Delightful Surprises in Tahunanui
What started out as a small idea to get people in the Tahunanui area more active has ended up touching several lives in the local community.
Three years ago, Trish Duthie, the Community Development Co-ordinator at the Tahunanui Community Centre started a social walking group. The group sets out each week but has become more than just a way of being active. Trish says the group has great social benefits as the women chat and find out what is happening in each other’s lives while they are walking.
Trish also came up with the idea of each week choosing a garden the group admires and dropping a card into the letterbox, letting the owner know what attracted their attention and congratulating their efforts.
Over the years, the centre has received many thank you letters from delighted recipients of the walking group’s cards.
“Recently, a woman working in her garden spotted the group and she was thrilled to finally meet the people who had sent her such a complimentary message about her garden,” Trish says. “It was nice talking to the owner and to know the cards mean something – we were even invited in to have a better look at the garden.”
The group has also been invited for coffee from another grateful recipient. Trish says she’s thrilled the idea has expanded from a small group of women getting out and walking to include the wider Tahunanui community.
“Enjoying the great outdoors with friends and family is a good way of connecting with people around you and strengthening your social networks,” Trish says. “Activities such as gardening, walking and cycling are not only good for your physical health, but can improve your sense of wellbeing and lower rates of depression and anxiety.
