Dunedin news and notices

Charities Services One-on-one online clinics

Charities Services are now holding one-on-one online clinics every Thursday.

For more information and to make an appointment, please go to the Charities Services website.

Winter Energy Payment - Notice From Work and Income

The Winter Energy Payment will be paid from 1 May to 1 October 2023.

This payment helps people keep their homes and families warmer and healthier over winter.

People don’t need to apply for the Winter Energy Payment. If they’re eligible, they’ll get it automatically with their other payments.

Winter Energy Payment rates

Couples and people with dependent children will get $31.82 a week and single people will get $20.46 a week. If someone is getting Foster Care Allowance, we encourage them to contact us. We may be able to pay them at a higher rate.

1 May this year is a Monday. Clients who get paid weekly will get their first full Winter Energy Payment in their pay during the week of 8 May. As 1 May is part-way through the pay period for NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension clients, these clients will get a part Winter Energy Payment in their first May payment and will get the full amount in their next one.

If people want to opt out - or they’ve opted out and now want to start getting it – they can complete the 'Stop or restart Winter Energy Payment' online form, or call us.

NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension

For couples getting NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension the Winter Energy Payment is paid to one person, because the payment system can’t split it across two accounts. People can switch the payment to the other person’s account by calling our Seniors line on 0800 552 002.

Seniors heading overseas over the winter months can keep getting Winter Energy Payment for up to 28 days while they’re away. People should tell us if they plan to be away for more than four weeks, otherwise we might pay them too much and have to ask for the money back.

There’s more information about the Winter Energy Payment on the Work and Income website.

Create for Dementia

Create for Dementia is a new community fundraising challenge by Alzheimers NZ that encourages creative Kiwis to set themselves a creative challenge for the month of June and fundraise for dementia.

It’s easy, fun, and free to participate, and brings together a community of creators of all ages and skill levels. All funds raised will go directly to Alzheimers New Zealand to provide vital services and support for the 70,000 Kiwis currently living with dementia mate wareware.

For more information and to register please go to the Create for Dementia website.

Aspiring Leaders 2023

There is an exciting opportunity available to attend a leadership forum for youth aged 18-26 so please distribute the following information to any youth, whanau, and organisations you think will be interested. To find out more please click here: Aspiring Leaders Forum – On Faith and Values or read the invitation from Mayor Radich at the end of this section.

Aspiring Leaders’ Forum: On Faith and Values

The Aspiring Leaders’ Forum will be held again from the 24-27 August 2023 in Wellington. The Dunedin City Council and the Otago Community Trust are looking to support 1-2 applicants for the forum this year. This includes covering the conference fees (all forum expenses, accommodation and meals during Aspiring Leaders’ Forum), additional accommodation as required, and travel to and from Wellington.

If you have some young people in mind for this forum, they need to be aged between 18 and 26, and exhibit leadership potential in their sphere of influence. The Forum is an incredible opportunity for young leaders to interact with and learn from a diverse group of peers and leaders from this nation. It is important that they are willing to discuss leadership from a personal perspective, as a narrative approach is used during Forum. Please see the website Aspiring Leaders Forum – On Faith and Values for more information or email becks.new@dcc.govt.nz for any questions or queries. Please feel free to nominate a young person again if they were not able to gain a place in previous years. Previous applications do not exclude them from future nominations.

We ask that the aspiring leader apply by having an employer, whanau member, or youth organisation nominate you by writing a letter of support and attaching it along with their CV. They will need to be available for interviews in May. Please send in applications to becks.new@dcc.govt.nz and these applications close at 6pm on Friday 5 May 2023.

April Falls Month

April Falls Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of falls and to promote the latest best practice fall prevention strategies. The overall campaign goal is to get active and improve balance for fall prevention.

To celebrate the launch of the ACC funded Nymbl app (a free exercise app to help improve balance and reduce falls risk), The WellSouth Falls and Fracture Prevention Team are holding “Nibbles and Nymbl” events at several locations across the Southern region in the months of April and May.

For more information please go to the Nymbl Science website.

Pātaka Ora at Araiteuru Marae!

Are you keen in 2023 to get involved in this awe inspiring, unifying weekly meal and service with a smile, Pātaka Ora Stylez, at Araiteuru Marae?

If you would like to share, connect and learn together, you just need to fill our the Pātaka Ora form. Tangata aroha!!

For more information, please go to the Pātaka Ora Facebook page.

Available for hire: Livingwell’s New Meeting Room

Now that Livingwell’s refurbishment is completed we have a good sized accessible meeting room that you can hire.

Check out the details in the attached poster.