Mai Lighthouse

07/10/2026

Ngā mihi nui to our friends at Custom Threadz! 🧡

Our custom aprons get a workout, whether we're in the kitchen for the Community Cooking Programme, cooking up a feed for the Community Meal, or out at events around Franklin. They make us feel like one whānau, and they look pretty good too! 😄

And a shout out for anyone local: if you're looking for something similar in Franklin, Custom Threadz is the tahi! 💫

Great people, great work, and a local business backing our mahi.

Thank you for helping us show up for our community in style 💛

07/10/2026

This Friday, come and see us at the Franklin Positive Ageing Expo! 💛

We'll be at our stall with plenty of info on how Mai Lighthouse supports kaumātua and whānau across Franklin and North Waikato. Come say kia ora, we'd love to chat.

📅 Friday 9 October
🕤 9:30am - 2:30pm
📍 PIA Events Centre
🎟️ Free entry!
🚧 Heads up: there are roadworks on Ward Street, so the best way to get to the venue is via Wellington Street.

See you there!

The final countdown is on – only 3 DAYS left to go!! 🎉

Get ready for a day of exploring filled with local services, activities, live performances, raffles, and plenty of opportunities to discover something new.

🎟️ Free Entry
🗓 October 9th
🕘 9:30am—2:30pm
📍Pukekohe Indian Hall
🎁 Recliner chair giveaway from La-Z-Boy + prizes from local businesses
☕️ Free refreshments
🌟 Live performances

📣NOTICE: There are currently roadworks happening on Ward Street. Best road access to the Expo venue on Ward Street will be via Wellington Street roundabout.

06/10/2026

LAST REMINDER! 👀💫

Our chalk packs are ready, and schools have already collected theirs! 🎨

There's still time to join Drawn Together, but only for the last few days this week.

Register your school, choose around 10 students, and let them show what belonging means to them in chalk on the pavement, Monday 12 - Wednesday 14 October, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

It's free, and we'll come out to take photos of the finished artwork.

Scan the QR code on the tile, or register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tLLaazZWkv

04/10/2026

This Saturday, our friends at The Runway Foundation are hosting The Runway Gala, a colourful night of fashion, music and stories celebrating creativity, individuality and every kind of mind 💛

🗓️ Sat 10 October | 🕔 5pm - 9pm |
📍 Pukekohe Netball Centre

Tickets via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/the-runway-gala-tickets-1998520000119

Can’t make it on the night? You can buy a ticket and gift it to a whānau or young person who might not otherwise get to be there 💫

29/09/2026

Franklin Teachers & Kaimahi - this one's for you 💫

Mental Health 101 is a free, practical workshop giving Franklin teachers and kaimahi everyday tools to support student wellbeing in the classroom - no jargon, just real strategies that work.

Hosted by Ross Cormack, Mai Lighthouse Mental Health Social Worker, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2026.

🗓️ Wednesday 14 October, 3:45pm
📍 Pukekohe North School

Open to teachers and kaimahi from schools across Franklin. Scan the QR code or visit the link in our bio to register.

28/09/2026

Before the month is up - did you know September is Wills Month in Aotearoa? 📝💛

A timely reminder to get your affairs in order, or dust off a will that's been gathering cobwebs.

In last weeks Franklin Times column, we covered why having a will matters at any age, and how nominating a charity in your will is a great way to support causes you're passionate about, alongside the people closest to you.

Have questions? We run a free Legal Clinic every Thursday (4–5pm, bookings essential) through our Heartland Services - a great place to start.

Read the full column: https://issuu.com/times_e-editions/docs/franklin_times_september_17_2026

28/09/2026

Year after year, Toyota Pukekohe has kept our vehicles safe on the road, so our team can keep showing up for whānau across our community 💛

From home visits to community events, support like this behind the scenes makes the mahi possible.

Ngā mihi nui to the whole team 💫

24/09/2026

Calling all Franklin schools! 🖍️

This year's Mental Health Awareness Week theme is Belonging Matters and we're inviting your kura to bring it to life through Drawn Together, a free chalk-to-pavement art event.

Choose a group of tamariki/rangatahi to create artwork that shows what belonging means to them. We'll deliver a free pavement chalk pack straight to your school, along with whānau support flyers - then we'll come along, take photos, and celebrate what your students have created.

📅 Chalk artwork happens Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 October, weather permitting
📍 Open to all Franklin schools

Scan the code or tap the link in our bio to register your school - spaces are limited, so get in quick!

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tLLaazZWkv

20/09/2026

Thank you Pukekohe East School for the vegetable donation left over from Pet Day. Plenty of pumpkins and lettuce to fill our kai room. 😀