The Child Cancer Foundation plays an integral role in the lives of Kiwi families, providing essential support for the whole family, when a child is diagnosed with cancer. New Zealand Couriers is the Official Transport Partner for this event – and we are playing our part in moving items all around New Zealand to ensure things run smoothly, and maximum $$$ are raised for this great organisation.

On Friday the 10th of March staff were asked to dress up in their favourite team colours and make a donation. Winners of the morning team = Whangarei and Hamilton branches. Thanks everyone for your support and enthusiasm.

Wellington MSL banded together and put on a sausage sizzle on for staff and couriers to raise some money and awareness for Gumboot Friday 2022.

New Zealand Couriers are proud to have been working with Keep New Zealand Beautiful for over 20 years. This year's CleanUpWeek was a huge success, with over 400 team members pitching in during 17-23 September 2022 to help make a difference across the country.

We're grateful to Keep New Zealand Beautiful for all their amazing work to keep our country looking beautiful and green. Thank you, KNZB, for helping us make a difference!

If you're interested in helping out with Keep New Zealand Beautiful, please visit their website and learn more about how you can get involved: https://www.knzb.org.nz/

We’re passionate about giving back to the community. On Wednesday 7 September, NZ Couriers participated in Wig Wednesday! This dress-up day, which raises money for the Child Cancer Foundation, happens annually every September. Our teams all over the country participate to show their support and recognition for the children and their families who have been affected by cancer.

This year, our Palmerston North branch is ranking in the Top 10 in the country for donations, and we couldn't be more proud! The Child Cancer Foundation does amazing work to help support the emotional well-being and social connection of these families.

If you’d like to contribute to the Child Cancer Foundation – it’s not too late, donate here: https://lnkd.in/ggmtEFhz

Diwali, ‘The Festival of Lights’ signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the renewal of life.

Reconnect with Nature

To round out the week, we’re asking you to reconnect with the beautiful taonga that is te taiao/the natural environment.  It’s often the little things that bring us joy. The singing birds, the grass beneath our feet, the wind on our faces.

Studies show exposure to nature not only makes us feel better emotionally, it contributes to our physical wellbeing. 

All the more reason to spend at least a small moment today outside – breathing in some fresh air and noticing the world around you.  You might be surprised by what you notice!

Daily Challenge:

Today we encourage you to embrace nature with someone else.

Go outdoors, snap a photo of some nature that catches your eye and send it to someone to brighten their day.

Reconnect with your Community

Today is about reconnecting with your hapori whānui/wider community. 

It’s the perfect time to sign up to be a volunteer or join a local community group, but it could also be as simple as making the effort to reconnect with people you interact with every day.  

Today is all about savouring the little hononga/connections that make us human.

Daily Challenge:

Take a moment to stop and korero with a neighbour or check out assistant.  It might make their day.

OR

Make a hoamahi/colleague a cuppa and bring in some biscuits and create a moment to reconnect in the lunchroom.  Look for opportunities to put a smile on someone’s face.

Reconnect with a Special Place

The places and spaces we spend out time in have a huge impact on how we feel.

Most of us have places we can to that calm, inspire or uplift us.

Today, make time to go to a place that is special to you and take notice of how you feel when you are there.

Daily Challenge:

Take some time away from your work environment and have your lunch at a place that makes you feel calm and uplifted.

This might be your favourite café or a nearby park.

Reconnect with a Friend or Loved One

We know life can get busy, but feeling connected to the people that are important to us can make a big difference to our mental health.

Connection brings purpose and belonging to our lives an makes us feel happier and more secure. 

Today is about reconnection with the people in our lives – it could be someone special who you have lost touch with or just wish you caught up with more often. 

Daily Challenge:

Reach out to someone you would like to reconnect with.  Call or send a message to whanau or friends.

OR

Catch up face to face if you can, especially if it has been while. 

We bet it will give you both a boost.

Reconnect with yourself

Connecting with yourself is a skill.  To start the week, begin by taking a moment to check in with yourself, acknowledge how you’re feeling and how the last few years of turbulence affected you and your connection with others and the world around you. 

This is a good time to think about the people you have lost contact with who you might want to reach out to, or the special places you haven’t visited in a while.

Take a moment to ask yourself, ‘how am I feeling today?’

Daily Challenge:

Today we encourage you to reconnect with yourself. 

Grab a pen and paper and write down three things you are grateful for.  Taking time to notice and reflect on the things we are thankful for, helps us to experience more positive emotions.

For something extra, take a moment to be present and let your creative energy flow with a mindful colouring activity.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

Mental Health Awareness Week (runs each year by the Mental Health Foundation) is back next week (26 Sept - 2 Oct). 

This year, Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) is all about reconnection.  The past couple of years have been tough and it’s easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us.  

Whether it’s reaching out to someone you have lost contact with, visiting a place that’s special to you or getting outside in nature.  We hope you’ll take some time this MHAW to reconnect with the people and places that uplift you – hei pikinga waiora.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

This week is Māori language week.  Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week. This year is extra special as 14 September marks the 50th anniversary of the Māori Language Petition.

The Māori Language Petition (Te Petihana) presentation to Parliament on 14 September 1972, with over 30,000 signatures, kickstarted major shifts in the revival of te reo Māori as a living language in Aotearoa New Zealand.

During the week: 

ReoMāori Socials

Follow ReoMāori on Instagram or Facebook for all the latest updates on Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

The team who create content for ReoMāori, provide downloadable resources like these below, to help you on your te reo Māori journey.

Waiata Anthems

Listen to acclaimed music artists, like Six60, Drax Project and Sol3 Mio who have recorded songs in te reo Māori.

You can also watch on TVNZ on demand as they share their personal stories when translating and recording their songs.

Kōreoreo App

If you are interested in learning te reo Māori, with many courses having waiting lists, or you may not be ready to formally learn just yet, some of the ways you can start your journey are with resources like the kōreroreo app.  Created by AUT, this is a free app that teaches how to use te reo Māori in real life situations.

What is a Karakia?

As the week comes to an end, and you bring together whānau and friends over food, try saying a Karakia mō te Kai – blessing the food.

Karakia are prayers or chants that invoke guidance and protection. 

Karakia mō te kai – blessing of food – is said or sung before eating our kai.  There are many versions, and most give thanks to those who have grown and prepared the food and can be religious.

Many version of karakia can be found online such as the Te Puni Kōkiri website or on YouTube.

Celebrate: Sunday 4 September – Saturday 10 September

This year’s theme for Tonga Language Week - is: 

Ke Tu'uloa 'a e lea faka-Tonga 'i Aotearoa, which means Sustaining the Tonga Language in Aotearoa. 

Ke Tu'uloa 'a e lea faka-Tönga′ 'i Aotearoa has a positive and progressive connotation. The word TU'ULOA in the theme this year means to continuously grow, nurture, and sustain a valued idea, practice, event, or memory in an enduring way.

Activities and events will be hosted throughout Aotearoa, to embrace Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga. To see the Calendar of Events click this link to the Ministry of Pacific Peoples website. You can also stay connected online by visiting the official NZ Tonga Language Week Facebook page.

Happy Father's Day to all the Freightways Dad's out there!!!

In the sunshine capital today we got behind “onesie day”  

Onesie day is to help fundraise to keep Wellington Free Ambulance free 😊.

This year we all wore Onesie/Oodie’s and also had a little sausage sizzle where drivers stopped in to donate a coin and received a sausage and a drink.