Looking back over the last year has crystallised my gratitude for the effort of so many — well beyond those working in the magazine offices — to ensure that the Tui Motu magazine is produced, distributed, promoted and received. In this report are the stories of people and groups who contributed to the ongoing success of the magazine endeavour. They represent the community around Tui Motu — shareholders, Board directors, staff, writers, craftspeople, volunteers and readers — that inspired the foundation of the magazine and have continued to sustain it through its 24 years. 

The global COVID pandemic continued to challenge our daily operations but we acclimatised, too, and accommodated the guidance and advice from Government ministries to ensure as much prevention from illness as possible. The functions integrated in our Tui Motu website enabled us to communicate with and encourage our subscribers and friends especially in the more difficult times of the year.

I am grateful to my Tui Motu colleagues — an inspiring and sterling team — for this year of publishing. Ann Hassan, talented and thoughtful, kept our administration and finances in order and contributed to the editorial polish of each issue. Greg Hings sat quietly at the computer and transformed a collection of files into a visual feast each month. Christine Crowe took her fine-toothed comb to the finished copy ensuring that errors were discovered and corrected. John Anson was able to retire from being our IT supporter from Palmerston North when we engaged help closer to home.

An abiding memory after the August-September COVID restrictions is of our volunteers coming through the door with a heartfelt: "It's so good to be back!" That sentiment was mutual. We needed to scale our activities down — we had only one subscribers' evening and reduced numbers for our end-of-year dinner — but whenever possible our volunteers turned up willingly and were unfazed by the required mask-wearing and social distancing.  

And our writers — a stunning group — kept to their deadlines offering articles, reviews, poems and comments that made each issue worth reading. We lost Mike Riddell from among our feature writers when he died suddenly — but there's more about him in the report. 

We are most grateful for the generous financial donations we received and the contribution of the Government through the Resurgence Support initiative. Together with income derived from subscriptions, this kept us going.

We acknowledge with gratitude our readers’ feedback especially by doing the survey. Each month we received many affirming messages from readers telling us their view of the issue and ideas for further articles — these were additional to “Letters to the Editor”.

The Tui Motu Board has supported us with governance and guidance. We are fortunate in having directors who have the interests of the magazine and the health of the Company at heart.

I am very grateful and appreciative of all committed to Tui Motu — shareholders, Board, staff, writers, subscribers, volunteers and the Tui Motu Foundation — whose valuing of the magazine will be needed even more as we keep exploring our mandate in the uncertain times ahead.  

Ann L Gilroy
Editor