SPiCE (the Sandringham Project in Community Empowerment) is a charitable trust led by local residents and the community located in central Auckland in the thriving suburb of Sandringham.
SPiCE's mission and kaupapa
Our mission is simple: to make Sandringham an even more amazing place to live, work and play.
Our kaupapa is equally clear: to give our community a voice and empower our community to shape our future, following the principles of community-led development.
Community-led development is a planning and development approach that puts local voices in the lead, builds on local strengths, is intentional and adaptable and works to achieve systemic change. In following the community-led development principles SPiCE is joining neighbourhoods around New Zealand and the world in strengthening the vitality of communities by activating and weaving the contribution of everyone connected to a place to ensure the everyone thrives.
There are five core community-led development principles that guide us and what we do:
This means if you live here, work here, gather here, shop here or play here then we want to talk to you. It also means that if you have an idea or project for the Sandringham community that you'd like some help with – we can help you! Or if you want to do something positive for your community but don't know what that might be? We'd love to hear from you! Everyone is welcome to our come along to our community meetings or join our online discussion and decision-making group. Contact us to find out more.
If you'd like to find out more about community-led development and the CLD principles then please check out Inspiring Communities website.
SPiCE Trust and Trustees
SPiCE is a charitable trust and a registered charity (CC57639) and is run by volunteer trustees who are all local residents of Sandringham. These trustees oversee the strategy and governance of SPiCE and are supported by a wider group of community members through regular meetings, and online discussions and decision making.
Our current Trustees are Helga Arlington, Bernadette Power, Natasha McCoy, Rob Richardson, and Karel Wohlnick, They are supported by SPiCE's Community Facilitators, Joanne Harland and Georgia Bartlett.
SPiCE's mission and kaupapa
Our mission is simple: to make Sandringham an even more amazing place to live, work and play.
Our kaupapa is equally clear: to give our community a voice and empower our community to shape our future, following the principles of community-led development.
Community-led development is a planning and development approach that puts local voices in the lead, builds on local strengths, is intentional and adaptable and works to achieve systemic change. In following the community-led development principles SPiCE is joining neighbourhoods around New Zealand and the world in strengthening the vitality of communities by activating and weaving the contribution of everyone connected to a place to ensure the everyone thrives.
There are five core community-led development principles that guide us and what we do:
- Grow from shared local visions
- Build from strengths
- Work with diverse people and sectors
- Grow collaborative local leadership
- Learn by doing
This means if you live here, work here, gather here, shop here or play here then we want to talk to you. It also means that if you have an idea or project for the Sandringham community that you'd like some help with – we can help you! Or if you want to do something positive for your community but don't know what that might be? We'd love to hear from you! Everyone is welcome to our come along to our community meetings or join our online discussion and decision-making group. Contact us to find out more.
If you'd like to find out more about community-led development and the CLD principles then please check out Inspiring Communities website.
SPiCE Trust and Trustees
SPiCE is a charitable trust and a registered charity (CC57639) and is run by volunteer trustees who are all local residents of Sandringham. These trustees oversee the strategy and governance of SPiCE and are supported by a wider group of community members through regular meetings, and online discussions and decision making.
Our current Trustees are Helga Arlington, Bernadette Power, Natasha McCoy, Rob Richardson, and Karel Wohlnick, They are supported by SPiCE's Community Facilitators, Joanne Harland and Georgia Bartlett.
Meet Our Team
Joanne Harland Community Facilitator Working in Sandringham for the community is a privilege and lots of fun. I hope that Sandringham residents are empowered by the projects that SPiCE is doing, and feel welcome to get involved as much or as little as they like. I’d love to talk to more Sandringham folk to find out what matters to them and help bring it alive through SPiCE. Together we can make Sandringham the best place to live, work and play in New Zealand, and the world! 
Natasha McCoy Trustee SPiCE provides a great way to be involved in making our fantastic community even better. I have lived in Calgary Street for 13 years and have been with SPiCE its inception. I have really enjoyed being part of a community grass roots approach to make positive things happen in Sandringham. As a DIA CLD partner group we have the awesome opportunity to make projects come to life with their support. Now is a great time to join SPiCE help strengthen and celebrate our community. 
