Nicki Turner

Volunteering Support and Engagement Advisor

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

Baking with Heart — Meet Youth Volunteer Hannah Richards

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

By |2025-08-14T10:40:53+12:00August 13th, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on Baking with Heart — Meet Youth Volunteer Hannah Richards

From Kitchen Table to Transforming Lives – The Story of BICT

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

By |2025-07-24T11:10:35+12:00July 24th, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on From Kitchen Table to Transforming Lives – The Story of BICT

Jacquie Ashton Leads the Charge for a Pest-Free Ōmokoroa

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

By |2025-07-23T16:18:12+12:00July 23rd, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on Jacquie Ashton Leads the Charge for a Pest-Free Ōmokoroa

30 Years of Service and Still Smiling: Shona Graham’s Gift to Katikati

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,”

By |2025-07-23T16:22:15+12:00July 12th, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on 30 Years of Service and Still Smiling: Shona Graham’s Gift to Katikati

Jasper Osborne Honoured as Volunteer of the Year

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

By |2025-07-04T12:02:58+12:00July 4th, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on Jasper Osborne Honoured as Volunteer of the Year

New Group Volunteering Coordinator

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

By |2025-07-10T10:19:32+12:00July 3rd, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on New Group Volunteering Coordinator

More Than Laundry: Orange Sky Brings Dignity and Connection to Tauranga

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

By |2025-07-03T23:49:19+12:00June 24th, 2025|News, organisation news, Volunteer Stories|Comments Off on More Than Laundry: Orange Sky Brings Dignity and Connection to Tauranga

A new tool to support volunteer engagement

Volunteers | tūao give their unpaid time and skills to communities and causes they believe in. This volunteering action needs to be nurtured and enabled. Our Guidelines are based on what volunteers need and offers easy steps for you to meet their needs. Seven practice areas, based on the volunteering lifecycle journey have been identified. How

By |2024-06-10T18:27:03+12:00June 4th, 2024|blogs, News, organisation news, Updates|Comments Off on A new tool to support volunteer engagement

Alzheimer’s Tauranga urgently needing volunteers

What have you got planned for 2024? Could you help by volunteering with Alzheimer’s Tauranga to make life more rewarding for the more than 600 families across the Western Bay of Plenty living with dementia? Alzheimers Tauranga is urgently looking for volunteers to help support the growing number of families affected by dementia. Many

By |2024-08-23T16:41:56+12:00February 8th, 2024|News, Updates, Volbop News, volunteer news|Comments Off on Alzheimer’s Tauranga urgently needing volunteers

Volunteering Services manager wins Local Hero medal

Tauranga Volunteering Services manager Angela Wallace is a finalist in the national Local Hero awards for her work founding Awhina House, a transitional housing residence for women.She says her nomination came as a complete surprise a couple of weeks ago when she received a medal in the mail. She is one of 100 finalists

By |2023-12-18T11:14:51+13:00November 29th, 2023|News, organisation news, Uncategorised, Volbop News|Comments Off on Volunteering Services manager wins Local Hero medal
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