Addington community working to welcome newcomers

10 October 2005

The Christchurch suburb of Addington has a new information pack for people new to the area.

The Addington Welcome Kit includes useful contacts and information for people new to the area, including details of bus routes, health care, schools, community groups and other support organisations and local events.

It has been produced by the Addington Neighbourhood Association and Manuka Cottage (the Addington community cottage), with support from the Council’s Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board.

Nate Cull, the association president, says the suburb has relatively high rates of mobility and the hope is the kit will help newcomers to more quickly feel welcome and part of the community.

“Compared to other parts of the city Addington has fairly high rates of families moving in and out,” he says. “We’ve put this kit together to help integrate them and hopefully to avoid people feeling isolated. Now we’re looking to distribute it and we’d like to hear from anyone who is involved in dealing with welcoming people to the area, such as landlords.”

Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board member Megan Woods is the board’s liaison with the residents’ association. “The kit’s an excellent grass-roots idea,” she says. “It’s a community development resource that’s come from the community, rather than from the top down.”

● The Welcome to Addington kit will be officially launched on Wednesday (12 October) at midday at Manuka Cottage (on Dickens Street, off Church Square). For more information about it, send an email to info@addington.org.nz 

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