Highlights

As a board member of the Te Whare Āniwaniwa Collective, I recently facilitated a Community Advisory Committee workshop exploring early spatial concepts for the Rainbow Hub.

This deployment aligned with a new recovery approach that brings agencies directly into affected communities, meeting people where they are rather than expecting them to navigate complex systems.

On 7 November, I was invited to the Wiri Base, the national Red Cross warehouse, to contribute to a training session led by the philanthropy team for door-to-door fundraisers…

On 20 November, Auckland Emergency Management delivered Exercise Te Tai Āniwhaniwha, a large-scale emergency management exercise designed to test Auckland’s response to a credible tsunami scenario…

On 12 November, I participated in a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) discussion focused on mana whenua, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and governance within the context of a community-led project...

On 8 and 9 November, New Zealand Red Cross delivered its largest Disaster Welfare Support Team (DWST) deployment course to date at Carey Park Christian Camp in Auckland. Over two days, 60 new volunteers from…

On 15 October, the North and South Auckland Disaster Welfare Support Teams (DWST) came together for their first joint training session. The aim…

On 9 July, the newly established Auckland North Disaster Welfare Support Team (DWST) held its first ever team meeting. This followed a strategic decision by…

This Pride Month, I joined an important conversation on inclusive design in disaster risk reduction, focused on how gender and sexual minorities are recognised, represented and supported before, during and after disasters…

This week I took part in the Red Cross Psychological First Aid training for Disaster Welfare and Support. It was not dramatic or technical, but it was one of the most grounding courses I have done…

This June, I’m taking part in Sweat with Pride, a challenge to move for 42 minutes every day to support Aotearoa’s Rainbow communities.

It was a privilege to join Auckland Council’s Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel this evening. The session brought together community members and advocates to share experiences…

Jumped online tonight for an IFRC session focused on how Emergency Response Units (ERUs) are evolving. Around 140 people from National...

Last night, I attended the 2025 Media Awards, where the theme of the evening resonated: journalists as weavers of our communities. This idea, drawn from Ta Ao Māori, recognises how…

This week I went along to the Rainbow Auckland May networking event—my first time. It was a relaxed and welcoming space, with plenty of meaningful conversations beyond the usual work chat. One of the standouts for me was hearing about Te Whare Aniwaniwa, Rainbow Hub Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, a project still in its early stages, working toward creating a dedicated rainbow community space in the CBD.

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in Exercise Manaaki, Auckland’s largest civil defence welfare exercise to date. As a volunteer with the New Zealand Red Cross Disaster Welfare and Support Team (DWST), I was stationed at the CBD Civil Defence Centre (CDC) for the duration of the day-long exercise. Exercise Manaaki brought together DWST members and partner agencies from across the North Island.

I recently participated in a Civil Defence Centre training day with Fire Rescue and First Response. It was a hands-on experience that went beyond theory, focusing on practical skills essential for emergency response…

Over the weekend, I completed a two-day comprehensive first aid course. It was hands-on, practical, and honestly more intense than I expected. Sure, we covered CPR, choking, burns, and fractures, but what really stayed with me…