Host: Marie Riordan
Marie Riordan, Manager of Volunteering New Plymouth brings you Volly Voices.
Graham Ault left the region, so Marie is now solo
Marie Riordan, Manager of Volunteering New Plymouth dives deep into the not-for-profit and for-purpose sector. She talks with representatives from community organisations, groups and clubs, and from time to time, people who volunteer within our community. If you are interested in any of the roles or information you hear on the show, please contact Volunteering New Plymouth on 06 758 8986 or email admin@vnp.nz
Click HERE to listen to the podcasts
Taranaki Health Foundation - 16.08.26 - Grant talks about the Million Steps Challenge and how the money raised will be used to provide enhancements in the Methanex Neonatal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital.
The Good Cafe - 02.08.26 - Jen talks about the Tuesday breakfasts, who comes in and what the volunteer roles are.
Waitara Poppy Trust - 19.07.26 - Karen talks about what the Poppy Trust is, what funds they got from the Poppy collection and how they support the returned service people.
Taranaki Health Foundation - 05.07.26 - Grant talks about WayFinders (Volunteers) in the New East Wing at Taranaki Base Hospital
Rotokare Scenic Reserve - 21.06.26 - Adrian talks about the Sanctuary from the beginning and how the community is involved and the awesome wildlife that is at the Reserve.
WISE (Waitara Initiative Supporting Employment) - 07.06.26 - Caron's background before joining WISE as their HHI (Healthy Homes Initiative) Supervisor and what her role involves.
TET Stadium - 24.05.26 - Hayley's background before joining TET Stadium as their Operations Manager and what her role involves and the type of events that are held there.
Red Robin Club of New Plymouth - 10.05.26 - the history of the club and their focus of fund raising for organisations and projects
The Junction ReUse Store - 26.04.26 - opportunities that people have to volunteer across The Junction site.
NPDC Volunteer Coordinator - 12.04.26 - the many opportunities people have to volunteer across the council
New Plymouth Central Lions Club - 29.03.26 - what Lions Clubs offer someone who is interested in being involved in their community
New Plymouth Stroke Support Trust - 15.03.2026 - Secretary, Treasurer, Activities Coordinator about the volunteering she does
Taranaki Health Foundation - 01.03.2026 - General Manager's role & purpose of the Foundation
Cancer Society Taranaki - 15.02.2026 - Events Coordinator's role & roles available
DOSO (formerly Startup Taranaki)– 01.02.2026 - What DOSO does & how it all started
What and Who? – 18.01.2026 - history of Volunteering New Plymouth
Inner Wheel New Plymouth North – 04.01.2026 - the organisation and its objectives through promoting true friendship
There’s something rather special about a fundraiser that asks you to simply put one foot in front of the other – and in September, Taranaki is being challenged to do just that.
The Taranaki Health Foundation Million Steps Challenge is back, encouraging individuals and teams to get active, have some fun, challenge their friends and colleagues, and most importantly, raise money for a cause that touches the lives of hundreds of Taranaki families.
The challenge is simple: gather a team of four and collectively aim to take one million steps throughout September. That’s a little over 8,000 steps a day each.
But this is about much more than counting steps.
Every dollar raised goes to the Methanex Neonatal Unit at Taranaki Base Hospital, supporting our region’s smallest and most vulnerable patients and their whānau.
The story behind the Million Steps Challenge is one of partnership and a genuine commitment to improving healthcare here in Taranaki.
The Taranaki Health Foundation was established in 1998 in partnership with the Taranaki District Health Board, with a shared vision of enabling the best possible healthcare through fundraising for projects that make a significant difference to our regional community. Since 2013, the Foundation has received more than $20 million in pledges, helping to make major healthcare projects possible.
These achievements simply could not happen without the generosity of Taranaki businesses, organisations and individuals who continue to put their hands up and support better healthcare for our community.
And now, the focus is on our tiniest Taranaki residents. Earlier this year, the new East Wing building at Taranaki Base Hospital opened, providing a new home for the Methanex Neonatal Unit – a 12-bed facility providing vital care for newborn babies across our region. Approximately 15% of newborns require some form of neonatal care. For their parents and whānau, those first few days can be filled with uncertainty, worry and hope. Having a comfortable, well-equipped space where families can focus on their new arrival can make an enormous difference.
And here’s the part of the Million Steps Challenge that I really love. The babies being cared for in this unit are taking some of their very first steps towards life – while we take ours to help give them the best possible start.
Small steps really can make a big difference.
