With a significant milestone being celebrated this year, planning is well underway to acknowledge a particularly auspicious occasion. 2019 marks 50 years of Pohlen Hospital and along with Pohlen Foundation who are currently planning events, Sandra Hunter is furiously working away on a book which will be launched in November to celebrate our communities most valued asset. In preparation for festivities, a number of projects have been identified and community members are stepping up to help.

“Although we want the complex in tip-top condition, there is always ongoing maintenance we need to look at,” says Pohlen Foundation Administrator, Gilly Alexander. “We put a call out to see if there was anyone prepared to offer voluntary services and were delighted to be contacted by some wonderful people offering to do regular garden maintenance. Already our ladies have had a couple of hours here and there in the garden, and generously assisted with our recent working bee.”

Along with the new volunteers, Gilly offers her grateful thanks to the team at Plumb.Co who brought along their small digger and removed a couple of trees, and Rex and Marion Alexander, Lindsay Tisch, Hanna Candy, Jackie Andrews, Grenville and Joyce Stocker and her own husband Ross who mucked in and made a very good dent in garden duties! Thanks also go to Kevin Hopkins who took care of rubbish removal.

“I am constantly humbled by the community who assist with everything from entertaining our residents to fundraising for capital expenses for the benefit of all facets within the complex,” says Gilly. “We are so fortunate to live in such a giving community and this constant generosity certainly helps ensure future succession and sustainability.”

The next Pohlen Foundation fundraiser is the annual ladies luncheon which features guest speaker Cat Vosper. An ex-local, Cat will inspire and entertain with her incredible story of wine and cuisine, love and life on Waiheke Island, and how it all started right here in Matamata. See the advert on page 5 for more details, but don’t delay – tickets sell out very quickly.

Caron Stewart.