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Last modified: 10 Feb 2021 10:58am

A tug of war at the annual Friends of the Woods subdivision Christmas picnicA wilderness garden party with Santa, lolly scrambles and friendly, fun games is helping build community spirit in Prebbleton.

This was the third year a neighbourhood pre-Christmas picnic has been held at the Wilderness Green in Prebbleton. Around 40 people attended the picnic, supported by the Council’s Meet Your Street fund for neighbourhood events.

Emma McMulkin, who helps organise the Prebbleton event, says it started out as a one-off get together for members of a mums’ group in The Woods subdivision to celebrate at the end of the year, and quickly snowballed into an annual event.

“We have games and families compete to take home a games trophy. We have new games each year. Last year we did tug of war and the three-legged race, the year before we had all the dads lined and the kids painted on shaving foam to form Santa's beard, the kids then threw cotton balls with the aim of sticking as many as they could to their dad's 'beard'. It definitely created a lot of laughs, especially for the mums watching!"

The event is a fun way to welcome new families to the area and build a good community spirit, with new families joining every year, she says.

“It brings everyone together and creates that bond, it's fantastic to see those friendships develop between the kids. One of the things we love about living in Prebbleton, and The Woods subdivision, is everyone has got to know one another well over the years and the picnic is just a great way to celebrate Christmas together".

The Council's Meet Your Street funding helped keep the picnic open to subdivision families, Mrs McMulkin says.

“It means we’re not relying on people to front up with cash right before Christmas. It takes some pressure off everyone.”

The Council’s Meet your Street fund has up to $75 per event available for people in the Selwyn community who would like to host a local street gathering, neighbourhood sports event or local kids treasure hunt.

To apply, go to Selwyn.govt.nz/meetyourstreet, or get in touch with us at meetyourstreet@selwyn.govt.nz.