Living Springs is alive and buzzing on a number of fronts. The fourth school term is under way and the place is humming with the sound of excited voices and happy chatter. Feedback from schools on new programmes and experiences has been overwhelmingly positive and indeed very heartening.

This month we have also been OutdoorsMark accredited which is a huge step forward for Living Springs to be audited and then certified by this new national safety standard body. Well done to Grant Whitehead and all the team who have worked very hard for much of last year to get us to this level. Mel and Zane Scott have completed another very successful school holiday camp and also ran the first the horse camp, an awesome effort on both counts.

And all the while the corporate clientele continues to grow. Recent weeks have seen a number of Government Departments in Bellbird Heights, as well as the likes of Fulton Hogan, Michael Hill Jeweller and a number of professional training groups, all who have found Living Springs the perfect environment for planning, training and team building. Throw in a 3 day Hui, a major banquet for the local Fire Brigade and a couple of upcoming weddings and the summer season at Living Springs really is in full swing.

You may be aware of the threatened closure of Aorangi School. To find out more click here www.aorangi.ac.nz.
Having visited the school Denis was moved by the state of the school - both the facilities but especially the staff and students, who have been left in a state of limbo. As a result of that visit Living Springs has offered to hold a camp for all 90 students from Aorangi School at no cost to the school. We plan to help fund the camp ourselves and through support from the community. Our aim is to show the school and especially its young students that we care what happens to them and we support them 100%.

What can you do?
As individuals we can’t do a lot to influence the closure of Aorangi School, but we are asking you to show your support for the school by sponsoring a child to come on camp. To run the camp will cost about $150 per child. Many of these children are from under privileged families and won’t have had the opportunity to visit somewhere as magical as Living Springs before so we think $150 is a small price to make this camp a reality. Help Living Springs give these children an amazing life experience and end their school year at Aorangi on a positive note.

Please phone Elly or Rebecca on 03 329 9788 or email admin@livingsprings.co.nz to find out how you can contribute. We will keep you updated with progress on our website.

Did you know that Living Springs offers comprehensive competency courses in Rock climbing, Abseiling, Caving and Sea Kayaking?
These courses are outside of our standard programmes and activities and are designed for people that are looking at a high level of personal development within an outdoor discipline. All courses are intended for a 5 day period and are suitable for senior high school students to adults.
If you are interested in finding out more about any of these courses, email adventure@livingsprings.co.nz, or phone 329 9788 and speak to Grant Whitehead.