In 2002 Ashburton women Evelien Huismans set up the Ashburton Newcomers Network as she felt there was a need in the community for a platform where all new residents could meet, make new friends and integrate in their community. 
And Evelien was right – there was a need for such an initiative as within two years, more than 230 people had used the Network’s services. In 2004 the Ashburton Newcomers Network won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Ashburton Community Awards and as a result represented the region at the TrustPower National Community Awards.
It was at the National Awards that the then Deputy Mayor of Nelson, Gail Collingwood, heard about the Newcomers phenomenon. She also knew that a recent ‘Settling In Nelson Tasman’ report commissioned by the Family and Community Services, a service of Ministry of Social Development; had found that migrants new to the Nelson Tasman region were finding it hard to make friends.
Back in Nelson Gail spoke to the Nelson Multicultural Council about the Ashburton initiative. The Nelson Multicultural Council made contact with the Ashburton network who gave them permission to establish a network. Nelson Newcomers Network (NNN) was launched in June 2006 having been modelled on the Ashburton Network.
Claire Nichols was at that time the coordinator of the Nelson Multicultural Council.
“The beauty of the Ashburton Newcomers Network was that they shared their logo, pamphlets, posters – everything. So we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel when we went about creating the Nelson network,” says Claire.
NNN is a not-profit organisation and is under the auspices of the Nelson Multicultural Council with support from Family and Community Services ‘Settling In’ project. Most of NNN’s committee members have at some point been new to the Nelson region so understand the difficulties faced when moving there. NNN has been formed to support anyone new to Nelson; they do not have to be from overseas, if a person is new to Nelson from other parts of New Zealand they are welcome to join.
And join is exactly what people have done.
“It was just unbelievable how quickly the Nelson Newcomers Network took off. Out of one newspaper article people just started joining,” says Claire.
As the Settling In project was carried out around the country, Newcomers Networks started to be recommended as a way of assisting migrants new to a region to settle in. Other people found out about the Newcomers initiative via the internet and contacted the Nelson group to come on board.
Today there are Newcomers Networks in 17 regions around New Zealand. Claire Nichols is now employed by Settling In, Family and Community Services and part of her role is to coordinate the New Zealand Newcomers Network, which is still growing.
“I have another three networks on the radar,” says Claire.
None of these networks, however, would be successful without volunteers.
“Every activity that happens at a Newcomers Network there is a volunteer running it,” says Claire.
And it’s this huge volunteer commitment and initiative that was recognised way back in 2004, when the Ashburton Newcomers Network won their TrustPower Community Award – and which started the entire Newcomers story.
For more information about the New Zealand Newcomers Network or the Networks running around the country go to www.newcomers.co.nz or contact Claire Nichols on 03 539 0565.
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