Motueka Community Link officially opened

August 9th, 2011
[by Rae Dozell]

A gentle rain welcomed the guests and dignitaries to the opening of the Motueka Community Link last Friday morning. Acting Regional Commissioner Lynne Williams and Advisory Chair Ron Sharp joined with Work and Income staff in greeting representatives from Community organisations along with local parliamentarians into the redesigned building.

A blessing was offered by Te Awhina Kaumatua, Tahi Takao, who acknowledged Whakawhanungatana - "Connecting with each other" - a concept Maori use to acknowledge where people have come from, and how they are connected now.

Connecting with the community is what Community Link is all about, and Tim Leyland from the Ministry of Social Development spoke of how Community Links have been progressing in the Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regions, building links with local providers such Private Training establishments such as Able Tasman Educational Trust, represented by Manager Gabrielle Thorpe who urged the community to use the centre to promote services to help our future generations.

Local MP Chris Auchinvole told the moving story of how he and his brothers grew up in "care" in the UK, and how the services offered in today's Community Link would have helped them during their early experiences.

Chris went on to acknowledge all those who had contributed to Motueka's Community Link, and after a little prompting threw his arms into the air, jumped up and declared the building open.

Several social agencies have been working alongside Work and Income in the new Community Link for some time now. Community Link is a way of working that encompasses a broad network of social service agencies, which are all committed to working collaboratively in the interests of their clients and the community. Motueka Community Link aims to provide on and off site services to a wide range of people, from those seeking employment or financial assistance to those who have unique or highly complex needs. For earlier news, read this article.

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