Local Speakers
Yao. Hongze - Community Connector, Multicultural Association Hawke's Bay
What an interesting speaker! Born and raised in Min Ling a coastal city about the size of Napier and Hastings and a population of 4 million people. He has been an organic market gardener, has a degree from Massey University. He has been a teacher and more recently he has founded Eastern Bridge Education, a school which is Government funded. He was part of “The Asian in the Bay Award” Event. He is heavily involved with the Multicultural Association and is very keen to get the various international groups working together in Hawke's Bay. He was very easy to listen to and open to all our questions. I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from him.
Rotary Evening – Lifting the Lid on Youth Suicide
Sam Chatfield
On 14th Oct 2025 our Rotary Club members and invited guests we were privileged to hear from Sam Chatfield, Teacher & Counsellor at Lindisfarne College, who shared a raw and insightful talk on youth wellbeing and suicide prevention as part of the Lifting the Lid, a Rotary-funded initiative.
Sam spoke passionately about the importance of early intervention, ensuring wraparound support is available quickly for young people and their families, especially within an already stretched health system, time is of the essence. His message was a powerful reminder of the real challenges our youth face and the critical role community initiatives play in supporting them.
A huge thank you to Sam and the Lifting the Lid programme for the vital work they do.
The Rotary Club of Stortford Lodge is proud to support youth-focused initiatives and work alongside our community to empower and uplift those that need it most.
#RotaryInAction #LiftingTheLid #YouthWellbeing #CommunitySupport #RotaryStortfordLodgeHastingsNZ #SuicidePrevention #HawkesBay
Lisa Smith - FASD-Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Another really great speech by someone else who knows what she is talking about.
Lisa is a paediatric nurse with many years of experience in both public and private sectors as well as having been a respected lecturer. She now runs a private clinic for children who suffer from incontinence and in her natural sense of humour has unofficially named it Poos and Wees,
She told us of her history in a frank and honest way and her contact with FASD began when she adopted a wee boy who, unknown to anyone, had a severe case of it. She has had numerous requests from his primary school principals to visit their office as he was uncontrollable and they didn't want him in their school. At the time it was thought he had ADHD but unfortunately it was a lot worse.
It wasn't until the family moved to NZ that more testing following more rages and bad behaviour disclosed that it was FASD. It was just like having Alzheimer's all the time, as well as having other mental issues as well.
Thank you Lisa for telling us such a personal story.
RYDA - ‘Rotary Youth Driver Awareness’ - Sarah Parkinson
RYDA provides students with the tools, habits and motivation to take action and stay safe on our roads as both drivers and passengers throughout their lives.
Ryda, a program professionally developed by leading learning organisation, Road Safety Education Limited (RSE), is designed to complement the high school curriculum.
Sarah has only been with RSE for 14 months.She provided a professional presentation on a subject that a few of us knew anything about and that was only through our Rotary members attending the courses at Hastings Racecourse once a year for a couple of days along with the students.
She gave us the history (it was started in Australia by a Rotary club whose member had lost a child through a motor vehicle accident in 2001), It crossed the Tasman in 2007 and has spread throughout the country.with over 17,000 students attending 139 Workshops for 193 school
Elizabeth Graham MNZOM
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Elizabeth Graham has been honoured for her services to Māori and education and came to us to tell her story.
Mrs Liz Graham (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Toroiwaho) has dedicated more than 40 years to her community and Māori education.
Mrs Graham is a teacher at Te Aute College and has been a member of the school’s Board of Trustees and Trust Board, supporting students and the community. She was a hostel staff member between 1977 and 1999 before studying to become a teacher and has been teaching since 2003. She was a member of the senior leadership team at the college and is the caretaker of Te Kawa o te Marae. She has held the Chair position of Tamatea Taiwhenua and was elected representative of Pukehou marae as part of the Heretaunga and Tamatea pre-treaty settlement committee, holding the position from 2003 to 2015. Her knowledge of traditions, values and customs has helped the marae in hosting funerals, weddings, gatherings and other events over more than 20 years. She was Deputy Chair from 2015 and Chair from 2017 to 2023 of the Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust, guiding the community through the Treaty settlement process. She has been the Secretary and led the catering of Ōtane Sports Club since 2010. Mrs Graham has been a director of Kāweka Gwavas Forest Trust since 2018, the entity which holds the Kaweka and Gwavas Crown Forest lands for Heretaunga, Tamatea and Ahuriri.
Dr Chris Longhurst KSO for services to survivors of abuse in state and faith based care
What an amazing speaker! We were all hanging on to every word he spoke and I can see why he was given the award.
He really is a survivor and he is still fighting battles over his submissions to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into how kiwis abused in state and faith based care should be compensated. He has been advocating for survivor compensation and recognition of abuse in faith-based institutions for 20 years.
He is very disappointed that the Government will not follow the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation that a new entity be set up to handle redress for survivors of faith based abuse.
Guest Speaker Glenys Mulligan
We got together with Rotary Havelock North and Rotary Taradale to listen to the story of Phillip John Lamason, DFC* was a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War, who rose to prominence as the senior officer in charge of 168 Allied airmen taken to Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, in August 1944.
Thank you, Glynys.
Read more
A 'RYLA' Good Time
Bridget Kelly was excited to be a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) participant, sponsored by our club to join a week-long leadership development programme for 21-30 year-olds.
RYLA is an experiential live-in programme designed to help young people develop their teamwork and communication skills and fulfil their potential as leaders. This programme brings together a diverse group of young leaders across industries, cultures, genders and ethnicity to build meaningful and effective networks. She came back to us to tell us about her experience. We are proud for her to have been able to gain not anly new friends but really understanding what Leadership is all about.
Guest Speaker Ellen (Elly) Vogtherr
is the 5th generation to be working within the business of Holly Bacon.
It started in 1914, August 4. The same day WW1 broke out. They have always used NZ raised pork for their products. Going back to the early days it was very unusual for a woman to become a butcher, but this trade has been handed down through the generations. In 1937 Ernest Vogtherr opened in Karamu Rd under the name Hastings Bacon Company.