Waitaki Multicultural

Lots of great events coming up in October and November in The Waitaki Community Gardens Spring 2026 Community Classroom programme - register soon to avoid missing out (some events have a cost, some are free - details in the programme).

Community Classroom Spring 2026 | Humanitix Community Classroom Spring 2026: Waitaki locals sharing their sustainable skills, knowledge and experience with their community!

Reminder: this fantastic FREE online workshop "Making the most of your money" run by HOST International is on this evening - there is still time to register!

Tired of stressing about balancing your finances?

Ready to master practical budgeting skills and manage your money with total confidence?

Join our workshop to learn how to:
- Track your income and expenses effortlessly
- Plan ahead for regular bills, debt and costs
- Save smarter for your future goals
- Make confident financial decisions every day

Sign up today! Registration is essential as spaces are limited. Register at
https://events.humanitix.com/budgeting-in-nz-workshop

Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Time: 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: Online on Microsoft Teams (link sent once registered)

💰 Want to feel more confident about your money?

Join us for Making the Most of Your Money — a FREE online community workshop delivered in partnership with DLA Piper and Westpac.

Gain practical tools to take control of your finances, reduce money stress and feel more confident making everyday financial decisions. 🌱

📅 Thursday, 24 September 2026
⏰ 7.30pm – 8.30pm
💻 Online via Microsoft Teams

🌏 Free for individuals and communities from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

👉 Register now to secure your place: https://events.humanitix.com/budgeting-in-nz-workshop

Hello everyone,

This week is our last week of activities and programmes before we take a break for the school holidays and do some planning for next term.

A big thank you to everyone who has joined us, participated and contributed. Your support makes our programmes so special.

A special thank you to our wonderful volunteers Gemma at Family Connect, Greg and Sue from English Conversation Class, and Diane for bringing energy and fun to our Latin Dance Workout every Wednesday.

Thank you also to our amazing Wellbeing Programme artists – 旅する絵描き 栗谷さと子 / illustrator KURI, Sarka Cibulcova Art Art by Natalia Lopez, and to Pottery patch for hosting us.

We are also very grateful to our Family Connect guest speakers and community partners – North Otago Plunket nurses, Te Hā o Maru- Angelica Matapo, Forrester Gallery - Fiona Frew, Customs House Gallery, North Otago Art Society, and Waitaki District Libraries Oamaru Library – thank you for sharing your knowledge, spaces, creativity and support with our community.

A few snapshots from the past two weeks:

💃 Latin Dance Workout – celebrating Margitta’s birthday with lots of dancing and smiles!

☕ Family Connect – our Dunk It for Plunket fundraiser with tea, biscuits and great company.

📚 English Conversation Class – a few great weeks of learning, practising English and connecting with each other.

Thank you all for being part of our community. ❤️

Enjoy the school holidays and see you all from Monday, 12 th of October!

Justyna Miller
WMC Community Connector

🌸 Kids Mandala Art Workshop 🌸

Today we had such a lovely afternoon at our Wellbeing Programme Kids Mandala Art Workshop at the Pottery patch, with the wonderful Natalia Lopez Art by Natalia Lopez

A big thank you to Natalia for sharing your amazing talent, creativity and expertise with us. And a special thank you to the Pottery patch for welcoming us in your beautiful space.

The kids did an amazing job creating their mandala art masks — every single one was unique and beautiful!

It was so lovely to see so much creativity, imagination, connection and joy in the room. ❤️ New friendships were formed, little conversations started, and everyone had the chance to create, share and enjoy time together. Thank you All for coming.

Well done to all our little artists! You should be very proud of your beautiful creations. 🎨✨

We can’t wait for the next one 💛

Justyna Miller
WMC Community Connector

Hello everyone,

On the 26th of September at 6.00 pm, the Oamaru Chinese Association is hosting their Mid-Autumn Festival Potluck Dinner at the Fenwick School.

We’ll be there with our Kids Corner. It’s a lovely opportunity to come together, connect with others, enjoy the food and celebrate as a community.

More details, including what to bring, can be found on the flyer below.

Hope to see you there🙂

Justyna Miller
WMC Community Connector

Another great free workshop coming up next week on Thursday evening - Making the Most of Your Money. Registration required.

💰 Want to feel more confident about your money?

Join us for Making the Most of Your Money — a FREE online community workshop delivered in partnership with DLA Piper and Westpac.

Gain practical tools to take control of your finances, reduce money stress and feel more confident making everyday financial decisions. 🌱

📅 Thursday, 24 September 2026
⏰ 7.30pm – 8.30pm
💻 Online via Microsoft Teams

🌏 Free for individuals and communities from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

👉 Register now to secure your place: https://events.humanitix.com/budgeting-in-nz-workshop

TOY SALE!

North Otago Toy Library Oamaru has some fantastic toys available for sale!

Looking for something new to keep your little ones entertained? Come along and have a look — there may be some great finds waiting for you.

All proceeds go towards supporting the Toy Library and helping them continue providing great resources for local families.

Open every Saturday, 9 am–12 pm.

Come and have a browse!

Let’s support this great local library and the wonderful work they do for our community.

Justyna Miller
WMC Community Connector

This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori– Māori Language Week.

Yesterday at Family Connect group, we learn some simple Māori words and phrases and finding out more about Māori traditions and culture.

We were very lucky to have Angelica Matapo- Logavatu from Te Hā o Maru join us and share her knowledge.

She also introduced us to Te Kiri Tōtara – Whānau-Centred Hauora & Wellbeing Programme, a new programme supporting maternal health, wellbeing and whānau.

It was especially great to learn about this programme for our mums-to-be and new parents, as having the right support and connections during this time can make such a difference.

You can register here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18M255yNvJ/

More information about Te Hā o Maru, their programmes and services can be found here:
https://www.tehaomaru.co.nz/health-services

Thank you, Angelica, for teaching us some Māori words and phrases, sharing your knowledge and introducing us to the wonderful Te Kiri Tōtara – Whānau-Centred Hauora & Wellbeing Programme.
Looking forward to seeing you again in the near future.

Justyna Miller
WMC Community Connector
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Open Day this Thursday and Friday at The Y Ōamaru campus (44 Humber Street): learn more about the education, youth, family and community services that they provide.

🤝 Come and Connect at Our Oamaru Open Day

We're opening our doors and inviting you to learn more about our education, youth, family and community services.

This is a great opportunity to meet our team, hear about our programs, and find out if any are the right fit for you.

📍 Open Day Sessions:
Thursday: 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Friday: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Drop in at a session that suits you. We'd love to chat and answer any questions you may have.