In late 2022 Ryman’s construction team took on residents at their own game — lawn bowls, in Christchurch.
End-of-year games went down a storm on both the Ngaio Marsh and Anthony Wilding village greens.
A construction crew from Kevin Hickman village showed up for the Anthony Wilding-based event, and there was more than an hour of competitive bowling. The residents were proud to take out three of the three matches played during the event.
At Ngaio Marsh the results were less important with both residents and construction members called winners on the day.
There was a serious side to the event, as pointed out by organisers Olivia Gilmore (Ryman Health and Safety Lead), Benni Hulme (HR Advisor), and Natasha Richardson (Health & Safety Coordinator). The bowls event is a way of introducing construction team members to the residents that they build town houses, apartments, and village centres for.
Natasha said Tuesday’s event keyed in with the work being done during Ryman’s Hauora (Wellbeing) Month and reflected some of the concept of ‘te whare tapa whā’ – the four cornerstones (or pillars) of Māori health.
Lawn bowls fitted in well with that general focus on health and wellbeing as well as the pillar of family health and connecting people, Natasha said. There has already been one lawn bowls encounter at Ngaio Marsh.
Townhouse resident Paul Edwards said he was a regular on the green, but the challenge was something different from the usual village encounters.
In the four and a half years he had lived at Anthony Wilding, he and other regulars had built up a fun diary for events on the green.
“We like to play here as many times as we can – usually three times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays,” Paul said.
“Some of them (like to take it seriously). But we like to play friendly games.”
There was a great vibe as the Ryman construction and Christchurch office team relaxed at a village on a warm Canterbury Day. Members of the team said the bowls event really “filled their cup” in terms of being able to interact with residents.
