Multiple Sclerosis South Canterbury

08/10/2026

How will you brunch for MS?

The World’s Biggest Brunch for MS is coming up this October, and there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Whether you’re enjoying a relaxed brunch at home, catching up with friends over coffee and cake, sharing lunch with your workmates, or getting a group together for a bigger celebration, every brunch helps raise awareness and support people living with multiple sclerosis.

It doesn’t have to be fancy, and it doesn’t have to be big. Just gather some people, enjoy some good food and help make a difference.

16–18 October

How will you brunch? We’d love to hear your plans in the comments.

Sign up and get involved:
https://f.mtr.cool/gjnz1cr3nx

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

06/10/2026

Think you can spot a scam?

Scams are becoming increasingly convincing, and knowing what to look out for can make all the difference.

I put my own cyber smarts to the test and managed to get 8/8. Can you match me?

Have a go at Stuff’s scam quiz and see how well you can spot the warning signs before it’s too late.

Take the quiz here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/quizzes/361034279/think-you-can-spot-scam-put-your-cyber-smarts-test

Share your score in the comments. Let’s see who can get 8/8!

Cyber Smart Week: Helping New Zealanders spot scams and stay safe online.

05/10/2026

Frocktober is here!

This October, the NFP organisations from Community House are getting behind Frocktober, helping raise awareness and funds for vital ovarian cancer research.

Frocktober is New Zealand’s most fashionable fundraiser, encouraging people to dress up, have some fun and raise funds for a very important cause.

It’s a great opportunity to get involved, start conversations and help make a difference.

Find out more about Frocktober and how you can get involved:
www.frocktober.org.nz

Community House, Timaru is getting our frocks ready!

Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ

30/09/2026

Keep the conversation going.

Sometimes knowing what to say, what to ask, or where to find the right information can make all the difference.

For MS Awareness Week, Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand has put together a range of free resources to help inform, support and start conversations around MS.

Whether you’re living with MS, supporting someone who is, or simply want to better understand MS, these resources are a great place to start.

You can explore and download the resources here: https://www.msnz.org.nz/supports-resources/msnz-resources/

Let’s keep the conversation about MS going.

Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand

30/09/2026

Zonta Club of Timaru Women’s Breakfast

The Zonta Club of Timaru is hosting a Women’s Breakfast featuring Kate Russell ONZM, FFIA, Executive Director of Hagar NZ.

Kate will be speaking on Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking - What can we do?

Friday 6 November | 7:00am
Holy Family Parish Centre, Roncalli College, Timaru
Tickets: $25

There will also be raffles available, so remember to bring some cash.

We’re sharing this event to help spread the word about what looks to be an interesting and thought-provoking morning.

Tickets and bookings:
https://events.humanitix.com/the-zonta-club-of-timaru-women-s-breakfast-event-with-kate-russell-onzm-ffia-executive-director-hagar-nz

For more information, check out Zonta Timaru on Facebook, or contact them at [email protected]

29/09/2026

Did you know Timaru once had its own zoo?!

I came across a post from Pavlova Post about the old Hadlow Game Park, and it actually introduced me to something I had absolutely no idea about!

This was well before my time, but apparently little old Timaru once had an animal park with all sorts of animals, including monkeys, emus, bison, red pandas and even jaguars. Yes... JAGUARS!

It got me thinking about how many of our local followers might remember Hadlow Game Park, perhaps from a school trip or a family day out.

Does anyone remember going there?

And even better, does anyone have any old photos of the park or the animals that they'd be willing to share? We'd absolutely love to see them and hear your memories.

Drop your photos or stories in the comments. We'd love to take a little trip down memory lane and see what Timaru looked like back then!

27/09/2026

A little catch-up ☕️

A few weeks ago, some of our Living Young with MS crew caught up at Café at The Complex for a relaxed snack, a drink and a good old catch-up.

Nothing too formal, just a chance to get together, have a chat, share a few laughs and enjoy some time with others who understand what living with MS can be like.

If you're living with MS and would like to join us for future catch-ups, we'd love to hear from you. And don't worry if you don't consider yourself "young" anymore, everyone is welcome to come along! It's all about getting together and having a good time.

Just get in touch with us and we'll keep you in the loop about future catch-ups.

23/09/2026

Congratulations to Dana from Community House! 🏆

Dana has taken out our Paint the Town Orange Shop Window Competition with her incredible handmade display, which you might remember seeing right here in the reception area of Community House.

From the very beginning, her display stood out. The amount of time, creativity and effort that went into all those orange flowers, butterflies, decorations and the gorgeous tree was amazing. It certainly had people stopping, looking and asking questions about MS.

And Dana didn't stop there! She even baked for Community House during Awareness Week, so she has definitely been keeping us all very well supplied while helping us Paint the Town Orange!

We were so excited to present Dana with her very own MS Awareness Week Award, kindly made and donated by Timaru Engravers & Giftware. It is such a cool trophy and we think Dana has definitely earned it!

A huge thank you also to The Oxford for generously donating some amazing vouchers as prizes for our competition. We really appreciate your support and generosity towards MS South Canterbury.

And of course, a massive THANK YOU to every single person, business, workplace, school, hospital team and group who got involved. From incredible shop windows and hospital wards to offices, workplaces and people simply dressing up in orange, the response across South Canterbury has been absolutely amazing.

It has been so cool seeing our community come together, get creative, have a bit of fun and, most importantly, help make Multiple Sclerosis more visible.

Well done, Dana! You are officially our Paint the Town Orange Champion for 2026! 🏆

Community House, Timaru Community Trust of Mid & South Canterbury