What once stood as an unwelcome symbol at the southern entrance of Ngaaruawaahia has – quite literally – been painted over, not just with a fresh coat of paint, but with a renewed sense of community pride.
In early November, more than twenty volunteers from the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) turned up with brushes, rollers, ladders and heart. They joined forces with the Ngaaruawaahia Tag Smashers – a small group led by locals Meg Daly and Mike Neale, to tackle the long-defaced boxing gym that had greeted visitors with graffiti for years.
The effort began with a simple conversation. Having already collaborated with Meg on smaller graffiti-removal efforts, Kara and Chris Dawson from the LDS Church proposed a bigger challenge – restore the town’s most visible eyesore. With the blessing of the building owners and a little coordination between Harcourts Ngaruawaahia, church leaders and community volunteers, plans were quickly set in motion.
The scene outside the gym on that Saturday morning could have passed for a small festival of service. An advance team mowed and water-blasted the area, clearing years of grime. Soon after, the main group – from pre-teens to retirees – fanned out with paint pots and rollers. In just three hours, the neglected façade was transformed into a clean, two-tone exterior that seemed to breathe relief.
As Kara explained afterwards, “One of the guiding principles in our faith is love and service. A scripture we live by says ‘when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God’.” The team’s motivation was simple – to make a difference where they live. “We all have a connection to this community, because it’s our town”, added Chris. “Small things can make a big difference”.
For many, it was also about connection. The owners arrived mid-morning with trays of pakora, samosas and bikkies, grateful for the kindness shown to their property and, by extension, their town.
That moment captured the spirit of Ngaaruawaahia – a place where people still roll up their sleeves, share food and look out for one another. In a world that often seems divided, here were people from different faiths, cultures, and ages united by one purpose – to restore pride in a shared place.
When sceptics online suggested the wall would soon be tagged again, the volunteers’ reply was simple: “Then we’ll paint over it again”. Because apathy achieves nothing while action, repeated and consistent, changes everything.
Meg also credits the ongoing support that makes these efforts possible. “My boss at Harcourts Hamilton, Louise Macklow, deserves a shout out”, she says. “She lets me use the back room at our local office to store paint and tools for our anti-graffiti work – small acts of generosity like that really help us keep going”.
The Tag Smashers’ success is also powered by a network of local supporters. Resene Paints has supplied over 160 litres of quality recycled paint, enabling volunteers to keep Ngaaruawaahia’s walls clean and colourful. The Ngaaruawaahia Community Board stepped up to fund the paint sprayer used for the boxing gym transformation, while local builder Greg Smith and Chris Dawson generously provided brushes, rollers and trays. “Without these contributions”, Meg notes, “none of this would be possible. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who helps us keep the town looking proud”.
If the building eventually sells, Harcourts Ngaruawaahia has pledged a charitable donation to LDS-led community projects, thus closing the circle of generosity. Perhaps Meg sums it all up the best: “That’s how we roll in our little town – kindness breeds kindness”.
by Ganga Sudhan