You don’t even have to walk! The challenge is about being active in whatever way works for you. The fundraising dashboard has a converter that turns different activities into steps, including wheelchair use, so there are plenty of ways to get involved.
And you don’t have to actually reach one million steps either. That’s the target to aim for. The real goal is getting active, having a bit of fun and raising money for local neonatal care. Perhaps you could create a workplace team and turn it into a friendly staff challenge. Maybe get the family involved, gather some friends together or challenge another organisation to see who can get the most steps.
Or, if a team isn’t your thing, you can take on the challenge as an individual.
At the time of writing, Brydee Wood is leading the Individual leaderboard, with Grant Carter, Sinead Casey, Steph Julian and Simon Velk sharing second place. On the Team leaderboard, Step to It is currently leading, followed by Brydee’s Bi$%hes – and Red Hot Chilli Steppers proving that a little bit of friendly competition never hurts!
The fundraising goal this year is $25,000, and with 100% of the money raised going directly to the Methanex Neonatal Unit, every step and every donation really does count.
The Million Steps Challenge is organised by the Taranaki Health Foundation with the support of Methanex Corporation and the New Plymouth Club,
It’s a wonderful example of what can happen when local organisations, businesses and the community come together behind something that matters.
So, Taranaki, September is the month to make it September!
Find your stepping-out buddies, create a team of four and see how many steps you can clock up. Or challenge yourself as an individual and see where you can climb on that leaderboard.
And if walking a million steps isn’t quite your thing, you can still make a difference by sponsoring someone who is taking on the challenge.
Because sometimes volunteering and supporting our community isn’t about doing something huge. Sometimes it’s about taking one small step – and then another – alongside a whole lot of other people who care.
This September, let’s put our best foot forward for Taranaki’s smallest patients.
Ready to take the first step?
Head to millionsteps2026.thf.org.nz to sign up, find a team, create your own or make a donation.
After all, those tiny first steps taken by our newest Taranaki residents deserve a community willing to take a few big ones for them.
Every week, something special happens around a table.
It’s not flashy. There are no tickets, no membership fees, and no expectations beyond turning up. And where do you go – the Taranaki Cathedral vicarage. Yet for many people, The Good Café has become an important part of their week—a place where conversation flows, friendships form, and everyone is welcome, for a koha or $2 per plate with all the profit being donated to many local causes.
In a time when social connection can sometimes feel harder to find, The Good Café reminds us that community is built through simple acts of hospitality. A shared cup of tea, a warm meal, a listening ear, and the opportunity to sit alongside people from all walks of life can make an enormous difference.
What makes The Good Café work is not the food alone. It is the people. Volunteers who set up tables, prepare refreshments, welcome newcomers, and create a space where everyone feels they belong. Week after week, this collective effort quietly strengthens the fabric of our community.
The café has become a place where neighbours meet neighbours, where people experiencing isolation find connection, and where kindness is offered freely. These moments may seem small, but they have a lasting impact. They help build the sense of belonging that every thriving community needs.
As The Good Café continues to grow, we are beginning to explore a new opportunity: the possibility of introducing shared Coordinator roles to help support the ongoing weekly programme.
Rather than asking one person to take on the responsibility, we are looking at a collaborative approach where the role could be shared between two or more people. This would involve helping organise weekly operations, communicating with volunteers, supporting the welcoming atmosphere that makes the café special, and ensuring the project remains sustainable for the future.
If you have a heart for community, enjoy bringing people together, have some organisational skills, or simply feel called to contribute in a meaningful way, this could be an opportunity worth exploring. Sharing the role means sharing the workload, the ideas, and the rewards of seeing community connections flourish.
The Good Café exists because people care enough to offer their time, energy, and compassion. The next chapter of this project will depend on the same spirit.
If the idea of becoming part of a shared Coordinator team interests you, we would love to hear from you. Whether you can commit regularly or would simply like to learn more about what is involved, now is the perfect time to start a conversation.
Community does not happen by accident. It happens when ordinary people step forward and decide to make a difference.
The Good Café is proof of that every single week. Perhaps you could be part of its future too.
Your time—no matter how small—could make a big difference.
Little Red Robin, Big Community Heart
There are community groups that quietly evolve over time, and then there are those that adapt, re-shape, and continue their purpose under a new name while holding onto the same heart. The New Plymouth Red Robin Club is firmly in that latter category.
