Acorn Foundation - encouraging giving for the Western BOP

09/10/2026

Pasifika in the Bay is back! Bring your whānau to Tauranga Girls’ College on Saturday 31 October for a celebration of Pacific cultures, with performances, delicious kai and loads of activities.

We’re super proud to support this event alongside our partners in the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund, helping our community connect and celebrate together.

The sights, sounds and flavours of the Pacific will return to Tauranga Moana this October, with Pasifika in the Bay bringing a day of culture, connection and celebration to Tauranga Girls’ College.Hel

08/10/2026

We can’t say enough about how much our local community centres do for people across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Every day, they help families put food on the table, support people through hard situations, give young people somewhere to go and make friends, and so much more.

Gate Pā Community Centre, Katikati Community Centre, Merivale Community Centre, The Hub Te Puke and Welcome Bay Community Centre Community Centres have created a shared website where you can learn about their work and donate directly to the centre you choose.

If you're not already, make sure to follow them on social media, there's always lots happening and it's a great way to get connected to your community and meet new people!

Link:

Five Bay of Plenty community centres - Gate Pa, Katikati, Merivale, The Hub Te Puke and Welcome Bay - provide kai support, social work, counselling, youth programmes and practical help. Support the centre of your choice.

06/10/2026

We’re so proud to share Rod’s story. He loves Katikati and has spent years giving his time and energy to the people who call it home.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Rod ♥ 🥰

A lifetime of giving, a gift for the future

30/09/2026

💛 A huge thank you to Acorn Foundation for their generous support of Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam at TAF 2026. ❤️

For more than 20 years, Acorn Foundation has been connecting generous people with causes that matter, creating lasting impact right here in the Western Bay of Plenty.

That support helps us create opportunities for local artists and storytellers to step up, speak out and share their words with our community.

Now in its sixth year, Wham Bam brings 12 local performance poets together for three high-energy rounds of original poetry - from storytelling and comedy to rap, activism and everything in between. And with the audience helping to decide who takes the crown, you’re very much part of the action! 🔥

As they say: the point is not the points, the point is the poetry.

Thank you, Acorn Foundation, for helping us give local voices a stage. 💛

25/09/2026

Rod Calver has cycled from Auckland to Bluff, faced cancer and given back to the Katikati community that he loves. His wife Maryanne has shared in those cycling adventures, and won’t let him get away with leaving all the pedalling to her.

When Rod read about Acorn’s plans for a fund dedicated to supporting Katikati, he and Maryanne decided to contribute.

Having been through cancer himself, Rod knows the value of local support. For him, giving starts close to home. Through the Katikati Local Impact Fund, the couple are helping local groups continue their work and care for the community that means so much to them.

24/09/2026

We want to extend a huge thank you to our outgoing Chair, Lori Abert Luke for EIGHT years of service to the CFANZ Board. In the words of fellow trustee Em Lewis, who spoke at our AGM....

"Lori, we are deeply grateful for the immense contribution you have made to our community foundations whānau. It would take far too long to list everything I have valued about working with you. But your leadership, pragmatic approach, sense of humour, and unwavering commitment to a more equitable Aotearoa are the qualities that immediately come to mind.

Lori is the ultimate collaborator: generous with her time, her advice, and her aroha. Lori has an instinctive knack for knowing when to step up, when to check in, and how to be present through the most challenging times. Going above and beyond has been a theme of the past eight years - and never more so than in the last 12 months, as you stepped into the Chair role.

As Chair, Lori has led Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ to become a more outward-looking organisation, with a stronger voice and presence across the philanthropic sector. Thank you for the inspiring leadership legacy you leave behind - one that will continue to shape and strengthen our movement for years to come."

Thank you, Lori, we have so appreciated you! E whakawhetai ana, ngā manaakitanga.

23/09/2026

Behind every finalist is someone who took the time to recognise their contribution.

Each year the Western Bay Community Awards celebrate inspiring people, organisations, projects, events and initiatives helping make this region a better place to live.

Who comes to mind when you think about making a difference in our community?

Nominations close Friday 9 October. Nominate via www.tect.org.nz

22/09/2026

On 4 October, over 800 riders from approximately 190 schools will arrive for day one of the largest National Secondary Schools Mountain Bike Championships ever held.

We can't wait to see this event unfold and all the action take place at Summerhill Charitable Trust Mountain Bike Park.

On top of the nationals is a community ride on Sunday 4 October for any keen riders. Read more below.

The Western Bay of Plenty will take centre stage this October when hundreds of New Zealand’s best young mountain bikers roll into the region for the 2026 National Secondary Schools Mountain Bike Champ

21/09/2026

There are seven award categories recognising the many different ways people, organisations, projects and partnerships contribute to our region.

- Community Event Award
- Sustainable Future Award
- Diversity and Inclusion Award
- Heart of the Community Award
- Youth Spirit Award
- Volunteer of the Year Award
- Best Collaboration Award

Whether it's a community event that brings people together, a sustainability initiative protecting our environment, or a collaboration creating positive change, there's an award to suit.

Explore the categories and make your nomination before Friday 9 October.

Learn more at www.tect.org.nz/community-awards-2027/

18/09/2026