Community Chats starting in Huapai
priscilla McClintock
01/09/2026
Kyra Shaw-Toomey
Community Facilitator - Kumeū & Surrounds
Community Chats start Friday 4th September:
Come for a cuppa and bring your ideas
For the month of September we are opening the conversation about what matters to our community. We invite you to join us every Friday, 9:30am – 11:30am for a free morning tea at St. Chads Church in Huapai to meet your local community facilitator, Kyra and local community organisations. Bring your thoughts about what could make our community a better place to live.
This idea has recently been trialed in Helensville and was a great success. Community Facilitator for Helensville & South Kaipara, Arwen Flowers, invited people to weekly lunchtime sessions where soup was served and locals could enjoy a hot meal together. Lots of positive connections were made and organisations have begun collaborating on future projects thanks to these informal chats. Now the idea is being brought to the Huapai area in the form of free morning teas every Friday.
We encourage you to join the conversation, bring your own experiences from living in Rodney, and learn about what is happening in our community. This is a great way to meet other locals or to meet local organisations working in your area. If you have an idea for a community group, program or initiative we would love to chat. We can support your ideas and connect you with community organizations who can help. Maybe you’ve always wanted to start a community garden, a nature play group, volleyball afternoons or a local running group. It starts with you and let’s chat about what you are passionate about bringing to our community!
We are also excited to introduce community workshops coming to Rodney West. We want to know what skills or knowledge gaps you’d like us to address, whether that’s funding application tips, governance advice for your group, resume writing for youth, or something else entirely.
Come along, grab a cuppa, and let’s shape the future of our community together. If you can’t make it to our Friday chats but would still love to connect, please reach out to Kyra Shaw-Toomey at kyra@rodneycommunity.org.nz to book a different time.
