Communicating with our Community
🚑🆘🏠 Calling All Cambridge Neighbours! Learn Life-Saving First Aid with Us! 🆘🚑
Are you ready to be a role model in your community? Cambridge Neighbourhood Support (CNS) is thrilled to announce our subsidized First Aid Training Courses, aimed at empowering our neighbourhoods to be even more resilient in times of emergency! Together, we can make our community safer and better prepared for any unexpected situation.
Thanks to the generous support of Cambridge Community Board, we are offering an exclusive opportunity for 200 lucky individuals to participate in these vital first aid courses. Don't miss this chance to equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to respond confidently to emergencies and potentially save lives!
Why Should You Enroll?
👉 Life-Saving Skills: Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. By joining our first aid course, you'll learn essential techniques that can make a significant difference in critical situations until professional medical help arrives.
👉 Be Prepared: In emergencies, a quick and effective response can be the key to preventing further harm. Our courses will teach you how to assess situations, handle injuries, and provide appropriate care, ensuring you're always prepared to take action when needed.
👉 Empower Your Community: As a trained first aider, you become a valuable asset to your neighbourhood. You can share your knowledge, raise awareness, and inspire others to join the effort in building a safer and more secure community.
Course Details: Our next courses will be held on Monday 27 November 2023 and on Saturday 17 February 2024. The course runs for between 3 & 4 hours and participants can obtain NZQA unit standard 6402.
To secure your spot and become a First Aid Champion for Cambridge, register now at https://www.safercambridge.co.nz/shop/. Hurry, seats are filling up fast, and this incredible opportunity won't last forever!
Let's come together as a strong, united community, equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle emergencies with confidence. Remember, a safer Cambridge starts with each one of us. Enroll today and make a difference tomorrow!
Cambridge Neighbourhood Support (CNS) - Strengthening Community Resilience, One First Aider at a Time. 🤝👩👩👦👨👨👧
Roto-o-rangi residents out in force!
On a May evening more than 50 enthusiastic Roto-o-rangi residents came out to meet each other and to discuss safety.
They heard about the importance of reporting all crime using the 111 number for an emergency (something happening now) and 105 by phone or online to report suspicious activity or crime after the offender is long gone. Deb Hann explained how reporting all crime and suspicious behaviour greatly assists the Police in catching offenders before they commit further crime.
Residents were keen to register for Neighbourhood Support and to renew Neighbourhood Support signage in the area which help to act as a deterrent to crime. Residents are now planning together best placement and funding for CCTV cameras.
Well done to Roto-o-rangi residents for making things happen where they live!
Alba Place gets it's just desserts!
9 May 2023 - Celebrating a new Neighbourhood Emergency Plan
Our neighbours at Alba Place were one of the first neighbourhood communities to create their neighbourhood emergency plan as part of the CNS Capable Communities Campaign. For their timely efforts they won a free morning tea and enjoyed a good catch up and delicious fare from Joe's Garage.
Now residents in Alba place know where their emergency resources are located and have started discussing what else they might do to keep their neighbourhood safe. We are looking forward to hearing about their completed "Grab and Go bags"!
Well done Alba Place!
CNS at Cyclone Gabrielle Fundraiser
29 April 2023
Cambridge Neighbourhood Support (CNS) was amongst those fundraising for Cyclone Gabrielle victims at the Cambridge Anglican Church (White Church!) in April.
Our mascot Ruru the Owl, and our robot photographer were very popular, drawing in both children and adults. Neighbourhood Emergency Plans were a hot topic given our many recent storms, with many asking how they could sign up their neighbourhoods!
CNS was pleased to have the opportunity to support Cyclone Gabrielle victims and to chat with our neighbours about safety from crime, emergency preparedness and the benefits of connecting with neighbours.
Whitehall Neighbours - Rural Meeting
27 April 2023
Recently Whitehall Neighbours had a fantastic meeting at the Whitehall Settlers Hall. The meeting was super informative with a range of guest speakers.
First up was Deborah Hann - Community Liaison Officer- NZ Police. We then heard from Robyn Nation- Arms Manager Waikato - Fire Arms Authority and then from Neil Bridgland- Cambridge Community Patrol.
There was a lot of conversation about keeping your property safe, the importance of reporting anything unusual, the new firearms register, the role of the Community Patrol and much, much more. It was lovely to meet everyone and see people connecting with their neighbours.
We are visiting our rural neighbours monthly, so look out for a community meeting near you!
Fencourt Neighbours - Rural Meeting
30 March 2023
Cambridge Neighbourhood Support (CNS) hosted a meeting for Fencourt residents late in March 2023.
