Season’s Greetings to everyone from Grey Lynn & Around - your local business
and community organisation.
Looking backwards on 2020 to look forward. What a year it’s been. A whirlwind of change, uncertainty, transformation and for Grey Lynn & Around, a time to make a difference. At our November AGM Chair Paul Stephenson noted just a few of our achievements. First, leading three major projects – always with the purpose to support and promote our local members’ business, and embrace our values: Sustainable. Creative. Diverse. Niche.
AUCKLAND ARTWEEK – Papatuanuku - Urban Flora and Fauna Trails as part of the 2020 Festival, now in its 10th year. There were 34 venues participating and nearly 50 works by artists, shown on walls across shops, bars, restaurants, our favourite Grey Lynn Community Centre, and installations at Kelmarna Gardens. Metal Bird joined the theme with its birds in locations across our neighbourhood. Huge thanks to everyone involved.
Elemental T-amaki Makaurau AKL. Grey Lynn Eats and Beats
October’s month-long ATEED-supported festival of arts, eats, and beats was a blast. We had 22 participating café/restaurants and afterwards welcomed 12 new members. Already known for our great hospo with our eclectic collection of cafes, restaurants and bars, now they are even more popular. Three cheers to the Elemental team!
Grey Lynn & Around Greening
– Caring for and beautifying our local urban environment
How fitting we kicked off our ongoing Greening project during Artweek. In Maori tradition, Papatuanuku is the land, the mother earth figure who gives birth to all things, including people. With colourful pots painted during Artweek, and planted and installed in Grey Lynn Village, watch the space for more local greening projects.
THEN THERE WERE LOTS OF OTHER INITIATIVES
Communications Revamped
Thanks to our communications team for masterminding our new brand; for the Grey Lynn & Around updated strategic plan; for the new website and communications platforms; for better informing, advocating and promoting on behalf of members and our wider community.
Covid-19 support - Business networking events and Webinars
Hosting networking events and webinar programmes promoting local businesses continues. We ran shop local campaigns, gave free legal advice and temporarily discounted membership by over 50%.
AGM
Held at the fabulous Romulus and Remus Italian inspired restaurant our annual governance meeting ensures transparency, providing members an opportunity to be updated on activities over the year past.
We are grateful to have such a team on the Grey Lynn & Around Board, contributing to our vision ‘for thriving business to enable flourishing communities’ and ensuring we create a valuable local footprint! We are primarily a volunteer organisation and gifted time drives our activity.
Farewell and thank you to outgoing members Marty Steel-Brown and Leanne Moore.
We welcome to our new Board Members
Fiona Anderson - corporate strategist, small business guru, advocate for diversity and inclusion, financial maestro; there is not much more you would want from a key strategic coach and mentor at Prime Strategies.
Alix Abando - lighting design engineer extraordinaire, project manager, holder of a Masters degree in Management and resident pastry chef at Captain Crepes. Alix hails originally from France, but now joins our Board with the purpose of sharing food and food experiences from around the globe.
Jesse Neilson - the go-to owner of Neighbours Café, 2a Hakanoa Street. Starting in Viticulture focused on hospitality, with experience running multiple venues across Wellington and Melbourne, she then pivoted into education training and consulting while founding three successful online businesses focusing on recruitment, digital marketing, and FMCG.
Gineria Linton-Ozich - hailing from Kaitaia with over 25 years experience in the health, fitness and wellness industry. As owner of Vitality Health Solutions, Gineria creates movement and wellness experiences that guide and inspire people towards their lifestyle aspirations so they can LIVE ALIVE feeling happy, healthy and vital.
Big thanks to support we have received from the Waitamata Local Board and to our Coordinator Irene.
Why are we special?
Grey Lynn & Around is an exciting place to be. With our shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, businesses of all sorts, public spaces... what a buzzy community to live in, do business in, welcome visitors to, be part of.
Check out the latest on our social media and www.greylynn-around.com
Pictured above: Last month's Grey Lynn Park Festival