Many in our community will remember them as the New Plymouth Lioness Club — part of a wider movement of women’s service clubs that grew alongside the Lions network across New Zealand. Like many Lioness groups, they were built on friendship, service, and a strong sense of “we can do something about this” when local needs were identified. That spirit hasn’t changed — only the name has.
The Lioness movement in New Zealand began in the late 1970s as women’s adjunct clubs to Lions, giving women a structured way to contribute to community service and fundraising at a time when opportunities for formal service club membership were more limited. Over time, and as the broader Lions organisation evolved to include full female membership, many Lioness clubs across the country made a choice: close, merge, or continue independently in a new form.
Here in New Plymouth, the decision was to continue — and the Red Robin Club was born.
That transition wasn’t about starting over, but about carrying forward decades of community contribution in a way that still reflected the members involved today. The friendships remained. The commitment remained. The willingness to show up for local causes absolutely remained.
Like many long-standing service clubs, their strength has always been in the collective effort of small actions adding up to real impact. Over the years, that has included supporting local charities, contributing to community fundraising initiatives, and quietly stepping in where help is needed — often without fanfare.
And perhaps that is what best defines them now: a group that still believes in doing good work locally, together, without needing the spotlight.
What makes the Red Robin Club especially significant is not just its history, but its continuity. In a world where many volunteer organisations struggle to sustain membership, this group has managed to retain both identity and purpose through change. That doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because people care enough to keep turning up.
Today, the club continues to provide a space for connection, service, and community-minded action. It’s as much about the people as it is about the projects — a place where long-standing members and newer faces alike can contribute in ways that suit their lives.
For those who remember the Lioness days, the Red Robin name may feel like a shift — but in reality, it is simply the next chapter of a much longer story of women supporting women and supporting their wider community.
And that, in the end, is what continues to matter most.
So, if you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity, this could be it.
The Junction – Where Community and Purpose Come Together
If you’ve ever wondered where your time, energy, or simple willingness to help could make a real difference—look no further than The Junction.
Right here in our community, The Junction Reuse Shop is quietly doing something powerful. With a strong focus on diverting waste from landfill, the team is giving new life to quality items through reselling, reusing, repurposing, and recycling. Walk through the doors and you’ll find shelves filled with generously donated goods from local people and businesses who believe in making a difference.
But The Junction is more than just a shop—it’s a hub of sustainability, creativity, and connection.
A big part of what makes it special is its commitment to repurposing and upcycling. Items that might otherwise be thrown away are transformed into something useful, unique, and often inspiring. For those who love a DIY project or are looking for affordable materials, it’s a treasure trove of possibility. From homewares to gifts, building materials to loose parts, there’s always something waiting to be discovered—and always at a price that makes sense.
The Junction also plays an important role in reducing environmental impact through its recycling initiatives. Their recycling wall continues to grow, with collections including coffee capsules, razors, oral care products, and food storage items through TerraCycle New Zealand. You’ll also find bins for milk bottle lids, cartons, wine bottle caps, and clean metals. On top of that, they offer a battery recycling service in partnership with Phoenix, ensuring household batteries are disposed of safely and responsibly.
And if you’re looking to reduce waste at home, you can even bring your own containers and refill eco-friendly cleaning products from the “Will&Able” range—another simple way The Junction supports sustainable living.
But at the heart of it all are the people.
The Junction thrives because of its volunteers—people from all walks of life who give their time to support the kaupapa and keep things running smoothly. And the good news? There’s room for more.
Volunteering at The Junction is designed to be flexible and inclusive. Life is busy, and the team understands that. Whether you can give just one hour a week, a couple of hours a fortnight, or more when it suits, there’s an opportunity to get involved in a way that works for you.
The roles themselves are varied, meaning there’s something to suit everyone. You might be helping sort and display donations, assisting customers, supporting recycling efforts, or simply being a friendly, welcoming presence in the space. No special skills are required—just a willingness to contribute and be part of a team.
It’s also a place where confidence can grow, connections are made, and a real sense of belonging develops. For some, it’s about giving back. For others, it’s about meeting new people or gaining experience. Whatever the reason, every hour given makes a difference.
Because here’s the thing—volunteering doesn’t have to be a big commitment to have a big impact.
One hour can brighten someone’s day. One conversation can create connection. One small act can ripple out into something much bigger.
In a world that can sometimes feel rushed and disconnected, The Junction is a reminder of what community looks like when people come together with purpose.
So if you’ve been thinking about volunteering, maybe this is your moment.
From Events to Eco Action: Volunteers Making It Happen
New Plymouth is a place where community spirit shows up in all sorts of ways—and one of the most visible is through the incredible range of volunteer roles connected with New Plymouth District Council.
