Here you can read recent Blog Posts from our Team.
Interested in contributing a blog? We’d love to hear from you. Click here to contact us:)
Findings from research around Manga Hapahāpai – what soothes people’s anxiety?
Since we successfully crowd-funded the Confidence Centre, we've been working busily behind the scenes to get it up and running! The most important part of this is ensuring that we get it 'right' - both in the form of the anxiety support we provide, and the design of...
Ten thoughts on courage – from Liz the Lead Coach
1. Courage isn’t about not having fear, it is about having and feeling that fear but still going ahead and finding our way through it. 2. Courage is about hearing the negative thoughts, the red zone story reel that we have running, and not letting that rule, not...
A Story of Change…
Liz (one of our coaches) reflects where she was at a few years ago... "Rewind a bit to 2017, I wasn't doing great. It wasn't all doom and gloom by any means, but there was some tough stuff going on and tough stuff that I was 'dealing with' by drinking more booze....
Manga Hapahāpai / The Confidence Centre Launch Event!
After a major fundraiser, months of research, consultation, and planning, and lots of construction/design mahi… it’s finally time for Manga Hapahāpai / The Confidence Centre to begin its anxiety support work - but not before we celebrate all that it took to get to...
Kindfulness – a Waimanako workshop
What is it? Simply put, mindfulness with kindness! Developed by Cecily Bull who has run Mindfulness courses at the Retreat for over a year, this is a new course designed to give you some really useful tools... Instead of focusing on what’s wrong and trying to get away...
Hooray for the Retreat pets!
Koda the SamoyedRetreat Hosts Hayley and Mac have recently welcomed a number of new pets into their home. Additions to the whānau are Molly the kitten, Scribbles the fish, and a handful of aracuna chickens. They join Koda and the lambs as essential Retreat...
You gave a duck!
We emerge triumphant from another successful duck race! The corporate 'ducks' (giant toucans and llamas) again surrounded and guided the smaller ducks to the finish line. Our main victors were: Corporate: Winner - NZHL Taranaki Best dressed - Primo Wireless...
New Plymouth Rough Sleepers Outreach Service
One of our new projects planned for 2024 is a Pilot Outreach Service catered to our Rough Sleeper community in New Plymouth. We have long sought to support and journey alongside this community through our programmes, kai for koha cafe, and Listening Ear service - but...
Some thoughts to help at Christmas…
Please note, if you are reading this and not looking forward to Christmas, you are certainly not on your own on this one. It can feel like that, it can feel like everyone else has something organised and to look forward to, but I promise you it is not the case… For...
Navigating feelings and emotions at this time of year
What am I feeling? I don’t think there is another time on our calendar that can cause such an array, or such conflicting emotions. It really can be a rollercoaster. For some this is a superhard time of year for different reasons, and for others it can be an absolute...