Katikati Community Centre’s general manager Nicky Austin has resigned and will head into the Bay of Plenty’s rowing world next year.

Austin this week said her last day as general manager would be December 11. She will start a new position with BOP Rowing Association and Rowing New Zealand as BOP coachforce regional rowing coach in January.

Unknown to some, Austin rowed for New Zealand from 1998 to 2008, went to two Olympic Games and was a 2005 world rowing champion.

“I actually didn’t start rowing until I was 23.”

Juliette Drysdale and Nicky Austin on Lake Karapiro as they prepared for a three-month series of competitions in Europe, Cambridge, and New Zealand in 2006. Photo / NZPA/Ross Setford

She has coached rowing at Tauranga Boys’ College for the past 3-odd years. “Rowing has been a big part of my life for many years, so I’m really looking forward to this next chapter.”

Austin’s involvement with Katikati Community Centre began when she became a trustee of Katikati Community Centre Charitable Trust in 2019. “The [general manager] role came up, and I thought I’d like to apply for it.”

She was in the job by February 2024 after resigning as a trustee.

Austin has run the centre for nearly three years, managing five fulltime and two part-time staff plus up to seven school holiday programme staff and 30-odd volunteers.

Under her leadership, the centre has offered a wide range of information services and support in education, social services, health and wellbeing services to the community.

Regular services include driver licensing, Alzheimer’s support, Justice of the Peace drop-ins, B4 School nurse checks, Grey Power meetings, free legal advice and budgeting help. Health services include a chiropractor, podiatrist, hearing and vision tests, first aid training, a respiratory clinic and more.

Katikati Community Centre manager Nicky Austin, with team leader Jan de Faye and receptionist Tracey Burton welcome anyone and everyone. Photo / Merle Cave

In partnership with Good Neighbour, the centre collects unsold food from Katikati Woolworths to support the local food bank, Tamawhariua health and social services provider, Kurakai, a free weekly Community Breakfast, Thursday Students’ Pancake Day, and the Patuki Kai food stand outside.

The centre also runs adult education courses and the Katikids holiday programme between school terms, and hosts free events to build community connection and support.

“The past nearly three years have been incredibly fulfilling, and I’ve really valued the opportunity to work alongside so many wonderful people and organisations who are committed to making a positive difference in our community,” Austin said.

“Katikati is a special place, and I’ll always be proud to be part of it and passionate about its future.”

Poutama

Her favourite part of the job was working with such an “incredibly talented” staff who were “passionate about their jobs and do them so well”.

Her second biggest achievement was running Katikati’s Poutama - Pathway Into Employment programme from 2022 to June this year.

The centre held a funding contract with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to run the programme with four staff, including Austin, from 2022. In June, it ceased after the centre didn’t secure a new MSD contract.

“Working with the rangatahi [youth] at Poutama and watching them change their lives … what a privilege to be part of it,” she said.

Katikati Community Centre general manager Nicky Austin was devastated when she learnt that the Poutama youth programme would close June 30 this year. Photo / Merle Cave

In February, Austin told Katikati News that many rangatahi who arrived at Poutama had a sense of what they wanted for their future but struggled to put it into words because it felt overwhelming or out of reach. Others simply didn’t know what steps to take.

“We often see young people who’ve lost confidence or become quite isolated. A big part of what we do is rebuild that sense of belief and connection. Walking through the door can feel daunting at first, but once they’re here, they quickly realise this is a safe and supportive space.”

The glue

Last month, for an awareness campaign by five local community centres, Austin said she felt Katikati’s centre was the glue that held the community together.

“There are so many things that we provide people that increases their quality of life.”

She believed a community was only as successful as the way it took care of its most vulnerable.

“That’s how I see it. There has to be a mechanism for looking after the people that struggle to look after themselves for whatever reason...”

The new face of Katikati Community Centre is a familiar one, Nicky Austin. Nicky stands in front the mural featuring the centre's past and present staff.

On her departure, Austin said the centre was “really well placed with the team that we’ve got to be able to support the community for a long time yet”.

“We’ve got a lot of diversity in what we do and the different contracts that we have. There are just a couple of areas that are absolutely crucial services that we supply that we can’t stop doing, because the demand is so high, but the funding is not there.”

Community advocate

For example, the community advocate role.

“This is working with elderly, with people at the most risk of getting themselves into a terrible position,” she said.

“Rochelle Morrow, our community advocate, over the course of a few hours can really help them out, point them in the right direction, get them the assistance they need – whereas before they were completely stuck and that issue was dominating their lives.”

Funding the centre’s basic operations was also vital, she said.

“It’s really important that we’re able to pay our staff properly; then ongoing running of the centre is always expensive. We’re always trying to find funding and the costs are always rising.”

Katikati Community Centre staff Nicky Austin, Rochelle Morrow, volunteer Shona Graham, with Jan de Faye and Sally Goodyear at work on a Katikati Spring Clean. Photo / Supplied

Katikati Community Centre Charitable Trust’s new chair, Carole Parker, said Austin’s knowledge, expertise and skills, together with her commitment and understanding of the community, had been invaluable to the centre.

“Her leadership, guidance and ability to work collaboratively have supported the team to deliver services that make a real difference to people’s lives.

“She leaves behind a strong contribution to the centre and the wider Katikati community, and we are grateful for the dedication and experience she has brought to her role.”

Parker said the trust is actively working towards appointing a new general manager before the end of the year.

“This will ensure a smooth transition, allowing the incoming general manager to build on the work Nicky has undertaken and maintain continuity in the services and support the centre provides to the Katikati community.”