Courses and Community projects

Adult Literacy Centre of Hagley Community College runs from Neighbourhood Trust offices at St Albans Baptist Church.

Need to pass some NCEA units to be able to continue with your education or maybe you just want to brush up on your English and/or Maths skills? This might just be what you are looking for.

The classes run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9am - 1pm during term time. There are an average of 8 people per class, with two tutors, so it is very much individual programmes. The tutors can help advise on what units are needed to be able to continue with study. And did I mention? It's FREE. The only criteria is to be over 16 years of age. It's never too late to learn. Phone 355 6522 or txt 027 746 5168 to book your place.

Appetite for Life

Tired of dieting?

The Appetite for Life course is an innovative health-based way to combine nutrition and exercise information to support you to make a lifestyle change which will help you lose weight healthily.

This is a 6 week course giving you the opportunity to try new foods, new exercise and new thinking - delivered by local practice nurses. The programme is designed for women who want to lose weight or maintain their current weight. Using an ‘anti-diet’ approach, it assists women to develop a new relationship with food and say no to dieting forever.

Ring Ginny to register interest on 355 6522 or 027 746 5168. A course will run starting later in February 2012

WOULD YOU LIKE support to stay on track after doing an Appetite for Life course? Email us with your thoughts at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SHAKE that QUAKE WEIGHT - time to get in shape for life

NEW for 2012.

Shake that Quake weight gives you support to make the changes to a more healthy lifestyle that you've been thinking about. It's a mix of targetted exercise, healthy eating, tools to help get you there and support. Some parts of the programme are strictly limited in numbers, so if you're interested, give us a call to register. Costs have been kept to a minimum courtesy of a grant from the Air Rescue & Community Services Trust.

Sally Rossiter will lead a circuits class, with a mix of exercises to tone and give the heart a work out too. Start Tues 14th Feb, 7-8pm.

Former Olympic skater, Mike McMillen will lead a weekly Pilates class on Wednesday mornings starting 15th February 2012, 9.15am. So get ready, set, to get those muscles toned and learn great posture. This is a fun class and can feel free to bring your toddlers along with you.

$5 a week gives you access to these classes or $20 a card for five weeks.

Sally will also run a healthy eating course, in which each participant has an individualised eating plan, help with budgetting and buying healthy food, menus, recipes and a food diary. You may know Sally from Appetite for Life. She has years of experience helping people manage their eating habits with successful weight loss. This part of the programme is strictly limited in numbers (max 15 participants), so don't delay if you would like help in managing weight loss. Participants in this part of the programme must be registered for at least one of the exercise classes. Gold coin donation for this part of the programme.

Starts Tues 14th Feb at 8pm, so you can stay on after the Circuits class. Healthy snack served between the two classes.

Courses run from the Life Impact Centre, St Albans Baptist Church, 64 McFaddens Road.

Ph 355 6522 or txt 027 746 5168 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Upskill in reading, spelling and maths

Thanks to the Ministry of Youth Development for start up funding, the Strathlachlan Fund for additional set-up costs and the Tindall Foundation and John Ilott Charitable Trust for funding tutor hours, we are now able to assist in tutoring using SuccessMaker NZ software.  It's a fun, easy to use programme that will get you on the path to success and open new doors for you. Tutoring can be from our centre at St Albans Baptist Church, the Shirley Early Years Hub, Waipuna Trust or at your place if you have a preschooler. One hour sessions 1 - 2 times per week give you back your confidence in reading, spelling and/or maths.  Ph 355 6522 or txt 027 746 5168 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Redundancy care

Budget advice and support in this most difficult time. Call 355 6522 to make an appointment.

Make your Money work for YOU

The four week Beat the Budget Blues course run by 'Kingdom Resources Trust' enables people to make their income stretch to cover bills and have something left at the end of the week. In these difficult days we all need strategies to help make what money we have work for us. Phone Kim on 355 6522 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Divorce Care

A 13-week course designed to help you deal with the pain and issues relating to breaking up of a long-term relationship. Phone 355 6522, Barbara on 3881-379 or 0274734351 or Graham on 3815-663 or 021897652. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

PARENTING through separation: If you are interested in a 2 session course to help cope with parenting through separation, please give Ginny a call on 355 6522 or txt 027 746 5168. We can put this on at a time to suit, in association with Methodist Mission.

The Mairehau newspaper

In 2008, NHT began a monthly newspaper targetting the people living in and around the Mairehau area. This came about from both research done by NHT in the area and the concerns of agencies that people in the locale didn't know what the area had to offer and had no sense of identity. The Mairehau's first issue was printed in February 08 and the paper is well-supported by the residents, businesses, schools and clubs in the area. Thanks to the Christchurch City Council for Community Development Funding to kick-start this new initiative and to Canterbury Community Trust for their support. The Mairehau reaches over 7,500 people each month.

Articles, letters to the editor, photos and classified advertising welcome, subject to editorial guidelines. Contact The Mairehau by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ring 355 6522 for submission guidelines or more information. The deadline for copy each month is 16th of the month, for delivery by end of the month (e.g. the July 2010 issue has a close-off date of 16th June).

Back copies can be found under 'The Mairehau' on this website.