Charity's new kitchen creates opportunities for Christchurch's vulnerable
Happy Friday neighbours,
If you can’t handle the heat, get a new kitchen.
The Christchurch City Mission’s social enterprise, Thrive Catering, is relieved to have moved to a new state-of-the-art commercial kitchen as it continues to provide cooking classes and other essential lessons to Christchurch’s most vulnerable.
Thrive offers work experience courses for City Mission clients who are trying to get back on their feet. They are given valuable cooking lessons and other life skills to better their prospects for the future, when the mission no longer provides direct support for them.
The charity's Hereford St base kitchen had become too small, meaning course capacity was limited and many were missing out on learning vital skills.
Read more on this story by clicking the link below.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.1% Yes, it's fair
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10.3% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Cyclists forced to use ‘more dangerous’ crossing if cycleway closed
Closing a Christchurch cycleway to avoid an unsafe rail crossing will lead cyclists across an even “more dangerous” crossing, cycling advocates say.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has weighed in on the issue, calling the move to shut a 1.5km section of the Heathcote Expressway for up to two years, “illogical”. He has asked KiwiRail to explain.
KiwiRail is demanding Christchurch City Council close part of the expressway until $6.5 million worth of safety improvements can be made to the Scruttons Rd rail crossing.
It said the “unsafe” crossing posed the risk of death or serious injury once every thousand years.
What do you do think? Read the full story by reporters Sinead Gill and Tina Law here and tell us what you think in the comments. (A subscription is required, but you can see two free articles a month).
House fire causing road closures
Pages Road is closed this afternoon from Breezes Road, this is due to a house that has caught fire in the area.
Coastal Ward Community Board member, Alex Hewison, shared the closure on a local Facebook page.
Fire and Emergency are at the scene but further details have not been shared at this stage.
Avoid the area where possible.