4 A Better City Hutt Valley

01/10/2026

🤝 WORKING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT WHĀNAU.
We recently welcomed Ministry of Social Development NZ and Get ready for study - StudyLink to Te Kura o Hau Karetu for an information session with parents and guardians, giving them the chance to ask questions and get advice directly from the experts.

The session covered topics including studying as an adult, returning to work and financial support for families with a disabled child.

Our Operations Manager, Tim, also shared how 4 A Better City supports people into employment, including through MSD’s Back to Work programmes.

One key takeaway was that if you have questions about MSD or StudyLink, don’t be afraid to ask. They understand that financial conversations can be difficult and are there to listen, answer questions and help people understand what support is available.

We love seeing our community come together, sharing knowledge and creating stronger pathways and opportunities for whānau. Thank you to everyone who came and made it a great afternoon.💚

24/09/2026

How is your garden growing?
Spring is here, and it’s been a busy time at Mahinga Kai Urban Farm! Our team has been busy growing our Weathersfield Organics seedlings, getting them ready for gardens across the region.

We haven’t just been busy in the garden, we’ve also been working behind the scenes to give Weathersfield Organics Wellington a brand-new home online! 🎉
Our new webpage has everything you need to know about our organic seedlings, including what’s in season and where you can find them.

🌱Ready to get growing?
Take a look today and get your spring garden underway!

👉 https://www.4abettercity.nz/weathersfield-organics/
Grow Organic.

GROW LOCAL, GROW WEATHERSFIELD🌱

23/09/2026

Are you looking for casual cleaning work within school hours? We’d love to hear from you!

Our Hutt Valley Community Housing team has been busy helping people move into more permanent homes, which means our lovely cleaner, is flat out keeping our transitional homes sparkling between tenants.

We’re looking for a reliable, diligent person, who loves cleaning, preferably with experience or a fast learner, and is available on a casual on call basis when things are busy.

The person we’re looking for is:
⭐Reliable and trustworthy
⭐Happy to work casual hours, depending on how busy we are
⭐Someone who takes pride in their work and has excellent attention to detail
⭐We are looking for someone who is self- employed and looking for some extra hours, or willing to become self-employed (we can help you with this).

If this sounds like you: email for more information: 👉[email protected]

Equipping communities to thrive towards a healthier more connected city

20/09/2026

A DAY OF PAMPERING, CONNECTION & SELF-CARE
What started as an eight-hour community volunteering requirement turned into something really special for our Hutt Valley Community Housing residents.

Teina, Loianna and Jo, first-year Social Work Degree students at approached our Housing Team looking for a way to volunteer. Together, they came up with the idea of a wahine pampering day – because, as Teina put it, “Why not?”

The students brought together their own skills, friends, whānau and community connections to create a day of fun, creativity and a little bit of luxury.
💅 Jo treated residents to pedicures and gel nail polish.
💇‍♀️ Teina’s cousin generously gave her time to cut and style hair.
🌸 Loianna and her friend shared their creativity by teaching residents how to make beautiful fabric flowers.
🧴 Generous Facebook supporters donated toiletries and clothing for residents to choose from.
🥘 Ōrongomai Marae, Upper Hutt generously provided kai for residents to take home and share with their whānau.

The day was full of laughter, connection, smiles and a reminder that sometimes people need more than practical support. They also deserve opportunities to simply relax, enjoy themselves and feel celebrated.

We’re so grateful to Teina, Loianna and Jo for bringing their time, creativity and generous spirit to our community. And a huge thank you to Teina’s cousin, generous donors and Ōrongomai Marae for helping make the day possible.

We love the relationships that grow when people come together with a simple question: “Why not?” ❤️

16/09/2026

GOOD NEWS! WE’RE GROWING! 🌱 Today we delivered our very first batch of Weathersfield Certified Organics Ltd Seedlings to Palmers 🎉

We’re excited to be working with a team who share our love of gardening, good living and helping communities thrive.

Grown with care at Mahinga Kai Urban Farm in Upper Hutt, our seedlings support our commitment to healthy soil, a healthy environment and a stronger community. We love that they can now reach even more local gardeners!

🌼 In the Plimmerton area? Pop into Palmers Garden Centre and look for our seedlings with the rainbow logo. Browse their beautiful garden centre, find inspiration for your next growing project, and enjoy a delicious coffee or bite to eat at their café. ☕

A big thank you to the Palmers team for welcoming Weathersfield Organics. We can’t wait to see what grows from here!

📍 Palmers Garden Centre Plimmerton
99 Saint Andrews Road, Plimmerton

🌱 Grow Organic. Grow Local. Grow Weathersfield.

12/09/2026

We had a lovely surprise in the office today when one of our residents, Michael, gifted us these lovely tea towels.

Michael wrote the poem himself and had it printed onto the tea towels. Thank you Michael, we absolutely love them!

At 4 A Better City, we’re proud to provide Hutt Valley Community Housing, offering warm, dry and secure transitional accommodation for individuals and families who don’t have anywhere to live.

We think housing is about more than just having a roof over your head, so as well as a safe place to stay, we provide wraparound support helping tenants work through the barriers they may be facing and we help to develop a personalised plan towards finding a safe, and suitable long-term home.

Our team walks alongside people through challenging times, providing practical support, encouragement and connection as they work towards a more secure future.

It’s thoughtful moments like this that make the work we do so special.💛

Find out more about Hutt Valley Community Housing 👉www.4abettercity.nz/hutt-valley-community-housing

09/09/2026

Last week, we had a very special visit from Jo from and cameraman Paul, who came to film our I Have A Dream - Upper Hutt programme following our win in the Education and Child/Youth Development category at the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards – Upper Hutt.

We’re honoured to have our long-term, in-school mentoring programme at Te Kura o Hau Karetu recognised.

Our programme supports more than 120 tamariki, providing mentoring, tutoring, life coaching and practical support to help them thrive. We encourage our Dreamers to aim high, build aspirations for education and careers, and connect them with the resources, opportunities and networks they need to achieve their dreams.

The tamariki loved sharing their mahi with Jo and Paul and being part of the filming! ❤️

A huge ngā mihi to our supporters and to Wellington Airport for recognising the incredible mahi our Navigators (mentors) do alongside tamariki, whānau and the kura, and for giving us the opportunity to share our story.

We can’t wait to see the finished film at the Wellington Region Awards in November! 🎥✨

08/09/2026

Our friends at Upper Hutt Food Week are getting things growing for Food Week 2027 with the Pumpkin Growing Competition! Growing packs are available this Saturday from the Upper Hutt Spring Festival, so grab your growing pack to get involved.

HuttFoodWeek2027

06/09/2026

A Parent's Perspective: The I Have A Dream Difference

01/09/2026

One of our favourite things at Mahinga Kai is seeing photos of our wonderful growing in home gardens across the region!

Thanks, Amy, for sharing these photos with us. Your garden is looking amazing! 🌱😍

If you have Weathersfield seedlings in your garden we would LOVE to see your photos either in the comments below or via messenger.💚