Local Waikato Police Officers and Firearms Manager spoke about keeping safe from crime and changes to firearm legislation.
Residents were able to ask anything they needed to know about crime and firearms legislation, and it was a lively and informative meeting!
If you are interested in holding a rural resident meeting in your local hall, please contact CNS on 021 266 9653 or on info@safercambridge.co.nz
First Neighbourhood Emergency Plan celebrated
February 2023
On a Saturday in February our winners of an "early adopter" morning tea met to celebrate their new street emergency plan. During a lively meeting, Lower Duke Street residents reviewed their emergency plan and talked about what they might do next to keep their street safe.
Over coffee and muffins and with a lot of laughter and good conversation, they discussed drainage and trees and agreed that at their next get together they would compare “Grab and Go bags”.
We would like to congratulate Lower Duke Street residents who are well on the way to being ready for the next storm, earthquake or whatever may come.
We would also like to thank the Waipa District Council who supported us to help our neighbourhoods become more resilient.
If you are interested in creating a neighbourhood emergency plan as part of our Capable Communities Campaign, please contact us at Cambridge Neighbourhood Support on 021 266 9653 or at info@safercambridge.co.nz
Cambridge Neighbourhood Support Partners with FENZ
September 2022
Neighbourhood Support partners with NZ Police, Civil Defence and Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ). Recently your Neighbourhood Support Coordinator has been speaking at the September 60s Up and Lyceum meetings with Michelle Hinton from FENZ. Our audiences were happy to have the opportunity to learn more about their own safety at home. These are a few of the important facts that Michelle has shared:
The Fire Triangle
A fire needs heat, fuel and oxygen to ignite and to maintain itself. Therefore, you can stop a fire by denying it one or all of these elements. Michelle showed us a tremendous fire surge that occurred as a result of pouring a small amount of water into hot oil. She then demonstrated the correct way to starve a fire of oxygen by holding a pot lid or a wooden board in such a way as to push the flame away from yourself as you cover the pot. A fire blanket is used in the same way, held up folded over your fingers, and pushed away from you and onto the fire. (A fire blanket is light and can be much easier to use than an extinguisher.)
Michelle warned against plugging in large appliances to power boards, (multiplugs), as this causes excess heat. The heat with the plastic, (the fuel), combines with oxygen and is a common cause of house fires.
Finally, if you need assistance to install smoke alarms, you can purchase them and FENZ staff will install them for you at no cost. If you are in the Cambridge area please phone 07 827 6546 and leave a message to arrange a time.
The Fire Triangle
Tamahere Community Meeting
August 2022
It’s not only townsfolk who benefit from working with their neighbours. Cambridge Neighbourhood Support also works with rural residents surrounding Cambridge on all sides.
Recently we were approached by Tamahere residents who were concerned about crime and suspicious behaviour in the area. We held a small neighbourhood meeting and the attendees agreed that the Tamahere area would benefit from a larger gathering where they could hear safety tips from our local Community Police Constable and learn about CCTV. These neighbours then set about spreading the word about Neighbourhood Support to their neighbours and a meeting was arranged.
The area meeting took place on Thursday 18 August. At the meeting our Cambridge Community Engagement Lead – Eileen Hawkins talked about the benefits of joining Neighbourhood Support and encouraged people to join, so that they could better connect with their neighbours. Deb Thurgood, our local Police Community Liaison Officer gave the community advice about staying safe in their homes and what they could do to their properties to deter criminals. She encouraged the community to report all crime and suspicious behaviour using either 111 (if the event is happening or has just happened) or 105 (if the event is over and offender is likely long gone). Reporting all crime as soon as possible will give the Police the best chance of catching offenders and of preventing further crime.
Terry Johnson from Securenet Security Systems spoke about the different types of CCTV cameras available and where to place them to be most effective.
Two locals who are setting up a Tamahere Community Patrol attended the meeting. They were able to talk to residents who were interested in helping with the patrol.
Residents expressed their thanks that a meeting had been arranged and said that they they had enjoyed meeting some of their neighbours.
If you would like to talk to us about joining Neighbourhood Support, you would like help to connect with your neighbours or you would like to host a neighbourhood meeting, please get in touch with Eileen or Kathy by email at info@safercambridge.co.nz or by phoning 021 266 9653.
Introducing our new Community Engagement Coordinator
June 2022
We are delighted to announce that Kathy Rawlings has joined our team as Community Engagement Co-ordinator for Cambridge Neighbourhood Support and will now work alongside our Community Engagement Lead Eileen Hawkins.
