EA Networks and Connecting Mid Canterbury joined forces recently at the Ethnic Communities Day 2024, held at the Hampstead Rugby grounds.

While the day started off a bit grey and cold, by 11am there were lots of people coming through and enjoying the event, which included Police, St John's, Tangata Atumotu Trust, Ashburton Council and many more stalls targeted at supporting our local ethnic community.

At the EA Networks and Connecting Mid Canterbury stand, Kate and Jess invited passing families in to hear about the different ways to save money on their electricity costs. It was a welcome conversation for most, with a lot of mums and dads getting their kids involved in listening about how to help save money around the house.

Small changes, such as shorter showers, unplugging appliances when they aren't in use and switching to LED lights, can make a big difference. Draught stops, LED lights, Scoopy's (for condensation) and Consumer NZ's "Find money in weird places" booklet were handed out. Over 30 families visited throughout the four-hour event.

Attendees were also introduced to Keep Learning Mid Canterbury, an initiative of Connecting Mid Canterbury which lists local community education events such as cooking classes, education sessions and exhibitions. More information about upcoming events can be found on their website, Keep Learning Mid Canterbury.