December 2021 Teams and their whānau across New Zealand gathered with trepidation this week, waiting for the outcome of New Zealand’s Young Enterprise Scheme National Awards (YES) 2021. Among them was young mum and Te Tipu Whenua o Pā Harakeke (Flaxmere Teen Parent Unit) student, Ottyleah Te Houkamau, who had entered her natural lip treatment enterprise Trio Treat. Ordinarily, regional winners from around the country would be invited to Wellington to present in person; howeve

November 2021 Students will be in their brand-new learning space at Flaxmere College early in term one, 2022. So big that deputy principal Shelley Arnold jokes that it may well be “visible from space”, it is 120 metres long; bigger than a rugby field. The innovative learning space has been designed to cater for the diverse needs of students, with larger spaces where they can work collaboratively and smaller spaces for individuals to work on their own. Even closer to being fin

June 2021 The awesome action-packed opening of Flaxmere’s brand new basketball court drew a huge crowd to Ron Giorgi Park III on June 13. “It’s brilliant,” said Hastings District councillor and Hastings Ambassador Henare O’Keefe, who emceed the day. “So many of our kids love basketball and they turned out in droves to help us celebrate this new court, which is going to be so well-used.” On opening day, on-court drills and competitions were hugely popular, led by Tall Black To

November 2021 There has been a lot of news about the homes that are going to be built in Flaxmere. There are some common questions Flaxmere people are asking about the project, and we’re doing our best to answer them. Where are the three areas and how many homes will be on them? Behind the Flaxmere Village Shops (about 40 homes) Next to the Flaxmere College sports fields (about 60 homes) At 244 Flaxmere Avenue (about 45 homes) The exact number of homes in each area will depen

June 2021 Inclusion was at the heart of an invitation to the Hawke’s Bay Multicultural Association to be formally welcomed onto Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere in June [June 12]. On what was a beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon, Evelyn Ratima called the manuhiri onto the marae where, following the powhiri, they were free to “ask any questions you’ve ever wanted to about Māori and marae but been afraid to ask”, said organiser Des Ratima. Having Te Aranga Marae in the rohe, a mar

November 2021 We were all ready to go with the 2021/22 Flaxmere night markets – when COVID hit us again! The minute we get to Level One COVID restrictions (or the appropriate colour on the new traffic light system) they will be on. There’s been a move to the venue to the grassed area between the Flaxmere Village Shops and the Flaxmere Community Centre, to give us all a bit more room, but everything else will be the same. That means lots of entertainment, great prizes, and tha

November 2021 A free eight-week pre-employment course is not just teaching job skills, it’s making a difference to lives. The course, co-funded by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Tumu, teaches life skills and on-site job training in the timber processing, building supplies and related industries, wrapped up in pastoral care. It is open to school leavers and job seekers aged 17 to 26, with enrolments for upcoming courses being taken now. Vaiana (Vee) MacGregor (23

June 2021 It’s about moving, having fun and improving health; you can go at your own pace, and it’s free! PolyActive in Flaxmere West has taken off in its first couple of months, growing to six classes a week to keep up with the ever-growing numbers. The reason for its popularity has to be the passion and vision of the team behind the initiative. Each has specialities they bring to the table: Sage Fomia taking PolyStep, Cilla Tuala-Fata - PolyFiva, Victoria Fuata’i – PolySway

November 2021 The ways people can receive their COVID vaccine are hugely varied, from pharmacist outlets and GP surgeries, to walk-in and drive-through clinics complet with entertainment and giveaways. For some, being able to be vaccinated in a safe, culturally-sensitive, personal environment is what it takes to make getting the vaccination doable. That approach saw a group of Flaxmere whānau and friends receive theirs on November 14. For Shelley Pritchard, who had been agoni

November 2021 In the last few weeks, announcements have been made on the start of the new infrastructure (roads and pipes) for hundreds of new homes, and that we will have a new supermarket with neighbouring shops by mid-2024. Plans for the new skate plaza in Flaxmere Park have been unveiled, the new basketball court in Flaxmere Park has been built, and a community discussion held on what the replacement playground in Ron Giorgi Park Ill should include. Flaxmere was first dev