Wh¯anau Day combats drugs
An action-packed day of family activities is the first community move towards combating a Manawatu¯ town’s drug crisis.
Thousands will converge at Feilding’s Victoria Park on November 12 for the first Wha¯ nau Day, an event organised by Manawatu¯ mayor Helen Worboys to fight the town’s synthetic drug crisis.
The idea rose from a public meeting ordered by Worboys, who called to the community for solutions. She hoped the day would be the first step towards the community’s recovery, after synthetic drug use led to the death of a 21-year-old Feilding man.
Other ideas that have prompted a response from the Manawatu District Council included billboards featuring confronting images and school visits to educate students about ill-effects of the drugs.
Agencies, such as Manchester House, police, fire service and St John, will be at Victoria Park providing advice.
‘‘Rather than standing up and preaching to people, it will just be a subtle message,’’ Worboys said.
Worboys said the day targeted low socio-economic families.
‘‘It’s a day for the community to come together and show them that we care.’’
Families will congregate at the clock tower in Manchester Square at 11.30am, before walking to Victoria Park for an afternoon full of activities, such as a police obstacle course, service displays, games run by Sport Manawatu¯ and a free sausage sizzle. It will conclude with a free swim at the Makino Aquatic Centre.
It also coincides with the official opening of a renewed fitness trail and the addition of 10 fitness stations at the park.
The Makino Rotary Club partnered with the council and Evolve Fitness to redevelop the old fitness trail behind the Feilding Squash Courts in West St.
They offered a range of exercise opportunities and challenges for all ages and levels of fitness, Worboys said.
‘‘The idea is all our population, from our elderly to our children, can use it.’’
The embankment had been recontoured so it felt safe and there were long-term plans to add a preschool playground, a barbecue area and lighting to the fitness trail.