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Georgia Bartlett Community Facilitator Kia Ora, I’m so excited to be taking on the role of community facilitator for SPiCE to amplify the voices of Sandringham and helping to improve our community! I’m a passionate environmentalist and believe that community action and collaboration is a powerful tool to combat the climate crisis. I’m so interested to get to know all of you in the community more and to get stuck into on my role! 
Rob Richardson Trustee Hi, I'm Rob Richardson. I have lived in Sandringham for over 11 years with my partner and two children. I have been involved in SPiCE for four years now and I enjoy seeing our community come together to build an even better place to live, work and play. 
Bernadette Power Trustee I live at the Balmoral end of Sandringham, hands-down the best neighbourhood in Auckland. People who live around here hold morning teas for their street just on the berm, run eco-neighbourhoods, and our children play in the street. Living the dream. Communities can do things that governments can't, which is why I feel privileged to be a trustee of SPiCE. |
Helga Arlington Trustee I am delighted that my time as a local board member brought me into contact with the great group of people who stepped up to form SPiCE and to advocate for the our community. We all feel pride at what we achieved for our Reserve. Tablecloths, even! I warmly recommend SPiCE to anyone who would like to ‘belong’ more to Sandringham - maybe there are skills or time you have to offer? What would you like to dream up? 
Karel Wöhlnick Trustee In 2016 having crossed the ditch Anne (a Kiwi) and me (Aussie) we landed in Sandringham. As newbees, we did what everyone did, attend a SPiCE event at the Sandringham Reserve. It was joyful and fun and we felt welcome. It was enough to threw away my anonymity and volunteer to be part of SPiCE. They’re a bunch of really nice people. We are happy to have made Sandringham the place we now call home. 
Is this you? Trustee SPiCE is looking for more Trustees to join us. Please contact us if you are interested. |
How SPiCE came about
The playground in the Sandringham Reserve was due for renewal in 2014-15. A group of community members expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of community involvement in the development of the local board’s proposals for the Reserve. So in late 2014 the Albert-Eden Local Board set aside $25,000 for this community group that had formed to develop our own vision and plan for Sandringham to enrich our community and enhance the area. We had an opportunity as a community to tell council what we wanted for our playground and for our Reserve - now we have a newly designed Reserve and playground based on what the community told us they wanted!
The playground in the Sandringham Reserve was due for renewal in 2014-15. A group of community members expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of community involvement in the development of the local board’s proposals for the Reserve. So in late 2014 the Albert-Eden Local Board set aside $25,000 for this community group that had formed to develop our own vision and plan for Sandringham to enrich our community and enhance the area. We had an opportunity as a community to tell council what we wanted for our playground and for our Reserve - now we have a newly designed Reserve and playground based on what the community told us they wanted!
We then asked the community about their vision for Sandringham, all the ideas we received went into creating the Sandringham Community Vision Report which was delivered the Albert-Eden Local Board in August 2016. Since the plan has been delivered to the Local Board our group has evolved to become advocates and representatives - supporting community-led projects, linking up different groups in our neighbourhood, and championing and advocating with the Council for the community's vision to be implemented.
In 2018, SPiCE became a community-led development partner of the Department of Internal Affairs. This five-year partnership gives us access to expertise and funding and has allowed us to bring on a paid community facilitator to support our work. Now that the SPiCE group is a CLD partner, its opportunities and capabilities are very much enhanced and present a real opportunity for both Sandringham residents and the many regular visitors to our unique village to promote projects and fantasies of all kinds – like our annual floral carpet! So if you do have an idea for Sandringham, now is a great time to share it with us!
Vision Report
Produced in 2016, the Sandringham Community Vision Report, is a snapshot of what locals want for Sandringham. It is this shared vision that has informed the work of SPiCE. If you would like to contribute to a shared vision for Sandringham going forward, please fill out the our Make Sandringham Amazing Survey.
This photo captures some of the SPiCE crew in January 2016 who were involved in the original playground redevelopment project and the creation of the Sandringham Community Vision Report. From left to right, Karel, Natasha, Helga, Susannah, Anne, Dylan, Helen, Ricky, Ellen and Miles.
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