Nicki was born and bred in Tauranga but has been away for 30 years, working in Pukekohe in the disabled and social service sector. She worked for Blind Low Vision in Needs Assessment for the midcentral area, and for IHC.
She and her husband took off for Australia for five years, working short term and travelling around the country. Her husband, a farmer, decided to semi-retire from farming and Nicki returned to the same job with Blind Low Vision when they returned to Tauranga in November 2023.
“I’ve always been involved in the volunteer space. It’s just what we do, we’re a family of volunteers. I’m looking forward to connecting with the local community and rebuilding networks having been away so long.”
She lives at Pyes Pā, but her favourite thing to do is walk their springer spaniel on the beach at the Mount.
Reach out to Nicki on nicki@socialink.org.nz or 021 225 2994
MEDIA RELEASE August 13, 2025 Every week at Under the Stars - Homeless in Tauranga, hot meals are served with warm smiles. There’s usually something sweet to finish the night — and many of those treats come from the kitchen of 16-year-old Hannah Richards. Hannah has a gift for turning even a random mix
MEDIA RELEASE July 24, 2025 Volunteering Services recently had the privilege of sitting down with Shirley Wilson, CEO of the Brain Injured Children’s Trust, for an honest, moving kōrero full of heart. Over a warm cuppa (gumboot tea, to be exact!), Shirley shared how BICT walks alongside families navigating childhood brain injuries — one
MEDIA RELEASE July 21, 2025 When Jacquie Ashton moved to Ōmokoroa from Wellington just over two years ago, she didn’t expect to become the driving force behind one of the town’s most active volunteer groups. But her passion for the environment — and her knack for rallying others — quickly made her the heart
MEDIA RELEASE 9/7/25 When Shona Graham first answered a newspaper ad calling for volunteers to help with Katikati’s Christmas Float Parade, she never imagined it would spark a 30-year journey in community service. “There was an ad in the paper for volunteers, and I thought that would be a good way to meet people,”
MEDIA RELEASE 4/7/25 In a standout moment at the 2025 Volunteer Star Awards, Jasper Osborne was named Volunteer of the Year during Volunteering Services’ Big Shout Out Morning Tea in June. Jasper is the driving force behind Stoney Creek’s Hunt for Good, a non-profit organisation dedicated to culling wild deer and donating venison and
We’re delighted to have Natalie Turner-Wright join our team as Group Volunteering Coordinator. She brings 16 years’ experience as a Social Worker and a passion for community, sustainability, and the power of volunteering to create positive change. Natalie will be looking to connect businesses, schools, and community groups of volunteers with one-off projects that
It started when two friends, Lucas and Nic, formed an idea in a suburban Brisbane garage. The vision was to become the world’s first mobile laundry dedicated to supporting those experiencing hardship and homelessness — all free of charge. While the service began with clean clothes and hot showers, it quickly became clear that
MEDIA RELEASE May 19, 2025 Young volunteer Jules Delaere is finding there’s a joy in volunteering to help others. She’s just completed her first volunteer sessions, first with Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust clearing trails, and then with COLAB in Te Puke’s Kai Resilience movement, supervising activities on last month’s Kids’ Kai Trail. The 17-year-old Te
MEDIA RELEASE May 10, 2025 Sukhmani Dhillon is only 17, but she’s already committed to helping and leading others. Lately, she’s fulfilled that passion through volunteering for Recreate, an organisation that empowers young people with disabilities. Last year she decided she wanted to do more in her community, searched online and found Recreate on
MEDIA RELEASE May 2, 2025 Harry Jackson has been volunteering as a referee for Parafed Bay of Plenty’s games of boccia for several years now. Harry, 23, doesn’t have a disability himself, but he’s been a committed volunteer with Parafed BOP for several years. He’s grown up with a parent with a disability -
