You have a young woman, Indigo working for this store. She is just lovely. Everything you want in a…read morecustomer service professional. She is extremely friendly, efficient & I have noticed her tact in dealing with some very rude customers. I hope the SPCA management is supporting her in training to deal with some really unpleasant people. A hard job, she does wonderfully. Always a pleasure to shop there. We selectively shop as we find this branch overpriced & in Puke not the best on price. Otherwise on customer service, faultless.

Rainbow Youth has been advocating for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer…read moreyouth for decades - ensuring that those who wish to come out, are having trouble with coming out, or would just like to find some likeminded people have a place to go. Friday nights at Rainbow Youth are the best time - school is over for the week and people will pile in to have a good time and be themselves. I interviewed the kids of Rainbow Youth about the issues that were facing them once - I ended up coming away feeling good about how LGBT children are faring. While their stories weren't all sunshine and rainbows, it was easy to see that having spaces like Rainbow Youth around makes life all that more bearable, while helping to create stronger, happier queer kids.

From the owner: LGBTIQ Queer & Gender Diverse Young People…read moreSupport Peer-support Groups Referral

Wesley Community Centre is a great asset to the local community. They have many things on offer…read moreincluding a a market that has been running for 16 years! Every Tuesday and Friday 7 am - 1 pm you can drop in and pick up some produce, some hot food, new and used clothing, bric a brac and much more. The centre is also very well utilized by local groups for adult and youth classes, including holiday programs. It has a strong multi-cultural feel to the place and whatever ethnicity your background is, I am sure you will be made to feel welcomed. I have hired rooms in the not-so-distant-past and I can honestly say that it is one of the most attractive community centres around Auckland. It is spacious, clean and well maintained. Organize to have a look at the rooms available if you are searching for a space needed for a conference, regular meetings, or a once off celebration to hold a number of people.

From the owner: Community Centre based in Mt Roskill providing programmes and events for local community.read more

Five stars? The Peace Place really deserves much more. It is also a difficult subject to to…read morecategorize, but it deserves a mention to get their name out there. It is a place of sanctuary in the centre of the city, to pray, meditate, research or find like minded people. I attended there through the Auckland Spiritual Discussions Group, they use the space to meet on the 27th of each month, in the evenings, having different speakers give talks and/or lead practices. The peace place is utilized by several different groups of different religious views,but all supportive of the same values. Pax Christi, an international peace movement being one of them. The venue has a large range of interesting books, a library that you can borrow from, on many esoteric subjects and/or about the peace movements, advocates past and present, religious orders, etc. I have not been able to add the opening hours as it really does depend on several factors, however I can tell you that Monday's at 5:30pm they offer a space for meditation and occasionally lunchtimes too; and on Sat's they celebrate the Eurachrist, you don't have to be catholic to attend. Have a look at their website and/or contact them directly if you want to know more.

Definitely worth four stars!…read more This place is amazing! They really do support the community in everyday possible. From sporting areas to childcare to youth support. It really does do new Lynn a great service. I know some friends that hire out some space in there from sporting events during the week and I also know of some youth groups that run awesome activities during be week which is great for the New Lynn area and its youth. It is a modern space, well designed - both architecturally and in its interiors. There is plenty of parking surrounding the venue as well. And you know your car will be safe because the police station is right next door. Handy! Great spot overall.

It gets four stars for what it stands for! Community centres are great! They offer everything from…read morePlunket playgroups to line dancing, environmental groups to mediation groups, so much on offer, it is as good as your local library! Plus they do play a large role in helping new migrants in Auckland, an important service for such a multi-cultural city. This centre has some great rooms/halls that can be hired and some rough-around-the-edges too, so worth going and having a look for yourself. Also, make sure you state clearly everything you need, kitchen? whiteboard? no-one else using that room? Are you sure no one else is using that same room!? Ask lots of questions! Word is on the street that the New Lynn Community Centre will be the venue for a new Night Market soon to arise every Thursday night too, cool bananas!

A great place to host events for different numbers of people. Whether your group is large or small…read moreGreylynn community centre will hook you up! The first time I went to the community centre was for a youth talent show. The room was perfect as it accommodated the number of attendees. The kitchen was always clean and located inside the hall we where using. This made it easier at snack time as it was just a matter of taking items from the kitchen to the table we had set up buffet style outside the kitchen. The rooms are also built in a way that makes it flexible to arrange the room the way that suits you and your event. Although there is parking on site, it is limited. Luckily there are plenty of off street parking spaces.

This is a very well utilised community centre with clean spacious facilities if any local…read moreorganisation or group wanted to hire a space for a regular night of the week or temporary meetings, functions, etc. The staff have always been very friendly and helpful when I have been involved with hiring the facilities for regular set periods of time. The payments have generally been smooth and communication professional. It always seems quite busy, whatever the season, with various groups occupying the many rooms available, so if you want to set up a meditation or yoga course you might want to double check that karate or zumba are not also taking place that same night right next door! They also hold a farmers market at the centre on Sunday mornings that is worth supporting.

This is a great charity! My husband works in community services and forwarded an email to me about…read morethis charity late last year hosting a sale of new and pre-loved clothing in Mt Eden. He is such a sweetie, he handed me a wad of cash and said go for it (it was a treat after quite a stressful year). So I sure did!!! I had lots of girly fun, along with many other women going nuts trying on loads of clothing in a communal changeroom and seizing further bargains and discounts (like $1 shoes or handbags) being called out across the room for set periods of time (like 5 minutes!). It was great, and ALL the proceeds went to the charity, which relies heavily on fundraisers such as this to help support women getting back into the workforce. That day they raised $6000. They do not have a set place to visit, you would need to contact them through email or phone if you are interested in finding out more about them, know of a woman/are that woman that could really do with some help, or, if you have something you could donate then they have several charity drop off points that can be found on their website. The website will also let you know about upcoming fundraisers like I went along too.

Eden Creative Recycling is a wonderful asset to the Auckland Community, particularly early…read morechildhood teachers and artists. This is a trust organisation that collects unwanted materials from businesses that have excess or unwanted items and then offers this multitude of stuff back into the community for those that may need or want to work in a more ecological and sustainable way. It is a great resource to teachers on a budget, but also most importantly teaches children the value in recycling and enhancing creativity. I use to work in this field not so long ago, so I have dealt with this company personally. There were off cuts of fabric, cardboard cylinders, hard plastic tubes, plastic bottle caps, paper, boxes, light metal tube things - many items! As you will see by the note on their website, they are no longer located on Akiraho Street in Mount Eden, however if you call Yvonne on 0274 879 116 you can arrange a time to go see what is on offer and have a chat. Did I mention that this stuff is free?

This cafe is run by not-for-profit community organisation 'Lifewise' who predominantly cater for…read morethe homeless; to ensure low-cost decent wholesome (cooked) meals for $4. They welcome passers-by (foot traffic) and the local community to visit the cafe for affordable, healthy cuisine. There is also counter food available: quiche, salads, bagels, sandwiches and sweet fare. If the cafe is crowded at lunchtime, you can always pop out to the courtyard at the back for some sunshine, surrounded by sustainable vegetable, herb and flowers (potted) gardens. There is artwork on surrounding walls that is changed monthly. Apparently the space is also used for yoga classes and soon performance art! Great welcoming, non-judgemental cafe that supports the local community.

Love that this business is about helping their community. They come alongside their homeless…read morepopulation and remind them that they are not marginalized and integrate them with the rest of the community with this cafe. $4 meals unless you get a fancier sandwich, pastry, salad. Really lovely place.

There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?