After careful consideration, the team behind Pānui Te Motu Kairangi – the Miramar Peninsula Newsletter – has decided to end on a high note, announcing that the lucky 13th edition, published in Spring this year, will be the last. Since its first edition in December 2020, around 50,000 copies of this printed community newsletter have been hand-delivered to peninsula letterboxes. Pānui shared local events and stories and reflected the diversity of the Miramar, Seatoun and Strathmore Park communities.
Pānui was a collaboration between the Miramar and Maupuia Community Centre, Seatoun Village Hall and Strathmore Park Community Centres. The publication team was committed to Pānui remaining largely advertisement-free and says that the decision not to continue it was due to the ongoing pressures to fund it.
“We’re really proud of what we achieved with the Pānui Te Motu Kairangi, especially that we launched during the first year of Covid,” says Fiona Prestidge, manager of the Strathmore Park Community Centres, “An important purpose, for me, was bringing more awareness about the great variety of activities available to our peninsula community, through the various community centres”.
Ana Frka, Seatoun Village Hall and St Christopher's coordinator, says Pānui helped to grow a sense of well-being and connection in the community, and it led to an increase in attendance for peninsula events.
“Pānui Te Motu Kairangi addressed the gap in community news left by the demise of the Cook Strait News,” says Grant Ellen, Miramar and Maupuia Community Centre Manager. “The initial funding from WCC enabled some paid hours for the lead editor and designer, Hà Thi Nguyen. Hà did an amazing job, and we are very grateful for her dedication and hard work in bringing together each edition of Pānui”.
The publication team would like to acknowledge the support of the dozens of volunteers who delivered to streets across the peninsula, WCC for the initial grant, the Sylvia Hull Trust, all contributors for their community-focussed and creative content, the trustees of the three community centres who supported Pānui and everyone who gave their positive support and feedback along the way.
The 13 issues will remain available on the Miramar and Maupuia Community Centre, and Seatoun Village Hall and St Christopher’s websites.
