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This Week’s Issue

Mercury Bay Business Association: Buy Local and Stay Connected

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July 1, 2025

The Mercury Bay Business Association’s (MBBA) monthly Business After 5 event.

Stephen Town from Momentum Waikato addresses the monthly After 5 event of the Mercury Bay Business Association.

BY TYREE CONNOR

It may have been a stormy June evening, but that didn’t stop more than 50 local businesspeople from coming together for the Mercury Bay Business Association’s (MBBA) monthly Business After 5 event. This time, it was hosted at the Coro Club- offering the perfect setting to catch up, share ideas, and talk about what’s happening in our community.

Momentum Waikato: Each month, a different MBBA member hosts the evening, and this one was a real highlight. Alongside the usual mix of networking and good conversations, the Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) took on hosting duties and invited Momentum Waikato to speak about an exciting initiative: the Coromandel Future Funds.

Speakers Janice Lapwood, Stephen Town, and Peter Farmer explained how the project aims to support the long-term wellbeing of our region. It’s a fresh approach to community investment-encouraging people to give not for profit, but for the benefit of Mercury Bay. The towns of Thames, Whangamata, Coromandel and Pauanui -Tairua are also having funds established. With this “smart giving” model, donors can choose exactly where their money goes, helping make a real difference in the areas they care about most. Inspiring people to leave a legacy for a specific benefit in their local region sparked a lot of interest-and some great conversations too!

The evening also gave a shoutout to recent member successes and the ongoing Buy Local campaign. This campaign isn’t just about shopping. It’s about supporting our friends, neighbours, and the incredible talent right here in Mercury Bay. Buying local keeps our community strong, especially during the quieter winter months. It’s a simple but powerful way to show up for each other.

Mark your calendars – the next Business After 5 is coming up on Tuesday, July 8, hosted by Coromandel Lifestyle Centre, The Coromandel Informer, and Coromandel Chambers.

And starting in July, MBBA will also be launching bi-monthly speaker events – free for members! Each session will focus on a different topic, like business accounting, health and safety, building strong teams, and more.

There’s so much to be proud of – and even more to look forward to. Let’s keep supporting each other to build a thriving Mercury Bay, together.

Contact mbba@whitianga.co.nz if you’d like more information or to join the association.

Editor’s Note: Every town on the Peninsula and in Hauraki has a Business Association or equivalent organisation. The Informer will be sharing news on what is happening for each of these. It is a time to act locally in our towns with our buying and leisure time but also in your region. It’s not a competition but a team of towns inviting the world to their door and to their out-doors.