On Friday 22nd November Shirley Boys' held the Year 9 Community Engagement Project.

The aim of the day was to strengthen our connections with our Hapori or community, and Te Taiao or the natural environment. 

We have been in our new location for seven months and the engagement project gave our boys an opportunity to connect with the people and the environment that we are closely associated with. 

The environmental activities that the boys were involved in included pruning at Bottle Lake Forest, cleaning up litter from the beach at North New Brighton and New Brighton beaches, and helping to develop the parkland around the whole QEII site.

Other boys visited the North New Brighton Kidsfirst Kindergarten and spent time with the children, social interaction and games at the Ferndale Satellite Unit, and provided modified sports for Parkview and Rawhiti School. 

We received very positive feedback from the community and the boys. They commented that it was “worthwhile and good seeing progress made by their work”; “it was fun hanging out with the little kids” and it was “interesting and good to be part of a community”. 

Overall, it was a very good day and we felt very proud that we were able to make a contribution by showcasing our Shirley Men.