Homebuilders – Learning for life

Homebuilders Family Services has been given an exciting opportunity to provide a four module gardening workshop for the ultimate beginner in Terms 3 and 4. This will involve learning about soils, what to plant, where and when to plant, different styles of gardening and what works best for you. The tutor, Angela Gibbons, is a mother of two young children who grew up in Te Kaha on the east coast of the Bay of Plenty. She is passionate about gardening and eating healthily on a budget. She is currently volunteering at the Matakana Community Gardens and wants to put her extensive knowledge and expertise into supporting others to provide for themselves and their families. With the current New Zealand food prices and economic environment, we are fortunate to be able to access this valuable resource in our community and extend this to others. The four modules are a combination of practical work and theory and will be held at Homebuilders in Warkworth. Subjects covered include starting plants from seed, cuttings, making compost and what to do with your harvest. If you are interested in any of these workshops, contact Homebuilders to find out the dates and to register.

Homebuilders will also be providing Rodney North with parenting courses in Term 3 that are facilitated by two of our family support workers. Terry Healey and Liz Cole have developed each course over the years. The courses have responded to the demands of modern-day parenting and met the needs of parents, caregivers and children. The subjects can range from understanding the neuroscience behind child development to tackling sibling rivalry, ways to connect with your child and creating harmony within the home. Each term we look at the needs in each area of North Rodney, or the needs of parents and caregivers, and tailor the courses to suit.   

Lastly, the Mindfulness course, facilitated by myself, will be provided again next term. This six-week course outlines what mindfulness is and how the use of this eastern philosophy in modern day life has proved successful in the health and business sector. Also covered is how to identify and understand our emotions, and how to develop skills to cope in times of distress, such as when experiencing grief or a crisis. We have included CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) models that can help us understand the relationship between how we think and feel, and how we respond physically and behave. Once we identify and name our own internal processes, we are then able to make decisions on what behaviours we want to change.  

All our courses are free, and we provide free child minding on site if you register.

Info: 09 425 7048 or www.homebuildersfs.org