We didn't do it for the praise, we did it for the result.

Our community is absolutely amazing, and we were blown away by how generous people were with their time and donations. No strings attached, a gift was a gift, so many donations were anonymous. It was important to CPlay to make sure every gift was recognized and to celebrate the contribution and impact of individual volunteers. We did this by creating some guidelines on what we would do for various size donations, and we made sure we then exceeded the expectations people had when they made their gift. 

Some of the ways we recognized people was by

• Sending a receipt and a thank you letter to acknowledge donation.
• Thanking people personally, on social media, as posts, articles, live video, video interviews, news releases radio interviews and acknowledgment signage.
• Giving guided tours and regular updates during the construction and when it opened.
• Being on site to assist contractors and hosting morning teas and lunches.
• The Timaru District Council was kind enough to recognize contributions with their community service award.

We also used our social media and guest speaking events to highlight the impact volunteers can create in their community. Our team has been invited to share their stories at external events e.g. interviews, webinars, and community meetings to talk about their work and motivation to increase the visibility of volunteers. 

Volunteering weaves us together, strengthening the fabric of our community and to help create a diverse, inclusive, and connected future.  

CPlay was an opportunity to inspire others within the community to get involved, to advocate for the needs and interests of their community and make a difference. This empowerment led to increased civic engagement and participation.

CPlay highlighted the strengths, achievements, and contributions of community members both internally and externally. 

We helped bridge between council and community, facilitating communication, collaboration, and partnerships  that benefited the community as a whole. CPlay lobbied for better play to bring about positive change.

 BBQ Shout for our contractors Graham Ward, Project Manager and Owen Jackson (OJ) CPlay Chairperson - Photo Roselyn Fauth

Read more: How peoples generosity and efforts were recognized