Good Sorts

Dave Cattermole started the Blue Brothers gym when he developed kidney cancer and couldn’t find a men’s support group.

Good Sorts: The gym where men with cancer find strength and purpose

The idea began following Dave Cattermole's own kidney cancer diagnosis, when he struggled to find support groups of other men in a similar situation to him.

Sun, Sep 21

Joan and Gordon Martin have turned their conservatory into a monarch butterfly sanctuary.

Good Sorts: Oamaru couple's monarch butterfly mission takes flight

Joan and Gordon Martin, both aged 94, have turned their conservatory into a monarch butterfly sanctuary.

Sun, Jun 1

Graham Dallow, a former builder turned volunteer, spends two days a week valeting patrol cars and his weekends monitoring security cameras.

Good Sorts: The volunteer keeping Timaru's police fleet clean

Graham Dallow, a former builder turned volunteer who lost an arm due to cancer, spends two days a week valeting patrol cars and his weekends monitoring security cameras.

Mon, May 26

Trevor Goodin drives a shuttle for passengers who can decided what fare is reasonable.

Good Sorts: The Oamaru driver going the extra mile

Trevor Goodin drives a shuttle to Dunedin for hospital appointments, and the passengers can decide what fare is reasonable.

Sun, May 18

Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service

Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare, especially in rural areas.

Sun, May 4

Good Sorts: The gym where men with cancer find strength and purpose

The idea began following Dave Cattermole's own kidney cancer diagnosis, when he struggled to find support groups of other men in a similar situation to him.

Sun, Sep 21

Good Sorts: Oamaru couple's monarch butterfly mission takes flight

Joan and Gordon Martin, both aged 94, have turned their conservatory into a monarch butterfly sanctuary.

Sun, Jun 1

Good Sorts: The volunteer keeping Timaru's police fleet clean

Graham Dallow, a former builder turned volunteer who lost an arm due to cancer, spends two days a week valeting patrol cars and his weekends monitoring security cameras.

Mon, May 26

Good Sorts: The Oamaru driver going the extra mile

Trevor Goodin drives a shuttle to Dunedin for hospital appointments, and the passengers can decide what fare is reasonable.

Sun, May 18

Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service

Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare, especially in rural areas.

Sun, May 4

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Good Sorts: The Kiwi veteran cleaning fallen soldier's graves

Simon Strombom and an army of volunteers help clean soldiers’ unkempt graves.

Sun, Apr 27

Hangout, a youth group, is run by Kim Hina for young people in Upper Hutt and the difference is there to see

Good Sorts: A Thursday night lifeline for Upper Hutt youth

Kim Hina started Hang Out eight years ago when her daughter Lily was struggling, with a close friend of Lily's in an even darker place.

Sun, Apr 20

Good Sorts: Boy, 6, donates proceeds from his art sales to charity

Several years ago, Riley Crook had a health scare – and it got him and his mums thinking.

Mon, Apr 14

Good Sorts: Father's tribute through historic gold rush restoration

Once home to 14,000 people in the 1800s, Malcolm Ritchie is dedicated to restoring and maintaining a historic musterer's camp on his property in South Otago.

Mon, Apr 7

March 2025

Bill Bean became a prison officer in 1979 after retiring from 12 years in the Navy and believes in the power of soil.

Good Sorts: Prison officer's rehabilitation through gardening

Bean became a prison officer in 1979 after retiring from 12 years in the Navy, working his way up to divisional officer and eventually horticulture instructor at Pāremoremo Prison.

Mon, Mar 24

Penny Oliver’s been working at Hororata Primary School since 1983.

Good Sorts: Office lady retires after four decades at Canterbury primary

From typewriters to computers, Penny Oliver witnessed the evolution of the school while managing everything from student records to emergencies.

Mon, Mar 17

February 2025

Good Sorts: The Wairarapa woman helping everyone enjoy her local beach

Helen Welch came up with a solution to help those who struggle on the sand – a specially-designed wheelchair.

Sun, Feb 23

Good Sorts: A teacher aide's unwavering dedication to her student

Casius was born with a rare birth defect called lissencephaly and his mother Courtney said she remembered being told he wouldn't reach the age of two or be able to walk or talk or show emotion.

Mon, Feb 17