Many Hands Make Light Work
On Sunday 3 May, something pretty special happened at the Tapawera Community Gardens.
Organised by Sabine Reinert, a fantastic group of locals rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in for a community working bee. As the saying goes, many hands really did make light work.
From 10am to 2pm, there was a steady flow of people coming and going. Some popped in for a quick dig, while others stayed the distance, but together, you can see an incredible amount was achieved.
Garden beds were weeded (with a very special mention to those who tackled the relentless couch weed… that stuff does not give up easily!), overgrowth was cleared, and building work began on strengthening and tidying some of the beds. The weed eater had a solid workout, and the chainsaw definitely became a main character for part of the day when Johnathan got properly stuck in.
There was also plenty of connection and laughter shared over morning tea, while feijoas were gathered and some wee pumpkins harvested along the way.
To finish things off, fresh pea straw was spread and a new layer of compost added, setting the gardens up beautifully for the next stage. The space is now ready for the school kids and wider community to learn and grow an abundance of food.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who helped on the day:
Sabine Reinert
Heather Spence
Linda Milsom
Allysson Haakma
Amanda and Johnathan Eyles
Jeffrey, Rachel, Elsie and Freddy Moffitt
Nicola Carleton
Your time, energy, tools, and willingness to pitch in made a massive difference.
What’s Next?
The next big job on the list is repairing the tunnel house, improving the tool shed, and getting some better equipment on site. This is where the wider community can really get involved!
Tapawera Connect is excited to support this project through the Community-Led Development Programme. It’s a great example of what community-led mahi can look like in action; locals working together, sharing skills, building resilience, and creating something that benefits everyone.
This project touches so many community-led values, including:
caring for one another
strengthening resilience
learning and sharing skills
creating local opportunities
improving food security and sustainability
And most importantly, it’s clear there’s already strong community support behind it.
So if this is something you can get behind, now’s the time.
Share your ideas.
Lend a hand.
Get your hands dirty.
And help grow something pretty special right here in Tapawera.