When people think of council volunteering, they might picture planting days or helping at events—and while those are certainly part of it, the reality is much broader. Volunteers contribute across parks and reserves, community events, environmental projects, and initiatives that help keep our district vibrant, welcoming, and sustainable.
From assisting at festivals and sporting events, to supporting biodiversity projects in our local reserves, there’s something for just about everyone. These roles aren’t just about lending a hand—they’re about being part of something bigger. Volunteers often tell us they value the chance to meet new people, learn new skills, and feel more connected to their community.
One of the newer and particularly exciting opportunities is the Eco Squad. This initiative is all about supporting waste minimisation at NPDC events—something that is becoming increasingly important as we all look for ways to reduce what ends up in landfill.
Eco Squad volunteers are right in the heart of the action at events, helping attendees sort their waste correctly, reducing contamination, and encouraging people to think a bit differently about what they throw away. It’s a hands-on role, but also a highly visible one—these volunteers are ambassadors for sustainability, helping shift habits one conversation at a time.
And the impact is real. With the support of Eco Squad volunteers past and present, events within NPDC venues are seeing significant reductions in waste going to landfill. That’s something our whole community can be proud of.
What’s especially great about these roles is how accessible they are. You don’t need prior experience—just a willingness to get involved, a positive attitude, and a bit of enthusiasm. Whether you’re a student looking to gain experience, someone new to the area wanting to make connections, or simply keen to give back, there’s a place for you.
At Volunteering New Plymouth, we’re always excited to connect people with opportunities that suit their interests and availability—and the range of roles available through the Council is a fantastic example of how volunteering can fit into everyday life.
So next time you’re at a local event or enjoying one of our beautiful outdoor spaces, take a moment to notice the volunteers around you. They’re helping make it all happen—and you could be one of them.
New Plymouth Central Lions Bringing Fundraising to Life
Since forming in 2020, the New Plymouth Central Lions have quickly made their mark—not just through service, but through creative and impactful fundraising that benefits communities both locally and beyond.
As part of Lions Clubs International, the club meets monthly for a meal and meeting, combining connection with a shared commitment to giving back through community projects & activities. Their approach to fundraising is anything but ordinary, with initiatives that are as engaging as they are effective.
Projects that are current are:
Drawers for a Cause – Any drawers that are in need of a new home and need some TLC – these Lions are up for the task and gift them to Taranaki Women’s Refuge
Founders Plantation – Planting natives into a local reserve
New Plymouth Christmas Parade – responsible for the organisation of this each year
As well Other Organisations that are supported are:
Ironside Vehicle Society with members on the committee and drivers and they funded a new vehicle
Taranaki Cancer Society – help with Relay for Life, Grow daffodils and help with Daffodil Day.
Sport Taranaki - Marshalls for Weetbix TRYathalon
TOPEC – refurbished cabins
Camp Quality – Sponsor kids with cancer for Summer Camp
Fundraising
In spring, the Lions run a large-scale fertiliser drive, made possible through the generous backing of industry supporters including Ravensdown, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, SBT Group, Farmers Bulk Transport, and BioBoost. This initiative not only raises vital funds but also strengthens ties between rural industries and community causes.
Funds raised by the New Plymouth Central Lions are distributed across a wide range of charitable efforts. Locally, they support youth initiatives and organisations such as Waimanako. They also contribute to essential services like the Cancer Society and provide support toward initiatives such as the Ironside vehicle.
One of their standout events is an annual Magic Show held each December. Featuring professional performers, the show tours schools across New Zealand, bringing entertainment and wonder directly to students. Thanks to the support of sponsors, tickets are provided to schools, ensuring accessibility for young audiences while also supporting education. Profit from the show is shared between two local charities, creating a ripple effect of benefit throughout the community.
Their reach extends nationally and internationally, with contributions to the Wellington Children’s Hospital and the Lions Clubs International Foundation, ensuring that their fundraising efforts help those in need both close to home and further afield.
For this growing club, fundraising is about more than dollars raised—it’s about connection, creativity, and community impact. In just a few short years, the New Plymouth Central Lions have shown that with the right mix of passion and innovation, fundraising and community support and engagement can truly make a difference.
If you’re looking to support a cause, partner with a passionate group, or get involved in hands-on community work, the New Plymouth Central Lions welcome new members, sponsors, and supporters. Because when a community comes together, the impact goes far beyond the funds raised—it changes lives.