One of the benefits of lockdown has been connecting digitally with some pretty amazing humans from NZ and all over the globe. And they are all free! Here are some of our favourites:
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​1. Aotearoa Town Hall
Two young councillors from Wellington have facilitated these great facebook live sessions on a Monday night from 7 pm. I've joined a couple of sessions on economics featuring Kate Raworth amongst others (UK academic, "Doughnut Economics"). Tonight's one (Monday 12 May) is on health with Siouxsie Wiles (Microbiologist and science communicator extraordinaire) and Julie Ann Genter (associate Minister for Health) on the panel. Previous week's recordings available on the FB page if you want to catch up. Or maybe see you there tonight?

https://www.facebook.com/aotearoatownhall/

2. Inspiring Communities
Inspiring Communities, a leading source of community-led development information in NZ, has led a couple of webinars expertly facilitated by Denise Bijoux. The first one looked at Insights into Community Innovation & Getting Through COVID-19 and featured guests from the world-leading Tamarack Institute in Canada. The second one focussed on NZ experts looking at Response to Recovery. They have generously made the recordings and accompanying resources available on their website:

https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/co-matters-webinar-series/

The Inspiring Communities FB page posts regularly with some great content so follow them if you are interested in this area.

3. Jeder Institute 
The Jeder Institute from Australia has been hosting free zoom catch-ups at 10 am and 10 pm NZ time every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Teach Tuesdays they share ABCD (asset-based community development) tools and models and on Think Thursdays they have inspiring community speakers from all over the world. Catch-up on previous talks on their you tube channel, or just dial in with zoom if you are free - all welcome. All the talks are very energising, positive and interactive - there seems to be a world wide desire to create a new and better normal out of Covid. Find all the details here:

https://www.facebook.com/jederinstitute/

What cool webinars have you discovered during lockdown? We'd love to know!

​It is with regret that we have decided to cancel the remaining 2 events in our SPiCEy Fridays series. These were the "Games Night" due to be held this Friday 20 March and  the "Buskers & Beanbags" event due to be held next Friday 27 March. Given the current situation with Covid-19 even though our events were smaller community events, they were non-essential and did encourage physical contact for extended time periods. So it is on this basis that we are cancelling them
We plan to bring some more events to Sandringham Reserve later in the year, and hope that many of you were able to enjoy our Floral Carpet Festival and Kids' Night Out which took place earlier in March.

When SPiCE did the original community consultation in 2014-2016 around both Sandringham Reserve and the playground, we also gathered lots of information from the community about what you love about Sandringham and would like to keep or improve. The SPiCE Vision Report was a snapshot of what was important to you back then, and we'd like to check in to see if your priorities and interests are still the same. 

So we've made it really easy by creating a simple survey. With just 7 questions it only takes a few minutes to complete. We have included the key areas from the Vision Report and also left space for you to add further suggestions. This survey will help direct where SPiCE puts its time and energy in 2020 so we can be doing the things that matter to you.

Take the Make Sandringham Amazing Survey

Let us know what you love about Sandringham and what we all can be doing to make it even better! ​

An application has been made for a new liquor licence at 542 Sandringham Road next door to the medical centre. The application is for an off-licence and long hours are proposed. Many residents are concerned about the effect this will have on Sandringham Village, especially given the number of bottle shops already near by, including one within a minute's walk of this address. We understand Councillor Cathy Casey and the Local Board will be opposing this application, along with many other concerned groups and individuals.

We would like to share the below template for people to use to make their own submission against this liquor licence application. This template covers key issues that have been successful in other objections. Please feel free to make it your own by changing the words, cutting and pasting, adding your own thoughts or just picking the 1 or 2 points you care deeply about to include. You can copy and paste it into an email to alcohol_licensing_central@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Your submission must include your name, address and email address (signature not essential), and be emailed by 5 pm on Wednesday 18 December 2019.
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Please join us for our last meeting of 2019
​Sunday 8 December 4.30 pm - 6.30 pmat the Gribblehirst Hub. This will be a chance to get together with your Sandringham neighbourhood friends and let us know what you would like to do in 2020.

We will be puting together a team to help with SPiCE's Floral Carpet event scheduled for 7 March 2020 in Sandringham Reserve, looking at how best we communicate with you, and finding out where your energy is for projects next year such as greening Sandringham, improving the footpaths and village area, events in our village and local parks, art projects, environmental projects or whatever you think as a community should be happening. If you have a passion come along and share it and we can help make it a reality!

Bubbles, mince pies and fruit mince brownies will be provided. We hope to see you all there!

Diwali Lights Display at Sandringham Reserve, 25th October - 29th October

SPiCE has a lighting installation artwork planned for our very own pocket park - Sandringham Reserve - this coming long weekend.  The park lights will create a fantastic colourful celebratory atmosphere to coincide with Diwali from Friday 25th October until Tuesday 29th October
Wander down one evening to enjoy the lights. Or please join us for a shared community dinner under the lights on Sunday 27 October from 6.30 pm.
Many thanks to Albert-Eden Neighbourhood Arts for enabling this project, Albert-Eden Local Board for funding it and for our Trustee, Natasha McCoy, for designing and putting it together. 
 
Special thanks also to Hirepool Mt Roskill for stepping in on short notice to loan us a cherry picker at no charge to install the lights. ​

​SPiCE Meeting: Sunday 20 October 2019 from 4 pm to 6 pm
Sandringham Community Centre

Come along and meet our new Community Facilitator, Joanne Harland, and help us prioritise and shape our plans for Sandringham!

Originally training and working as a solicitor, Joanne moved into community sector work after moving to New Zealand 15 years ago. Joanne was involved as a volunteer at Playcentre and with Social Enterprise Auckland before taking up a role at Garden to Table, most recently as Programme Manager for the national charity. Joanne is passionate about communities and empowerment, and is a neighbour to Sandringham – living just across Dominion Road in Mt Eden and with sons attending Balmoral Intermediate and Mt Albert Grammar School. 

We are pleased to have funding as a partnership community with the Department of Internal Affairs Community-Led Development Programme to be able to appoint Joanne who is starting in this role part-time from 14 October. We hope this will reinvigorate SPiCE and give us the resource we need to continue to action the Sandringham Vision Report and make Sandringham an even greater place to live, work, study and play.  

So please join us this Sunday 20 October at the Sandringham Community Centre from 4 pm to discuss all things SPiCEy – we value your input!