In July 2021 there was wonderful weekend of friendship with the "Golden Girls" of the IW Club of Oamaru, as they celebrated 50 years as women in action sharing friendship through service.

The Club of 11 members, including a Charter member and between them all sharing 331 years of Inner Wheel membership in the Oamaru Club, enjoyed a luncheon celebration on Saturday 24th July.

The room was filled with 50 friends including Another Charter member of the Club, Jean Currie. Jean flew in from Wellington for the weekend to share stories of how the Club began. IWNZ President and Nat Rep, Michelle serenaded the audience with her rendition of the theme song from the "Golden Girls" - Thank you for being a friend. District Chairman NZ298, Pam Henderson bought greetings and other members from Clubs all across the District NZ298 were also present to share a wonderful afternoon of friendship at the Brydone Hotel in Oamaru.

The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of personal profiles of each of the 11 members and then the surprise presentation to each of them of an Honoured Active Award.

An Honoured Active Membership Award can be presented to an active member who has given outstanding service to Inner Wheel. What better way to celebrate these ladies, as a small Club where everyone gives so much to keep the Club active and vibrant, sharing the 3 objects of Inner Wheel - Friendship, service and International understanding.

Congratulations to each of you:

Maureen Malcom - Previous Honoured Active Awardee, member since 1978.

Joan Martin – Charter Member 1971

Cara Duncan - member since1982, IW member since 1971 as Charter member of Stratford Club.

Carole Hamer- member since 1985, Past President

Ann Senior – member since 1990, Past Club President

Dawn Perkins – member since 1993 (Current Club President),Past District Chairman

Ruth Dove – member since 1995 (Current Club Secretary), Past President.

Bronwyn Goldrick- member since1998 (Current Club Treasurer)

Maureen Ardley – member since 2004 -

Susan Clark member since 2004, past District Secretary and Treasurer, National Conference Treasurer

Claire Thomson –Oamaru member since 2011 and previously a Charter member of Gore

Congratulations to the Golden Girls of Oamaru!

"Thank you for being a friend, You've travelled down the road and back again, Your hearts are true, you are pals and confidants."

Cyclone Harold caused major devastation in Vanuatu and as a result many Kindergartens/Playschools were destroyed. They get no government funding and are set up and supported by the local communities. In most cases this is very difficult and as a result most kindergartens/preschools have few if any teaching resources, play equipment and furniture.

So Kits for Kindy project was set up.

These were brought to the District Assembly meeting in April and we all had a lot of fun sorting and packing the boxes.  Over 30 boxes of toys/books etc were sent off to Vanuatu.  We also had money donated and used it to buy a slide for the children to play on.

The Inner Wheel Club of Plimmerton have held stands at the two Love Local Expo's held in Porirua.  It is a great way to help raise the profile of Inner Wheel.

The stand features photos of all our activities, a running powerpoint, silky pillows and wheatpacks we make for the cancer society, neonatal knitting and welcome packs for Women's Refuge and Hospitals.

We also have lots of promotional material on hand with contact names and numbers. It is really important to engage with people and to take names for follow up calls. 

As we have watched the news of the turmoil and devastation due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji, it is very apparent that Fiji is a Nation in great need of help.

Our Inner Wheel Club of Tokalau Suva, based in Fiji are safe and they are working hard to do what they can to help those in need.

District NZ291 has a long standing relationship with the JP Bayly Trust, a welfare agency that has been supporting people in Fiji for 67 years. A number of Inner Wheel Members from NZ291 have been to Fiji in the past and visited the JP Bayly trust and seen their work first hand. We also receive regular newsletters from them.

Therefore, I took the opportunity to reach out to John Yee, the General Manager of the Trust to ask how we could assist them in this time of need. They would be gratefully receive any financial assistance from us to help them provide the basic needs to people in their care and other in need in Fiji.

An Appeal Letter has been sent to every IWNZ Club, please ask your Club Secretary for this, if you have yet to see it.

I invite you all to spread the word of this Appeal. We have given a time frame of 1 month for Clubs to reach out and deposit funds into the IWNZ Appeal Bank Account by Thursday 12th August.

You can download the Appeal Letter here.

On behalf of all the families we can support, I thank you for your generosity,

Nga mihi nui, Many thanks,

Michelle Atkinson. IWNZ National Representative and President 2021-22

Glen Innes Plunket	Days for Girls and Operation Uplift	Shine

The IW Club Auckland East had the pleasure of making Donations to the Club’s Charities which they have supported this year.

Look Good Feel Better, Glen Innes Food bank, Glen Innes Breakfast Club who support the Glen Innes Primary school.

This donation will buy books for the year one children. Starship Hospital, Shine, Days for Girls, Operation Uplift and Eastern Plunket. 

Club members have also knitted children’s garments throughout the year.

Look Good Feel Better	Glen Innes Foodbank

Starship Hospital	Glen Innes Primary School Breakfast Club

Members of the IW Club of Ashburton have helped to fill the shelves of the St Vincent de Paul Foodbank.  The member handed over a large collection of non-perishable goods to shop manager Donna Collins after collecting the items at their Club Changeover event.

Club President Clare Chapman, 2020-21 shared that this is a project the Club also did last year, as a way to recognise those in their local community that are struggling. The demand for support in the Ashburton community has recently been higher due to the recent floods in the region. But here ae also ongoing struggle in the community especially since the onset of Covid. So the grocery donation will be well received by those in need in Ashburton.

The IW Club of Howick have spent time volunteering to assist Project Uplift in sorting more than 400 donated bras. Across Auckland bras are donated to specific drop off points. At a local drop off point the ladies form Howick we able to share time and friendship as they sorted the bras into sizes and suitability.

Project Uplift collects and recycles these bras by delivering them to women in need across New Zealand and overseas. It is not only bras that are collected by aslo swimwear and new underwear. To find out more visit www.projectuplift.org.nz

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the IW Club of Matamata, District NZ291 Saturday 10^th July was a special occasion for all to share friendship, stories, and laughter as the Club celebrated this milestone.

40 years young and going strong!

Founder member Esme Crawford (94) and Margarette Golding Awardee Gwen Kirkwood (93) cut the celebratory cake and had such a good time that they headed for home reluctantly at the end of the celebration.	2021-2022 President Vera Farmilo inducted the Club’s 100th member, Diane Tyrrell (above) who, as a former member of now-disbanded IW Napier West.

After her speech, IWNZ President Michelle had the pleasure of surprising Sandra Hunter as she was presented with a surprise Honoured Active Award. Sandra is , a very active, dedicated, vibrant and delightful member of the Club and very worthy recipient of the award.

It was a wonderful day of celebrations.

Thank you, nga mihi, IW Club of Matamata for all you do as women in action sharing friendship through service.

You can read the annual news and activities from NZ297 in their June 2021 edition of Spoke & Felloe by clicking the image below or link here.

IWNZ Sunday Sessions

These are Online Open Forums held bimonthly, 3-4pm Sunday Afternoons to ask questions, share ideas, and share friendship.

Each session will have a topic to discuss as follows:

This is a great opportunity for you to invite a friend to your home, make yourselves a cuppa and share an hour of Inner Wheel friendship with other IW members from around the country and maybe even a few International IW friends may drop in too.

You will be able to register for these free events on the Events page and links to the Zoom meeting will be sent to you at least 24 hours before the event takes place.

Find out more or register here.