Te Aratu Trust

26/05/2026

We are i oti matou i te pānga (we have completed the puzzle 🧩).

Ākonga and I have been pottering along with this jigsaw puzzle that we finished today.

We will start the next puzzle āpōpō.
One that was kindly donated by one of our Ākonga.

25/05/2026

In crafts e tēnei ra, Whaea Rochelle offered the Ākonga the opportunity to try out the painting easels donated by the Rotorua Bowling Club.

"a picture paints a thousand words" (Fred R. Barnard, 1921).

Painting offers adults significant health and wellness advantages, such as those listed below.

* Reduced stress and anxiety
* It promotes relaxation
* Builds confidence through artistic accomplishment
* Provides a healthy, non-verbal outlet for emotional expression
* It can strengthen cognitive functions like memory, concentration, and spatial awareness
* It helps boost memory retention and sharpens mental agility, which supports long-term brain health
* Finishing a project and witnessing your own creative growth boosts confidence and self-worth

We look forward to seeing what other creative pursuits our Ākonga engage in!

21/05/2026

Crochet/knitting class 🧶
happens on Mondays from 09:30AM - 12PM with Kaiako Gloria to guide Ākonga to build confidence in meaningful activities grounded in Whānaungatanga, Manaakitanga and Whakamana.

These participants are working on knitting, crochet, and matting projects with a set goal in mind of what their projects will be used for; most of which are being made to give away to others.

21/05/2026

Our new website has gone live 💚

Strengthening connection, mana, hauora, and resilience for Tāngata Whaiora, Te Aratu Trust in Rotorua supports people with disabilities and mental health needs to build independence and meaningful community participation.

21/05/2026

Last week we had a puppy visit us, lots of cuddles and cuteness!

20/05/2026

Yesterday's Epilepsy New Zealand educational visit with Marjo Tenhagen went extremely well 🙂.

Ākonga and Kaiako learnt more about seizures and Epilepsy.
We feel more educated about what to do in the event of seizures.

Ākonga felt safe to ask questions that Marjo answered with explanations that suited the participants.

Marjo demonstrated what to do if someone has a seizure by having Te Rore act as our patient and called Whaea Nicky to help place him in the recovery position / stable side position.

There was lots of positive feedback about Marjo and the visit from Ākonga and Kaiako that will be forwarded onto Marjo.

We are grateful for these relationships with our community that helps us build reciprocal networks.
Ākonga and Kaiako now know where they can go to for questions, advice and guidance with seizures and Epilepsy.

Thank you Marjo!!

20/05/2026

Te Aratu Trust would like to express our massive thanks to Merv and the Club team for their generous donation of art equipment for our Ākonga!

Your contribution directly supports our Ākonga to pursue their love of art, which means so much to them 🎨 😊.

We are deeply grateful for your kindness and support, especially with our reciprocal indoor bowls games!

16/05/2026

We are privileged to welcome back
Marjo Tenhagen to the trust on
Wednesday the 20th May
during briefing and Whānau group time to help us learn more about seizures and Epilepsy.

Marjo is a dedicated Epilepsy Educator for the Lakes District and Eastern Bay of Plenty regions at Epilepsy New Zealand.

You are welcome to join us for the korero, even if you don’t usually attend on Wednesdays.

Many thanks,
Whaea Nicky.

15/05/2026

15/05/2026

💗 Pink Shirt Day Aotearoa 💗
We proudly stood together today for Pink Shirt Day, which reminds us of the importance of kindness, inclusion, and standing up against bullying.
We wore pink with pride, showing our commitment to creating a safe, supportive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
At Te Aratu Trust, we believe that aroha, manaakitanga, and respect are at the heart of everything we do — not just today, but every day💞

13/05/2026

NZCT funded Te Aratu to purchase hats and towels for ākonga to use during activities.

Ākonga, friends, family, and supporters can order their own to keep, if they want to:
Towel $30 | Hat $20

We need to place our order asap.
Please contact us if you would like one:
📧 info@tearatu.org.nz
📞 07 349 4244
📍 34 Ferguson Place