Marlborough officially a Welcoming Community
Marlborough is now a Committed Welcoming Community under the Welcoming Communities – Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori - banner.
Council submitted an application before Christmas for stage one accreditation and just heard it had been achieved, Marlborough Welcoming Communities Coordinator Heather Barnes said.
A Committed Welcoming Community values newcomers and is committed to building a welcoming and inclusive community. It has also taken active steps to create an environment where all residents can thrive and belong.
There are 34 councils taking part in the programme - Marlborough joins 16 other councils in the programme that have achieved accreditation under the four-stages of accreditation.
Building strong connections with newcomers is the aim of Marlborough’s Welcoming Communities programme.
Accreditation involves an assessment of efforts to include and welcome newcomers - recent migrants, former refugees and international students. Accredited communities can then showcase their achievements to the world with pride.
Welcoming Communities is a programme led by Immigration New Zealand in partnership with the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and Human Rights Commission.