Network meeting to celebrate Settlement Support Rotorua's five years of service to community

Settlement Support Rotorua is celebrating five years service to the community by holding a network meeting and luncheon at Rotorua District Council (RDC) offices next week.

The theme for the event is ‘Newcomers and New Services’ and takes place on Friday 18 November from 12.30pm to 2.30pm at the RDC Civic Centre. All migrants, newcomers to the district, service and government representatives, and anyone with an interest in helping newcomers settle well in Rotorua are welcome to attend.

RDC Settlement Support coordinator Heather McAllister says she is looking forward to celebrating the five-year milestone with people keen on being part of the local Settlement Support network.

“I’ve enjoyed assisting a diverse range of people from all over the world who have chosen to make Rotorua their home. The most pleasing aspects of my role over the past five years are hearing that migrant children have settled in well at schools, and that locals have gone out of their way to help migrants make social links within the community.”

Ms McAllister says at next week’s meeting people will be updated on Settlement Support activities and new services, discuss current settlement issues, share ideas and experiences, and generally catch up and make new connections.

Guest speakers at the meeting will be Rajind Seneviratne, a recent migrant from Sri Lanka; Shakti Women’s Support Group’s Margie Agalid; and Parenting Central’s Eva Corson.

The event is free to attend however registrations are required for catering purposes. Contact Heather McAllister on 07 351 7054 or email ssnzrotorua@rdc.govt.nz