Holiday happenings for Waiouru

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 535, 10 May 1994, Page 7

Holiday happenings for Waiouru

By

Michele

Monaghan

School holidays are here, bringing the inevitableboredom for some kids after just a few days so Waiouru community co-ordinator Ali Tamepo has organised a school holiday programme for kids of all ages. The first activity will be a Teddy Bear's Picnic on 12 May. There will be a jolly jumper (castle), clowns, face painting, sausage sizzle and more. Everything kicks off at 10.00am in the Waiouru community centre (bring your teddy bear). Friday 13 May is down for a disco, also in the community centre. The disco will start at 5.00pm for the younger children and then the intermediates can have their fun from 7.00pm until 10.00pm. A bus has been organised and is fully booked for a day trip to Tokaanu hot pools. The bus leaves the community centre at 10.00am on 17 May. 18 May is junior sports day in the gym, starting at 1.30pm and on 20 May the intermediates will get their turn, start time is again 1.30pm. Mrs Tamepo has been working part time out of the W aiouru community drop-in and information centre. Funding from the Lotteries Board and a grant from social welfare has covered the cost of employing her until the end of June. Mrs Tamepo and community social worker Denise Lenihan are exploring possible avenues for future funding. "Many resource houses are mostly funded by their local Turn to Page 11

Waiouru holiday events

FROMPAGE7 authority," says Ms Lenihan, "so we intend to tap into that funding and approach the Ruapehu District Council." It is intended to fund-raise locally as well as applying to various agencies such as the Lotteries Board. Ideally Mrs Tamepo would work full time helping to provide better programmes. The community drop-in centre has various pamphlets on a wide range of subjects. Mrs Tamepo is at the centre between 9.30 and 11.30am

week days and is there to help. She finds the work interesting - "meeting different wives and finding out what they're interested in". She says sometimes it is hard because not a lot of feedback is coming through. The centre used to run a creche for parents going to aerobics but is no longer able to do this with Ms Lenihan now operating out of the centre. "It compromises both groups," said Ms Lenihan.

Mrs Tamepo thought she had missed out on coming to Waiouru and said she "was dreading coming here". After 15 months she says "it' s really what you make of it".