Meri Kirihimete!

At the risk of missing anyone out, we'd like to express some very heartfelt appreciation to all the people who volunteered in any capacity over the course of 2024.

You'll see from the graphic above that we estimate we have had 4,000+ hours of support generously donated by our members and friends, which is absolutely staggering! It really is what makes this club so flipping awesome! Here are all the thoroughly incredible humans that I know about (hi, it's me, Libby 🖐, so blame me if I miss anyone) that have helped us out with so many things.

If you don't see your name, sincere apologies, please know that you're loved and appreciated. And please also get in touch with Libby (hi, it's me again 🖐) and let her know. We're working on a plan to more formally recognise and appreciate all our beloved volunteers, and would like to keep a register.

Anyway, onwards to thanking all these beauties...

Our 2024 past and current Artists in Residence, Larissa Milsum, Margaret Raine, Margaret De Freitas, Mark Tamura and Sade Woodmass who do so many messy jobs for us and keep the studio running day-to-day.

Our Kiln Loader Extraordinaire, Margaret Raine, yes she gets many mentions here, because she is an absolute bl**dy legend!

Our Tuesday night Play with Clay volunteers, Margaret Raine (again, she is an unstoppable force!), Alicia Baker, Patsy Hall, Stacey Tillemans, Trudie and John Macintosh, Kelly Nicholson and Caroline Hamilton.

Our Wednesday morning PWC volunteers, Yasmin Davis, Larissa Milsum and Mark Tamura.

Our Saturday morning PWC volunteers, Teresa Gibbison, Tim Edwards, Lydia Farrell, Amy Pitt, and Caitlin Fowler.

Our incredibly passionate committee members, Tess May, Sarah Lee, Suzy Dunser, Bronwyn Wright, Caroline Hamilton, Lydia Farrell, Josef Thompson-Smith, and Mark Tamura.

Our Phoenix firing coordinator Bronwyn Wright, our Raku firing master David Kenny, and our gas kiln firers Burns Macaskill ❤, Craig Stephen, Larissa Milsum, Mark Tamura, Michael Clapham, Victoria Kerry and Lana Marquand.

All the people who helped with that humungous Open Day (and I'm positive I'll miss some people here, I'm so, so sorry!!) Margaret Raine, Tess May, Bronwyn Wright, Teresa Gibbison, Lydia Farrell, Mark Tamura, David Kenny, Alicia Baker, Victoria Kerry, Suzy Dunser, Amy Pitt, Patsy Hall, Trudie Mackintosh, Caroline Hamilton, Caitlin Fowler, Alison Stearn, Ann Tankard, Bev McKenzie, David Clarke, Grace Taylor, Jenn Howell, Katie Hoffman, Marion Thodey, Nikki Brown, Rhonda Oliver, Sarah Steed, Sue McConchie, and Chloe McConchie.

Our clever handy people who have fixed all our broken stuff, improved all our mediocre stuff and run errands to various places to pick up various other stuff, David Kenny, Mark Tamura, Larissa Milsum, Margaret De Freitas, John Mackintosh, Craig Stephen, Rhonda Oliver and Caroline Hamilton. And not to mention our friends at the Men's Shed, who help us with a bunch of jobs on the regular.

And to Queen Janet Smith, who presided over the Mighty Waikato Pottery Throwdown games, which were facilitated by your excellent committee members.

And of course, thank you in advance to all those who are coming to the working bee tomorrow to help shift some stuff and clean some stuff!

Now, I know I will have forgotten to mention some people (hi, it's Libby again, it's my fault, blame me), which I'm regretful for before I even post this newsletter, but please do get in touch with me to let me know if your name doesn't appear here, I genuinely want to know.

To each and every one of you, both Josephine and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we couldn't run this place without all this support xx