True Heroes

Many thanks to Manukau Courier Reporter Mr. Troels Summerville for covering the Pacific Steel Sutton Park School Project.

I am just a consultant there to help coordinate and guide this united Community effort.
 

It has been an honour and privilege to work with these True Community Heroes who deserve all the credit for making this happen.
 

 

⇒ Pacific Steel for sponsoring this project. Thanks to Mr. Andrew Hibbert, Marketing; Mrs. Jane McLaren, Environmental Engineering Services and Wire Mill Manager, and their helpful staff.

⇒ Sutton Park School Children (500+) and Teachers plus Parents who actually created these gardens.

⇒ Principal Mrs. Fiona Cavanagh;

⇒ Teachers: Mary Rahiti, Satya Anand, Jeanie Boaza, John Milne, Josie Gardiner, Juanita Mabalay, Michael Coulson, and custodian Sitimi Taulcolo; reception and support staff Gabriel Moffat and Kim Johnson plus many more!

⇒ Mr. Andrew Graham Sergeant, Mangere East Neighbourhood Policing Team, who skilfully instigated this project with assistance from Police-persons Mr. Blake James and Ms. Kathy Rose

⇒ Bay Engineering for the fine tools.

⇒ Pacific Growers for garden supplies.

⇒ Housing New Zealand for community support.

⇒ Zealandia Nurseries for the wonderful plants.

⇒ Darren and Billie of Professional Garden Services.

⇒ John Newton for his tireless efforts as Web Master for all our website feature stories. His very clever mastery of computer technology and brilliant eye for design makes all these feature stories and pictures available for the enjoyment and knowledge of many around the world. Many thanks John!!!

The intent of this garden project is to beautify, educate, improve neighborhood cohesion, reduce crime and uplift our local Community. Hopefully this project will inspire similar projects in communities throughout New Zealand.

Garden projects and gardening in general creates abundance, beauty, improves fitness and health. These are qualities that produce a happier life. It is fun, productive and refreshing. Gardening teaches important survival and life skills like caring, kindness, coordination and planning; reliability and responsibility; team work and unity; plus individual, family and community pride of accomplishment to achieve a productive reward. Gardening helps grow a better Community!

The strong young hands of a younger generation prove very valuable in the garden. Young people feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose that gives them a reason for being there. They can quickly see the results of their hard work and are rewarded for what they have achieved.

Whenever a school and surrounding community takes ‘ownership’ of a garden project, they naturally want to protect their gardens, school and school grounds against damage from crime, tagging and vandalism.

Many times families living nearby start gardens of their own and so the over-all impact of the project geometrically increases. Soon there are gardens, often showing from the street, throughout the area.

This beautifies the neighbourhood which results in community pride and a sense of unity which inspires more people to become involved. As they work in their gardens, they begin to meet their neighbours who all share a common bond through their appreciation of gardening and nature. This creates a friendly support network that results in an inter-connected and stronger community.

A united community is a formidable barrier against crime, vandalism and violence. Crime hates to be confronted, heard or seen by a unified community. Soon crime moves on so tagging and violence incidents are dramatically reduced and the entire area is uplifted.

Imagine if all 7 billion people on Earth each planted a garden. As individual patches of paradise begin to blossom, bear fruit and merge, this collective caring for our environment would eventually unify communities through beauty, caring, kindness, productivity and solidarity of shared ideals that would produce a green world paradise. This is the ‘dream’ that someday we might we might truly become a world in union.
 

Best wishes always,

Dale

 

Sutton Park School Project - Face Book page

Quarter Acre Paradise - Face Book page

Pacific Steel/Sutton Park featured at www.daleharvey.com

READ MORE... Pacific Steel / Sutton Park Primary School

Gardening Helps to Reduces Crime
Pacific Steel / Sutton Park Primary School Project
Pacific Steel / Sutton Park Primary School Gardening Project
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