply reassuring about walking into a place where the community is already thriving. Mature gardens, established trees, and park-like grounds offer a sense of peace and timeless beauty Wide walkways, open-plan homes, and generously spaced communal areas create comfort and ease of movement A culture of care and connection has been nurtured over decades - not invented overnight The truth is, choosing a retirement village isn't like booking a hotel—it's choosing a home. And once the initial excitement of something new fades, what will make the biggest difference day-to-day is how the place makes you feel. So many Fairview residents have said they knew immediately that this was the right place for them. There's a pull, an unspoken warmth, and a sense of belonging that's hard to define—but easy to recognise. When it comes to retirement living, the unseen things often matter most. As one resident put it, 'This is a people place. It's a place where people care.' That's the kind of home Fairview has been for 25 years—and continues to be today.
Scoop
20 hours ago
- Scoop
Charities See Alarming Levels Of Poverty As Families Struggle
Article – RNZ Unaloto Latu's family is one of many caught in an alarming rise in poverty. Amy Williams, Journalist There are a dozen people in the Latu household in the Auckland suburb of Mangere, but not enough beds for everyone. Three of Unaloto Latu's children have to sleep on couches in the living room. 'Those three big chairs over here, our younger children sleep here… we know that sometimes it's hard for them but they have no choice.' She and her husband have eight children aged between six and 18, and two relatives staying. Her husband has been off work with a knee injury for about three years and their household income, reliant on the benefit, is always stretched. They are not alone – social services said they are seeing an alarming level of poverty as families struggle with the cost of living. Four agencies RNZ spoke to said they regularly hear of families sleeping in one room and turning off the power during the day as they try to stay warm and pay their electricity bills. Charities – including the city missions, Variety, Kids Can and Family Works – are running winter appeals to help support families facing hardship. Latu sells her homemade cakes to help pay for eggs and milk for her family – but it is not enough. 'Kids can go without milk, meat and bathroom stuff, cleaning stuff. Sometimes they need clothes and shoes, broken, husband can fix it he says he can get another two weeks from that.' The power and internet bills are paid but Latu said dinner is sometimes just rice – her children's schools are part of the government lunch programme. 'Sometimes if we have, we have. If not, they come [home] and just go in their room,' she said. 'It's crazy right now and it looks like everything in the shop is going up each week…milk, before i can buy six [bottles] milk a week for our kids but now two.' Latu said she sometimes struggles to remain positive. 'It is so hard but I always say to my friends and family I don't want to sit down and focus on that side, because I'm a very emotional person I'm going to cry the whole day not doing anything thinking of those things. I try to keep moving forward.' Latu said she is grateful to Variety for sponsoring her children, meaning they each receive $50 a month as a contribution to household costs. Stats NZ figures show electricity costs have gone up almost 9 percent since June last year. Petrol has gone up 15.5 percent over the same period. Consumer NZ's annual energy retailer survey found seven percent of New Zealanders have had to take out loans to pay their power bills – unchanged since last year. Chief executive Jon Duffy said the number of people concerned about the cost of electricity has jumped 10 percent in the last year. 'These financial concerns have led us into a dire situation where 11 percent of people are underheating their homes.' Duffy said the underlying market structure needs an urgent overhaul in order to slow down the growing number of New Zealanders experiencing energy hardship. This week, the Electricity Authority announced it would force big electricity retailers to offer cheaper prices for off-peak power use prices, and fair prices to people who sell surplus power to the grid from roof top solar panels at peak times. It is changing sector rules to require retailers with more than five-percent market share to offer time of use prices from the middle of next year, after a report by a joint task force of the Authority and the Commerce Commission. The changes were aimed to give consumers more choice in how and when they use power, and put downward pressure on prices. Presbyterian Support Northern general manager of social services Grenville Hendricks said this winter is worse for those on the breadline. The organisation is helping 800 fewer families after its government funding was cut by $1.5 million last year. 'Agencies are struggling to keep their services running, let alone try and support people coming in,' he said. 'It's also a challenge when there's been issues around benefit payments, there's been reductions in the numbers of available social housing.' Hendricks said that all contributed to people struggling to pay their bills, including power. 'People are trying to manage as best they can, but given all the other circumstances that are currently happening in New Zealand with the cost of living, unemployment, reduction in social services, it means that actually the power challenge becomes exacerbated.' He said they have heard of families sleeping in one room and children sharing beds to keep warm, and that the health of those not sleeping in beds or in damp mouldy houses was suffering. Zero Hunger Collective executive officer Tric Malcolm said she is hearing examples across the country of families struggling to pay for basics. 'What is normal now, most people wouldn't have even dreamed of several years ago.' She said for the first time in almost a decade they were hearing stories of families across the country struggling to keep their power on this winter. 'I haven't heard these stories since the global financial crisis. Families are putting the heating on in one room and sleeping in that one room so that they can save energy,' Malcolm said. 'It's those moments that cause me worry and make me feel sad because people aren't able to access good dry, warm homes because they don't have enough funds in their household income.' She said people then reduce the amount that they eat. Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson said its services are experiencing increased demand and people would often cover their rent and utilities before buying food. 'People are making terrible, terrible choices. Do I send kids to school, do I have the power on? Do I pay for the washing machine to be fixed, do I have the power on? Do I get food?' she said. 'What we know is that the demand for food, so therefore the inadequacy of people's weekly income, is significantly increasing, so much so that we can't meet the need and I am deeply distressed to acknowledge that.' Variety sponsors about 10,000 children and chief executive Susan Glasgow said the wait list has more than 3000 children living in material deprivation. 'Unfortunately these are children all throughout New Zealand who are living in material deprivation, in cold, damp homes, sleeping on the floor, not having enough school uniforms to go around all the children in a household, they're living in really tough times.' Glasgow said they hear from families regularly who are struggling to afford to heat their homes, and they often sleep in one room sometimes with the oven on for warmth. 'New Zealand is teetering on the brink. I think if we don't take some pretty severe steps very soon we're going to see more children plunged into poverty and the long term outcomes for New Zealand are going to be dire,' she said. 'We want a healthy, vibrant group of young people who can contribute to our economy, who are well educated, who can support us in our dotage. You know, it's just good for New Zealand to invest, and it's not about charity, it's about investment in our future as a country.' Unaloto Latu dreams of a bright future for her children and encourages them to help others. 'Our hope for our children, we always teach them to go to school and study hard so you can get a job that will give you what you need.' And when they have grown up, Latu has dreams of her own. 'For myself, my hope and dream is when my kids are all in good places I want to travel around the world.'
