UNO Issue 51

I don't think I've ever heard a story like it. Charmeyne faced such adversity when her husband Peter was left tetraplegic after a boxing match. Their twins were babies. The couple had just lost a son. It would be enough to just lead her own family through that life. Unimpressed with the care options offered to Peter and others in his situation, she started What Ever It Takes, a programme to care for people with traumatic brain injuries, at home.

Despite the enormity of what Charmeyne was dealing with every day, she used what she knew to help others, so they wouldn't have the same experiences as Peter.

Using what you have to help others is a common theme amongst the very special people we meet and feature in UNO. They share things like knowledge, skills, opportunity and time. Like Brent Stewart who loves to solve building puzzles for his clients on page 82.

And I went to the launch of the fourth round of SheEO, where a community of radically generous women gift money into a fund, to be loaned out interest free to women-led businesses, who are solving some of the world's biggest problems. If you'd like to grow your business with a loan and benefit from the advice and connections of the community, then apply at sheeo.world. We have funded 15 businesses in New Zealand so far, and I'd love to see a venture from the Bay of Plenty in that list!

The ocean is in everything we do in the Bay; Geoff Cox disappeared into his garage for a few days and came out with a foilboard prototype. Seeing someone float above the waves they are surfing is surreal. I don't think anyone in their forties can look at it without imagining Michael J Fox in Back To The Future. See how it works along with some epic in-action pics on page 58.

Find a quiet spot and indulge yourself in an hour of stories from our talented and kind Bay of Plenty locals.

Enjoy!

Mat and Jenny