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 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 -
MEDIA RELEASE April 18, 2025 The voices of young people are being heard loud and clear in Tauranga through the Youth Voices Action panel - and they’ll be celebrated at next month's Youth Fest in the city. Rebecca Kit is the Programmes and Partnership manager, and she’s been actively involved in helping young people
David Jones is our Volunteer of the Month - but he insists he’s just one member of several teams pitching in for Rotorua charities. David’s a graphic designer, running his business DJ Creative, a skill many organisations find valuable whenever they need posters, invitations, advertisements or bulletins created for their events and activities. He’s
MEDIA RELEASE March 26, 2025 Young Tauranga people with disabilities are pitching in at Riding for the Disabled, keeping the grounds neat and tidy. This week four young adults from Recreate are volunteering in the sunshine weeding the Sensory Trail - but some say they would rather be in the stables working around the
MEDIA RELEASE February 27, 2025 Tanea Reihana, known as Barnee, entered the Welcome Bay Community Centre in May last year drowning in debt, ashamed and terrified. She was at rock bottom. She came to fix her finances and save her family home from a mortgagee sale. But she also found connection, community, purpose
MEDIA RELEASE February 19, 2024 Hundreds of Tauranga people overwhelmed by dealing with bureaucracy are being helped by a free advocacy service mostly staffed by volunteers. The Free Public Advocacy Service runs regular clinics in Greerton, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay and a new session is starting up in March at the central city library
MEDIA RELEASE February 11, 2024 Mark Bils has been teaching English for years, but these days he says he learns just as much from his students. Mark is our Volunteer of the Month, and he teaches English to new migrants or to anyone visiting New Zealand who would like to learn more conversational English
Nationally, the NZ Red Cross coordinates over 3,000 Meals on Wheels volunteers, who deliver meals and compassion across 33 locations - a lifeline to those in need...read more here. Pam Smith has volunteered for 40 years with Meals on Wheels. After moving to Tauranga from Auckland in 1984, Pam was looking for a way to help the community. Volunteering with
