News from the Valley

A $25,000 grant for the Valley Project from the Otago Community Trust will help with many community initiatives such as Kai Share, the HeatSeekers drop-in clinics and CreekFest. Kai Share is a weekly food box programme, which distributes food from KiwiHarvest to local families and people in need. The HeatSeekers: Healthy Homes in the Valley weekly drop-in clinics aim to give people the information and help they need to create a warmer, drier and healthier home. CreekFest is an annual the community festival and educational event that celebrates Lindsay Creek. Valley Project manager Tess Trotter says the funding is …

Baldwin Street residents will be asked for their opinions about changing the street signage from ‘the Steepest Street in the World’ to ‘the World’s Steepest City Street.' The steepest street in the world title has been stripped from the North East Valley street after Ffordd Pen Llech, a street in the North Wales town of Harlech was deemed to be steeper. The Welsh rival is not a dual carriageway road but pipped Baldwin St over a 10m section. Dunedin City Council communication and marketing manager Graham McKerracher says the council has been asked to take down the steepest street …

Want to get warmer in your home? Did you know that 20–30% of your home’s heat can be lost through your windows? Come along to a free workshop on DIY pelmets and go home with a simple solution to help insulate your windows better. Good curtains that fit well and pelmets will help improve heat retention and reduce energy costs. Fitted pelmets reduce heat loss above windows and can be made of any material as long as it creates an air barrier. Pelmets only need to be against the wall and reach to or past the curtain – they …

A diesel leak into Lindsay Creek suspected to be coming from a community-owned workspace has been distressing for community members and the Valley Project executive board as they work to deal with and rectify the situation. The diesel seeping into the creek is assumed to be coming from recently-discovered underground tanks beneath the Valley Community Workspace at 11 Allen Street. The Valley Project, which owns the community workspace building, was first notified about the leak on 9 July. The chairperson, Ian Telfer, reported the leak to the Otago Regional Council pollution hotline and council staff visited the site later …

When more than 500 people signed a petition asking Dunedin City Council to “liberate the loos” at Chingford Park the council took notice, and will now unlock the toilets in the pavilion on a daily basis. North East Valley resident Kaitrin McMullan organised the petition after running an event at Chingford Park. She found the process to have the pavilion toilets unlocked time-consuming and frustrating. “This is fantastic news,” says Kaitrin. “Everyone is very pleased the toilets are going to be open. This is great democratic action.” Chingford Park is an excellent community asset and used by many people, …

Organic gardener Michelle Cox is running two workshops in North East Valley about how to create and support a healthy living soil. Caring for the soil is the most important thing you will ever do as an organic gardener and is the key to producing an abundance of healthy, nutritious food, she says. Her first workshop is about knowing your soil and participants will discover its gifts, shortcomings and challenges too. "We'll do some hands-on tests and you'll learn why soil life is pivotal to the health and abundance of your crops," says Michelle. The second workshop, Heal Your …

An innovative skateboarding programme in schools is the brainchild of Otago Polytechnic student Jimmy Hay, whose passion for skateboarding inspired his community project at Opoho School. The project is part of his third-year study for a Bachelor of Applied Science. As nobody currently teaches skateboarding in Dunedin, Jimmy saw an opportunity that could even lead to a small business eventually. The skateboarding lessons are part of the school’s Discovery programme. With options such as yoga, cooking, digital technology and cardboard construction, it is a time for pupils to explore their own interests and learn self-management. As eight children raced …

Malcolm Law is no stranger to crazy ideas and the idea of running up and down Mt Cargill in the cold and dark until the last runner was left standing appealed to his wackier side. It was also a great opportunity to add some mileage to his current challenge of climbing one million feet (304, 800m) in a year to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. Even so, he hadn’t been particularly looking forward to the Crush the Cargill Longest Shortest Day event, but found himself really enjoying it. It was very friendly and low …

It takes a certain kind of delirium to come up with an event in which participants get to run up and down Mt Cargill every two hours over and over again on the shortest day of the year. Add to that a level of cruelty to start the event at 8pm on the night before, and you wouldn’t expect people to bother turning up. However, turn up they did! Last month 26 runners lined up at 8pm to start the Crush the Cargill Longest Shortest Day event at Bethunes Gully. As the very long, cold night dragged on the …

The Transition Valley 473 initiating group meets monthly to discuss how we can make our community more resilient in the face of climate change, environmental and economic threats. We welcome new people to these meetings or to any of our activities. Contact Philippa on 473 9293 or see us on Facebook at ‘Transition Valley 473’. community orchard Our community orchard consists of fruit and nut trees and berry bushes planted on six different sites in Pine Hill and North East Valley. Come and join a winter working bee to prune and mulch our trees! Phone Philippa 473 9293 or …

After three years on the beat Mary Waymouth is passing the newsletter bundle to a new generation of Valley Voice deliverers. Mary delivered the Valley Voice to over 450 homes in North East Valley at the start of every month. Mary says she will miss doing the deliveries as she always enjoyed it, but life has been busy for her lately. She passed on a little advice to the new crew and says she met many lovely people and animals on her long walks around the neighbourhood. Taking on her round are Iris Gallagher (12) and Marian McMullan (7) …

MEET VALLEY PROJECT BOARD MEMBER NATASHA MURACHVER, A COMMUNICATION DESIGNER FROM OPOHO What do you love about your local community? We're diverse and welcoming to that diversity. What's the best thing about living here? Everything's in walking distance, and the hills, views and green make for lovely walking. What do you love to do in your spare time? Pretty boring stuff when I'm not at work. Favourite book? The answer is almost always whatever I'm currently reading (False River by Paula Morris). What prompted you to join the Valley Project executive board? I'd been a reader and follower of …