News from the Valley

The Dunedin group of the Kung Fu School holds classes twice a week in North East Valley and new members from ages seven through to adults are always welcome. Instructor Kenneth Mitchell says the classes cover fitness, discipline and self defence. Kung fu covers a large array of topics including joint manipulation, takedowns, weapon styles, animal styles and more. Children’s classes are for ages 7–12 years and are a lot of fun, says Kenneth. The children are always very enthusiastic and enjoy learning the animal-related styles such as tiger, crane, snake and dragon. The classes for 13 years and …

A ‘dark den’ which gives children a space to chill out in a busy world has been a popular new addition to the Dunedin City Toy Library’s toy stock. Thanks to a Foodstuffs Community Grant the toy library has added a range of new toys which are good for children with different physical, social, emotional or developmental needs. Toy library chairwoman Jennifer Lawn says during an annual stocktake they realized they didn’t have many options for children with different developmental needs, such as children with autistic spectrum disorders. The new toys help stimulate cognitive, sensory and social-emotional development …

As August rolls around with only the merest sprinkling of snow gracing our peaks this winter, we will have to make do with a story about snow, instead of the real thing. We’re going back 80 years to the worst snow storm of the 20th century – the Big Snow of July 1939 – when a series of freezing southerlies swept snow over the entire country. Even a very surprised lighthouse keeper at Cape Maria van Diemen at the top of the North Island reported snowflakes flying past his window! But the worst hit was coastal Otago. Flakes …

A $25,000 grant for the Valley Project from the Otago Community Trust will help with many community initiatives such as Kai Share, the HeatSeekers drop-in clinics and CreekFest. Kai Share is a weekly food box programme, which distributes food from KiwiHarvest to local families and people in need. The HeatSeekers: Healthy Homes in the Valley weekly drop-in clinics aim to give people the information and help they need to create a warmer, drier and healthier home. CreekFest is an annual the community festival and educational event that celebrates Lindsay Creek. Valley Project manager Tess Trotter says the funding is …

Baldwin Street residents will be asked for their opinions about changing the street signage from ‘the Steepest Street in the World’ to ‘the World’s Steepest City Street.' The steepest street in the world title has been stripped from the North East Valley street after Ffordd Pen Llech, a street in the North Wales town of Harlech was deemed to be steeper. The Welsh rival is not a dual carriageway road but pipped Baldwin St over a 10m section. Dunedin City Council communication and marketing manager Graham McKerracher says the council has been asked to take down the steepest street …

What has Open VUE (Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary) uncovered about North East Valley wildlife? There may be many different creatures living in your backyard, from birds to mammals, right down to invertebrates and lizards! Working with our Open VUE educator, Clare Cross, local school pupils from North East Valley, Opoho and Pine Hill took on the challenge to find out exactly what was in their own backyards. They used many different tools and techniques, outlined below, and then combined their findings in what was truly a collaborative citizen science project. Here are the results of what they found out …

Want to get warmer in your home? Did you know that 20–30% of your home’s heat can be lost through your windows? Come along to a free workshop on DIY pelmets and go home with a simple solution to help insulate your windows better. Good curtains that fit well and pelmets will help improve heat retention and reduce energy costs. Fitted pelmets reduce heat loss above windows and can be made of any material as long as it creates an air barrier. Pelmets only need to be against the wall and reach to or past the curtain – they …

A diesel leak into Lindsay Creek suspected to be coming from a community-owned workspace has been distressing for community members and the Valley Project executive board as they work to deal with and rectify the situation. The diesel seeping into the creek is assumed to be coming from recently-discovered underground tanks beneath the Valley Community Workspace at 11 Allen Street. The Valley Project, which owns the community workspace building, was first notified about the leak on 9 July. The chairperson, Ian Telfer, reported the leak to the Otago Regional Council pollution hotline and council staff visited the site later …

When more than 500 people signed a petition asking Dunedin City Council to “liberate the loos” at Chingford Park the council took notice, and will now unlock the toilets in the pavilion on a daily basis. North East Valley resident Kaitrin McMullan organised the petition after running an event at Chingford Park. She found the process to have the pavilion toilets unlocked time-consuming and frustrating. “This is fantastic news,” says Kaitrin. “Everyone is very pleased the toilets are going to be open. This is great democratic action.” Chingford Park is an excellent community asset and used by many people, …

Organic gardener Michelle Cox is running two workshops in North East Valley about how to create and support a healthy living soil. Caring for the soil is the most important thing you will ever do as an organic gardener and is the key to producing an abundance of healthy, nutritious food, she says. Her first workshop is about knowing your soil and participants will discover its gifts, shortcomings and challenges too. "We'll do some hands-on tests and you'll learn why soil life is pivotal to the health and abundance of your crops," says Michelle. The second workshop, Heal Your …

An innovative skateboarding programme in schools is the brainchild of Otago Polytechnic student Jimmy Hay, whose passion for skateboarding inspired his community project at Opoho School. The project is part of his third-year study for a Bachelor of Applied Science. As nobody currently teaches skateboarding in Dunedin, Jimmy saw an opportunity that could even lead to a small business eventually. The skateboarding lessons are part of the school’s Discovery programme. With options such as yoga, cooking, digital technology and cardboard construction, it is a time for pupils to explore their own interests and learn self-management. As eight children raced …

Malcolm Law is no stranger to crazy ideas and the idea of running up and down Mt Cargill in the cold and dark until the last runner was left standing appealed to his wackier side. It was also a great opportunity to add some mileage to his current challenge of climbing one million feet (304, 800m) in a year to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. Even so, he hadn’t been particularly looking forward to the Crush the Cargill Longest Shortest Day event, but found himself really enjoying it. It was very friendly and low …