No matter where we look at the moment, there is a constant barrage of news and issues that seem so huge that we often don’t know how to begin to address them.

Despite this, one thing we can be certain of is how much easier it is to face anything when we are connected with our community.

A community doesn’t just mean the local area that you live in. It’s about the people you surround yourself with. Whether at work, play or quite literally in the area you live, every person you connect with has the opportunity to be supported by you, and in turn, support you.

As I think about the very real impacts of Covid in our local area, I see and hear examples daily of how important connection is. It might just be dropping off a scone and coffee to someone to brighten up their period of isolation. It might be grocery shopping and ensuring that whanau have what they need to recover. Or it could be as simple as picking up the phone and having a yarn. Whatever it is, that point of connection and community makes a real difference to our wellbeing and sense of belonging.

I had the privilege of attending the Southland/Otago New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) dinner at the end of March. While the event was much smaller than normal, this didn’t take away the consistent theme expressed by each award winner. That theme was the team they surrounded themselves with playing a significant role in them achieving the high standards these awards celebrate.

The NZDIA Southland/Otago Share Farmer of the Year Award winners, Emma and Hamish Day, really brought this home in one of their speeches (they won a number of awards…congratulations!). Emma thanked our very own Sarah Hopkins and Ashley Burdon for the positive impact their support, advice and guidance have had over the past few years. It meant a lot to hear about the impact our team has on our clients and was yet another reinforcement to me that the work we do, does make a real difference.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you, our clients, for connecting with us and inviting us into your business and lives, to support you to successfully achieve your goals.

I also want to sincerely thank our team for their passion and drive to connect and make a positive difference every day.

My encouragement as we journey through the weeks ahead is for each of us to reach out and connect with others. You never know what a difference a smile, conversation or support can make.