Motueka Centre – Kōwhairangi official opening
We had our official opening and blessing of our Motueka Centre – Kōwhairangi yesterday.
E mihi maioha ana ki a koutou i haere mai inanahi hei tautoko te tūwheratanga o tō tātou nei tāri o Kōwhairangi!
Thank you all for your support with the opening yesterday, much appreciated!
Special mihi to; Shane Graham (Ngāti Rārua); Gaynor Rikihana and Lydia Mains (Te Piki Oranga Motueka); Lorraine Staunton, Tanya Smith and Noi Burgess (Te Piki Oranga Waimeha); Jan Boyd (District Nurse Motueka); Missy Broughton (Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Āwhina/Te Ātiawa); Sarah Satherley (Greenwood Health Motueka); Shamane Naidoo and Tracey Morgan (The Doctors Motueka); Chevelle Davies (Whakatū Te Korowai Manaakitanga Trust); Nina Jefferies (Golden Bay Work Centre Trust); Jan Riley and Maree Satherley (our fabulous volunteers); Felicity Spencer (Cancer Society Marlborough) and Miraka Norgate and Ian MacLennan (Cancer Society Nelson Tasman Board Members).
Located at 96 High Street, Motueka and open Tuesday to Friday 9am to 4pm. If you are in the area, make sure you call in and visit Tāwhaki and/or Maureen to find out more about our services and how they can assist you. Or phone 03 528 7669.
Check out an article in The Motueka-Golden Bay Guardian here – view pages 14-17
Here are some of the reasons the Cancer Society Nelson Tasman has expanded to Motueka:
Local Demand: One-third of our new clients are from the Motueka area and surrounding districts. The new office ensures ongoing cancer support services for the Tasman region from Mapua/Moutere through to Golden Bay and Tapawera/Murchison.
Enhanced Support: The Motueka Centre allows us to provide more personalised assistance including home visits and local support groups.
Community Presence: Move from monthly pop-in visits to a permanent office, ensuring ongoing support and a visible presence in the Motueka community as well as regular outreach to surrounding townships including Takaka and Tapawera. Greater capacity to work alongside local health and community groups.
Growing Impact and Expanded Services: New services to better serve the community including offering our Kia Ora E Te Iwi (KOETI) cancer education/support programme to our Māori community.
Closing Gaps: Addressing disparities in Māori and Pasifika cancer diagnosis throughout our regions.
This expansion aligns with our commitment to being there for everyone facing cancer. Your support makes a difference, and we’re excited to grow our impact in Motueka and the surrounding region.
Kōwhairangi – what does it mean?
“Kōwhairangi” is a name that deeply resonates with the natural world, drawing inspiration from the sun’s life-giving rays. In the name, ‘Ko’ signifies ‘the’ or ‘this is,’ and ‘whairangi’ echoes the nurturing qualities of the sky and atmosphere. Together, it encapsulates the warmth and light that shine upon us, a sensation most felt when one turns their face towards the sun, basking in its illuminating energy. It is this very energy that nurtures growth, heals, and renews.
The name is purposefully chosen for the Cancer Society’s facility in Motueka, as it aims to be a ‘whare’ or house, where individuals seek wellness, healing, and support. Just as the sun radiates energy necessary for life, Kōwhairangi aspires to emit a nurturing atmosphere. The colour yellow, long associated with the Cancer Society, mirrors this luminous warmth, symbolizing hope, vitality, and the joy of living.
“Ko te ingoa ‘Kōwhairangi’ he mea nui ki te ao tūroa, e whāngai ana i te kaha o ngā hihi o te rā. Ko te ‘Ko’ e tohu ana i te ‘te’ rānei, ‘tēnei ko,’ ā, ko te ‘whairangi’ e whakarongo ana ki ngā āhuatanga manaaki o te rangi me te ātmosphere. Me whakakotahi, ka whakamārama i te mahana me te māramatanga e whiti ana ki a tātou, he rongo nui rawa atu ka huri tētahi ki te mata o te rā, e noho ana i tōna mana whakaatu. Ko tēnei mana anake e whakatipu, e whakaora, e whakahōu.
Kua tīpakotia te ingoa mō te whare o te Cancer Society ki Motueka, hei ‘whare’ rānei e rapu ana ngā tāngata i te oranga, te whakaora, me te tautoko. Whērā i te rā e whiti ana i te hauora e hiahiatia ana mō te ora, ka whāngai a Kōwhairangi i tētahi āhua manaaki. Ko te kōwhai, he tohu tino mō te Cancer Society, e whakaatu ana i tēnei mahana whiti, e tohu ana i te tūmanako, te hauora, me te hari o te ora.”