Upper Hutt serves as platform for two community-minded initiatives

A collaborative graffiti removal and clean-up in Kelleher Service Lane supported by Upper Hutt City Council sees volunteers promote neighbourliness in order to launch two separate local and national community minded initiatives.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 22 FEB 2016—Volunteers from around the world descended on Upper Hutt as part of a new Community Patrol initiative and as a pre-emptive project for the Serve for NZ initiative, launched around the country today to promote the spirit of volunteering in New Zealand.

Serve for NZ is a joint initiative of the University of Canterbury student volunteer army and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association (RSA). The initiative aims to further the spirit of volunteering in New Zealand by asking people to pledge 1+ hour to do neighbourly activities on special days in the New Zealand calendar.

Student Volunteer Army Founder and 2012 Young New Zealander of the Year, Sam Johnson, was in Upper Hutt, participating in the project, "The best legacy from the Christchurch earthquakes is for more neighbourhoods to work together. It is a huge pleasure to be helping out in Upper Hutt!"

Over 20 volunteers including locals, neighbours, tourists, and students worked alongside Upper Hutt City Council staff and Upper Hutt Community Patrol members to paint out Kelleher Service Lane which had been damaged by graffiti vandalism.

At the same time, the event served as a launch for Upper Hutt Community Patrol’s 2016 Graffiti Eradication Project. The project aims to decrease crime by removing historic and recent instances of graffiti vandalism from pedestrian accessways across the city. It also will help increase safety empowering and resourcing residents to work together to sustainably manage graffiti vandalism in their neighbourhoods.

Upper Hutt Community Patrol Chair, Patrick Gannon says “Upper Hutt Community Patrol is proud to support the launch of Serve for NZ. Community Patrols across New Zealand are voluntary groups of people who serve their communities through giving some of their time to help the Police and make their local communities safer for everyone. Projects, such as today’s graffiti removal clean-up, support neighbourliness which in turn builds safer communities.”

“Council is pleased to have been able to support Sunday’s launch of both Serve for NZ and the Graffiti Eradication Project through provision of coordination, administration, and other resources required,” says Council’s Director of Community Services, Mike Ryan. “Projects such as these support neighbourhoods in Upper Hutt to be caring and safe communities.”

The first opportunity for the general public to get involved in Serve for NZ will be Anzac Day. Organisers are asking people to pledge to do 1+ hour of neighbourly activities on or around Anzac Day. Residents interested in pledging 1+ hour of neighbourly service on Anzac Day can find out more at www.servefor.nz.

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