The Te Henga Community Hub is a friendly network of local people, who are working to improve wellbeing, community connectedness and sustainability in our local area. Anyone who lives locally is welcome to join in and contribute to this, in any way they would like to, however large or small.  So, in essence – the Hub is all of you – whoever wants to be involved!

The Hub was started up in 2023, to help co-ordinate better between different local community efforts, and provide more fun and inclusive ways of being involved.  We were also trying to address at the local level some of the ‘big picture’ issues, such as environmental destruction, challenges from extreme weather events and global instability etc, in a positive and accessible way.  

The Hub overall is aiming for a ‘non-hierarchical’ structure overall, with everyone’s voice counting as equal. It is organised via a number of working groups that focus on specific topics.  These currently include: Sustainability, Transport, Iwi/Marae Consultation, Communications, Wellbeing, Creativity, Celebrations, Community Space Creation,’ Rangatahi, and Children’s Activities. All locals are welcome to join any working groups that light them up! The contact points for each of the working groups are listed on the working group's page on this website (or search the Directory).

‘Tea and Talk’ general community meetings with a friendly and fun atmosphere, are held roughly every three months. All Te Henga residents are welcome at these, to be a part of the decision-making process of the group, or simply connect with other locals. The sub-groups meet as and when needed, around specific topics

We are also setting up an Incorporated Society group to serve the purposes of the overall Hub, where a more ‘formal’ group is needed (e.g. for funding applications, and to allow better communication with Council etc).   The Inc Soc will have an AGM once a year, plus Special General meetings if required by its members. To cover legal requirements, the Inc Soc has a committee, which needs to be voted for.  The committee comprises of the contact points of the various subgroups, plus a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, a rangatahi rep, and an over 65’s rep, to ensure as diverse a group as possible!  However, all local residents are also very welcome to become Inc Soc members, which entitles them to vote at meetings. If you would like to be a part of this, we can send you a form to fill in, or come along to an Inc Soc meeting and join on the spot. 

An important part of the Hub is holding community celebrations, as these are a great way to bring people of all age groups together.  We focus particularly on celebrations that relate to natural cycles, and hence aim to hold a fun gathering every season.  So far these have included Matariki, our spring Hokinga mai ā te Tuna (Return of the Eel) event, and Summer Solstice so far. a Harvest Festival is being planned for the Autumn.

To find out more about the Hub, sign up for our email updates, or keep an eye out for the next Tea and Talk meeting and just turn up on the day! If you are interested in being involved in one of the sub-groups – please drop a line to the contact point for that group.

If you have an idea for a community project or organisation, we may be able to help! Please email us or bring your idea along to a Tea and Talk meeting. We can try to connect you with others locally who are interested in the same topics, suggest funding opportunities/support applications, and spread the word about your idea through our communications.