Kathy is married with four adult children. They have a beautiful (but naughty!) Cavoodle named Milo. Kathy and her husband recently moved to Cambridge from Auckland after falling in love with the town having spent nine summers here when their teenage children were involved with their school’s rowing programme.
Previously Kathy provided Supervised Contact Services to her community and more recently worked in the Medical Device Industry as part of the Customer Service and Operations teams.
Over the years Kathy has been a highly active member of the fundraising committees for her children’s childcare facilities, schools and sports teams.
Kathy is thrilled to be joining the Cambridge Neighbourhood Support Team and looks forward to working with Eileen to promote Neighbourhood Support in the community by encouraging the community to get involved and look out for each other. She wholeheartedly believes that it is important that we all live in a well-connected, safe and capable community.
We would like to acknowledge funding received from Waipa District Council to support this new position and our work in the community.
Annual Rural Hall Visits with Waipa Councillors
Staying connected with our rural neighbours
May 2022
Every year Waipa Community Board visits rural community halls to talk with residents. Our Cambridge Neighbourhood Support Coordinator is invited to attend and this is a good opportunity to encourage residents to strengthen neighbourhood connections, to address safety concerns and to plan together for unexpected weather and other severe natural events.
Recently, our coordinator Eileen Hawkins visited Hora Hora, Maungatautari, Monavale and Kairangi halls with Waipa Councillors and Mayor, Waipa Council staff and a representative from the Waikato Regional Council. Many newer residents had the opportunity to join Neighbourhood Support and Eileen was able to offer to lead neighbourhood meetings where residents could hear from our Local Police, Civil Defence or Fire and Emergency staff.
If you are new to one of the rural areas around Cambridge and you are interested in setting up a meeting with your neighbours to discuss how Neighbourhood Support might benefit you, please get in touch. You can contact us via email at info@safercambridge.co.nz or drop into the office on a Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 11am.
Our office address:
Community Pavilion (formerly Cricket Pavilion), Victoria Square, 67 Queen Street, Cambridge.
"On the Beat" by Senior Constable Deb Thurgood
From Cambridge News - May 2022
We are indeed a town that cares, and this is demonstrated in many ways. Did you know we have a diligent band of volunteers who act as extra eyes and ears around town in the evenings? They patrol in a sign written ute and liaise with Police around crime prevention, assisting with such things as proactive patrolling, monitoring for suspicious vehicles, alerting shopkeepers to insecure premises and more. Each patroller goes through vetting and training before going out on patrol and I am appreciative of their dedication and community spirit. If you are interested in volunteering your time, contact info@safercambridge.co.nz in the first instance.
At the Safer Cambridge website (www.safercambridge.co.nz) you will also find information about our Cambridge Neighbourhood Support. Getting to know your neighbours has many advantages. It provides social networks and added security, opening as it does lines of communication when anything suspicious happens. Being part of a registered Neighbourhood Support Group connects you in with a wider network, providing information on crime prevention and local issues when they arise. Eileen Hawkins is the NSG Community Engagement Officer here in Cambridge. You will find her in her office at the Community Pavilion at Victoria Square or on the email above. To register your interest in becoming part of a group, get in touch.
Oaklands Neighbourhood - Making it Happen!
February 2022
Do you want to hear a great neighbourhood story? Have you been wondering about the transformation at the entrance to Oaklands?
Late in 2021 Cambridge Neighbourhood Support sent a community survey to our members. One of the questions asked was “if together we could take action on one thing…what would be most important to you?”. An Oaklands resident pointed out that the entrance signs on Thornton Road were looking very shabby! He asked “Who is responsible for this? How do I approach the property owners without being intrusive?”
Bring on Neighbourhood Support! Our Oaklands Drive Street Coordinator, Pam Poppe was contacted. She immediately started to rally the neighbourhood to find people who had the skills and equipment to wash and paint the signs. Many ideas were put forward and many offered to help, either with a bucket and cloth, with a water blaster or to try to source paint.
Eventually the neighbourhood accepted an offer from Jim Bradley, a painter who lives in Oaklands. Jim undertook to do the whole job himself! Jim is a perfectionist so he wanted to be sure that the preparation and painting were well done and would last.
See the amazing transformation below:
This is a great example of what our neighbourhood communities can achieve when they work together. Oaklands residents feel grateful that they can be proud of their street entrance again. Jim Bradley’s work schedule is increasing! Oaklands Street Coordinators met together recently and who knows what they are planning next?
If you would like to join our Neighbourhood Support community and work toward connected, safe and resilient neighbourhoods, you can join online here or email info@safercambridge.co.nz.