Raglan Naturally news
The current review of the Raglan Naturally community plan is being coordinated by Community Board member, Gabrielle Parson.
Gabrielle says, “Our plan is to review and update the original Raglan Naturally document. The Raglan Naturally team consists of a coordinator, the advisory board, support teams (in areas such as communications, funding and revision) and several focus groups.”
The Focus Groups will tackle key areas of Raglan Naturally and create a Community Snapshot which will be shared with the community. This snapshot will inform the content of Raglan Naturally 2018.
While Raglan Naturally is supported by the Waikato District Council and Raglan Community Board, it is driven and owned by the community. The advisory board and coordinator are responsible for the review and update and the aim is to complete the review by November 2018. Until then, Raglan Naturally will continue to support community initiatives and work to ensure a strong voice for the Raglan community.
Gabrielle says, she feels privileged to be working with our community on the Raglan Naturally project. She said, “As coordinator of the Raglan Naturally review I am able to bring my energy, positivity, big picture/holistic thinking, sensitivity, facilitation and organisational skills to the table. My husband Andrew and I have been living in Raglan for six years and with our children Vida and Alec we feel very much at home here. We came here for the community, the wild west coast, small town feel and for the water – a great place to put down roots and raise our
family. Over the last few years it has become clear to me that I want to work for the community, to facilitate and support wellbeing for all. I am very interested in the ‘big picture’, in finding out how our community ticks and in having fun! Building relationships and supporting others to do more of what they enjoy and feel passionate about will be at the centre of my work. I look forward to meeting you, hearing your story and working together in some way.”
Focus Groups – calling all community members
Do you have experience and skills to bring to RN, do you know of someone else who would be interested? We are currently forming these groups. If you would like to find out more about these key ares, find them in Raglan Naturally 2001. To learn about the role of the Focus Groups – contact Gabrielle – raglannaturally@gmail.com.
Please let me know when education group is next meeting. Thanks.
Hi Lynne,
If you email me on raglannaturally@gmail.com I can keep you updated on the Education Group.
Kind regards,
Gabrielle Parson
Thanks Rodger for the update in Raglan 23, Kind regards, Gabrielle
is it too late to have in-put into the Housing focus group? I am interested in Co-operative housing being an option in Raglan.
Hi Gillian,
Thanks so much for getting in touch. It is not too late to input into the housing focus group. If you contact me on raglannaturally@gmail.com I will put you in touch with the right person.
Kind regards,
Gabrielle
You currently have these focus groups. Where does Māori/ tangata whenua, cultural perspectives sit within these. I get it that in all, but why privledge some ares but not the role of cultural/tangata whenua?
Sharyn
Kia ora Sharyn,
Thank you for your question regarding where does Maori/tangata whenua sit in this process of Raglan Naturally. To give you a little background on the process that has been undertaken over the last 18 months/2 years I would like to share with you a brief snapshot of what we have been doing.
While I was on the Raglan Community Board in 2015/2016, Kelly Murphy and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to revitalise our community plan Raglan Naturally, a big component of that was to identify what was missing, needed updating or added; hapu/iwi and a partnership based on the Treaty of Waitangi have become an integral part of moving forward in this process.
Gabrielle Parsons our project coordinator has been busy working on a process for our focus groups, this mahi is always evolving and changing as we learn more.
The Raglan Naturally committee is made up of a diverse group of community members, which include mana whenua representatives; Heather Thomson, Denise Reynolds, Rangi Kereopa, Rolande Paekau, myself and Angeline Greensill (when she has time!)
We have hosted two community Tangata Triti workshops, which have been so well received, and have in fact been transformational for those in attendance. We have also hosted a number of community discussions that have spoken to the historical narrative for hapu in Raglan township (Putoetoe) from Ngati Maahanga whose tupuna Te Awaitaia rests at Papahua urupa (Te Kopua Camp Ground). This korero has given our community an opportunity to learn about a significant figure in tribal history specific to this landscape and who was also a treaty signatory.
We are planning on many more community learning opportunities based on the Treaty of Waitangi and narrative from hapu/iwi on this place we call home. Katarina Mataira will be hosting a workshop on how Te Mauri Tau embraces and frames their work via a Maori treaty lens in August and we are currently planning another korero from mana whenua, we have still to work out what that will be on.
I believe that we are at an exciting time as a community, we have an opportunity to build a community that embraces the principles of the treaty in a very meaningful, however, we are at the start of this journey and what that might look like will take time and lots of relationship building and trust.
Kind regards,
Lisa Thomson