Growing Gizzy Local

Gizzy Local has always been here for our community—connecting, celebrating, and strengthening Te Tairāwhiti. Now, we need your help to ensure this local treasure can keep thriving.

Since September 2024, we’ve been making important changes to secure Gizzy Local’s future. We said "see you soon" to co-founder Sarah Cleave, formalised as an Incorporated Charitable Trust, and built strong relationships with funders and local entities like the Gisborne District Council. These steps mean we can provide paid work for our kaimahi and keep the Gizzy Local platform alive and buzzing.

But right now, we’re at a funding gap. We’ve hosted over 90 community events in just two years and continue to provide affordable spaces, event promotion, and storytelling unique to our region. With your support, we can bridge this lull, keep our waka afloat, and continue to nourish and grow this gem for Te Tairāwhiti.

Every contribution helps us sustain a platform that belongs to us all.

Our current GL board comprises a group of individuals who are always on the move. These members are Katy Wallace, Jordan Walker, Sarah Pocock, Waireti Amai, and Emma McFadyen. 

Katy Wallace is an O.G. Gizzy Local fan and loves getting into mischief with creative collaborators. A theme throughout her mahi is sharing knowledge and encouraging others to exercise their creative voices in our city.   

Jordan Walker is a longterm Gizzy Local, who loves our region and everything arts and community engagement, they operate out of Gizzy Local HQ with their production company, Maraki Productions. 

Sarah Pocock is originally from Illinois, America, and is the GL Content Manager, whom we all know and love, along with being the Interim Manager for the past year. 

Waireti Amai works out of the GL office space.  Her mahi is a manager for a treaty settlement group, which she balances with her passion for the Arts, weaving and walking along the coastline. 

Last, Emma McFaydyen is born and raised in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa - Gisborne and is a regular at GL. With a background in education, she is currently engaging in PhD studies focused on environmental education and dabbling in arts-based research design.

Income:

• Crowdfunding target: $5,000

Expenses:

• Boosted service fee: $500
• Kaimahi wages (supporting paid roles to operate Gizzy Local): $2,800
• Hub operations (utilities and maintenance): $900
• Community programming & Events support (materials, facilitation costs): $500
• Communications & Promotion (keeping locals connected and events visible): $300

By contributing to Gizzy Local, you’re helping keep a vital community platform alive—one that connects, celebrates, and strengthens Te Tairāwhiti. Your support fills the gap between major funding rounds, allowing us to keep hosting events, sharing local stories, providing affordable venues, and promoting the creative life of our region. We’re doing this because no other platform brings people together in this way—spotlighting local voices, building community resilience, and ensuring arts and culture remain accessible to everyone.

Your support goes straight back into our community. Every dollar helps us keep Gizzy Local alive as a hub for connection, creativity, and storytelling in Te Tairāwhiti. Contributions cover wages for our kaimahi, keep our hub open and affordable, and make it possible to host events, workshops, and gigs that bring people together. With your help, we can continue to spotlight local voices, support artists, and provide spaces where our community can gather, grow, and thrive.