Pam Locke and John Lister established the Raumanga Community Garden on gridlocked Ministry of Education land at the rear of Manaia View School after receiving strong community support and enthusiasm for this project.
Their initial vision was to build connections between the community and local educational institutions in a shared space where the public are strongly encouraged to contribute to, and in return reap the rewards by utilising the fresh seasonal produce available year round. Since officially opening on October 12, 2020, a dedicated core group of volunteers attend working bees on Monday and Saturday mornings maintaining and enhancing the area.
The Kai Ora Fund has contributed to the ongoing development of the Raumanga Community Garden over several years. The fund recognises the garden’s strong commitment to growing food resilience and its amazing connection with members of the local community and in particular; the students at Manaia View School.
Two classes regularly contribute to the garden one or two days a week; where they learn gardening skills from Pam and John, interact and collaborate with one another, and eventually transfer knowledge gained into the classroom. Activities the students have been involved with include composting, establishing a worm farm, using garden produce to create meals at home, constructing planter boxes, and growing and propagating seedlings.
This year the Kai Ora Fund contributed to the cost of expanding the garden to increase the abundance of available kai to benefit the Raumanga community. This wonderful and resourceful initiative is an excellent example of the type of project we wish to support.
