You, like me, may have found the devastation that has hit our North Island hard to get to grips with; the scale is so vast.

That’s part of the thinking behind the ‘Adopt a Community’ campaign and I am one of 32 mayors across the country who have signed up to the scheme, offering support to one council in particular.

This allows us as a community to have one area that we can target our care on, today and into the future as the North slowly recovers.

Our adoptee is the Central Hawkes Bay. 

Where is the Central Hawkes Bay District you may say? Fair enough, I wouldn’t have known either before becoming mayor. So here’s the answer:

Central Hawkes Bay District

The district has around 16,000 people living over 3,333 square kilometres (we are 25,000 over 10,000). It’s a rural place like us, and right now, it needs our help. Here’s some pictures as to why:

Damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in Central Hawkes Bay

So how do we help? 

Make donations to the Central Hawke’s Bay Mayoral Relief Fund 01-0777-0038665-00, with the reference ‘Relief’. (If you bank with Kiwibank it will force you to enter a property valuation number. When it does this, please enter ten zeros). 

Alternatively, donate to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust 02-0700-0010824-002.