All articles in ‘Community’

New Zealand has grown to be a multi-cultural nation and encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. But as of the 2018 census, statistics show almost half of our population doesn’t identify with any religion. As we enjoy the days off this April that …

Project Face Shield NZ is an online community of over 200 NZ based 3D Printer owners who through the Covid19 Lockdown, started to see unprecedented demand from front line agencies for Personal Protection Equipment, (PPE equipment) including Face Shields.

Day 7 Update: Good progress with local community response teams contacting the most vulnerable, distributing full face shields to pharmacists, doctors, dentists and trying to use fresh produce grown in Franklin to help feed our most vulnerable.

I jumped on those scales and cried. And now this is the start of the rest of my life. Stephanie Hooper had always been big. As a child and throughout her teenage years she sought comfort in food as a way of dealing with life, until a series of events lea…

For the third successive year the annual North Island Donkey & Mule Society Show was held at the Counties Dog Training club grounds at Kidd Elliot Park in Te Hi Hi. This year the show also incorporated the National Miniature Donkey Show. Fortunately the …

Adam Mainey has always enjoyed keeping fit. From his younger years playing sport, to his previous jobs as a Bricklayer and running his own Masonry business, he was always challenged, or so he thought, until the day he changed careers and tried Crossfit f…

It’s that time of year again when, for all things, Jolly, Joyful and generally Christmassy, Papakura is your one stop Christmas stop! Having always had always had a strong community spirit, a varied retail base with 36 new shops opened this year alone, a…

Cosplay. To some people it’s a foreign word and they have no clue what it is. To others, they might have heard of it, but know little else, and Cosplayers themselves? Well, to them it can be a pretty big deal. Cosplay is short for costume play, an angl…

The Christmas season is a time to celebrate being with family and friends. It can however sometimes isolate members of our community, especially our senior members, who are without a strong network around them or who’s usual network of friends return to …

If you are looking for something to do as the weather gets warmer that gets you and the family out and about then you can’t go past the new Five Summits Walk and Bike Trail and accompanying map that has recently been developed in Pukekohe. A gift to the …

It’s hard to imagine that behind the wide smile, bright eyes and amazing mop of dark brown curls sitting across from me, is a young man who in recent years has struggled with his own mental health. For Caleb Ihaia though it is a reality. Despite chatting…

By Estelle Belle, Jack Daniels Miss Pinup NZ 2019 Runner Up For anyone who has dabbled in the vintage or pinup community and culture there is one event that is set into their calendars each year and that is the Very Vintage Day Out. This year, the home o…

Our Port Waikato community is on the edge, literally! Years of erosion have taken their toll on Sunset Beach, Port Waikato and the problem is now more serious than ever. Over half the car park has been lost, the community hall has been condemned, and…

From serving their communities to preventing crime while developing leadership skills, being part of the Police force can be one of the most rewarding careers a person can have, and now, thanks to a growing course initiative between Police, schools and t…

Auckland Football Federation Junior Coach of the Year 2019 Shane Thomas never imagined he would one day end up becoming a volunteer junior football coach, let alone winning the title of 2019 Regional Junior Football Coach of the Year for Auckland, that i…

Ex pat Yorkshire people gather for Yorkshire Day- a day of traditional Yorkshire events held at Pukekohe's Cosmopolitan Club. For the ninth year running ex pat Yorkshire people have gathered at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan club during July for a series of t…

Memories from a Franklin Photo News Photographer The feedback we had on last month’s Franklin Photo News story was amazing. What an incredible feat to scan all the pages of a magazine that 40 years ago was the social media of the day. The stories that h…

National Gymnastics Championships in October 2019 In early October, this year at the Trusts Arena in Auckland, the National Gymnastics Championships will once again bring talented children from all over New Zealand to participate and compete over 5 days.…

In today’s world, memories and events are recorded and shared with others in an instant, immortalised in a digital form of forever on any number of social media platforms. During the late 1960’s to early 1970’s the people of Franklin had a different type…

Initiated by Drury Rotary in 1987, this award has been presented every year, with the exception of a couple to an outstanding local candidate. Initiated by Drury Rotary in 1987, this award has been presented every year, with the exception of a couple to …