Where did summer go? I like to think I invested a lot of my time into family: trips to the beach, birthday celebrations with big family get-togethers, or more simple affairs such as a weekday dinner around the kitchen table where we update each other on our days’ highlights.

But that’s not always the case. Sometimes the family dinners are missed, or weekends away have been clipped or abandoned entirely in favour of a pressing work deadline. And I know my family and I are not alone here. Work. School routines. Emails and smartphones. Sometimes life just gets in the way of… life. And we all yearn for the kind of life that truly matters – a life surrounded by family and friends and moments that stay with you well into old age.

This edition of Community e-news is very much about cherishing and celebrating those moments. Recently at our fully-subsidised YMCA Family Camp we met one family who is making the most of what they have. On a Friday afternoon three generations of the Samu family rolled in to YMCA’s Camp Adair in Auckland’s Hunua Ranges for a weekend of cabin-based camping. Grandparents, children, and the grandchildren all spent the weekend together climbing, abseiling, singing or tackling a muddy obstacle course. Their goal? To make family memories.  

Let’s be honest, though. Finding time together as a family isn’t always easy, particularly in today’s society where both parents often need to work to make ends meet. Our team recently caught up with two families to find out how they cope over the summer holidays, and the role of holiday programmes in ensuring they can strike a balance over the long summer break

Best wishes for 2018. I hope the year brings you much joy and quality time with those closest to you.

Until next time

Peter Fergusson
Chief Executive Officer

Download (3MB) the latest edition of Community or read the stories online:

• Finding time for whānau at Family Camp
• Calling all superheroes! Run Round the Bays with YMCA
• Holiday programmes a hit with working families
• ANZ Staff Foundation supports youth development
• Auckland city receives boost as indoor stadium reopens
• Teen volunteer prepares to pay it forward

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