The Influencers: Paul Lonsdale

I recently ran a place-making event called the Winter Fun Chill in the City for the Central City Business Association.

We received great support from the locals and a wide range of citywide businesses enabling us to offer the central city as a platform where their brands could grow.

It was hugely successful and in the main its success was due to people working together to achieve a common goal.

We partnered with the Christchurch City Mission and raised over $13,000 to help support the great work they do with our most vulnerable people.

We live in very interesting times and we have not yet seen the full impact of how our post Covid-19 world is going to shape up.

One thing is for sure, together we are stronger and I have been really heartened by the way our people have been out supporting our local businesses.

Maybe, just maybe, we can avert a real crisis by continuing to support our own, as we have seen in the last few months since our economy has reopened. Interestingly enough, with travel restrictions the way they are, you start to revisit your own backyard for those seasonal getaways and you realise that we live in a great country.

I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of what our country has on offer and spreading the love around other parts of Aotearoa.