'The longer I’m alive, the more I realise that the hardest jobs, the jobs I’ve needed the most skills for and taken the most energy, tend to pay the least.'

A worrywart who regularly frets about death, is responsible for two needy pets and has a deep aversion to personal admin ponders life insurance.

'Singing, dancing, making clothes – all these things are packaged as arts but they’re elements of what it means to be a person. They’re things that bring us together.'

In an ageing sector, current teachers worry there will be no one to continue their work.

'If you’re sleeping on a pile of washing or a cold hard mattress with springs poking into your back, your ability to dream and realise your potential is limited.'

Addiction, food insecurity, housing instability and poor health interlink in complex ways, and that's why Auckland City Mission takes a unique, holistic approach to care.

What would happen if we made a population-wide shift to sustainable diets?

'I have a lot of tentacles' – Dr Areta Wilkinson's many projects require hi-vis, grassroots and going deep into the past.

A brand new community exclusively for renters aims to usher in a new, better renting experience in our nation’s biggest city. 

I made many checklists and Pinterest boards in the lead-up to my Japan trip. None of these things were on them.

Three community groups in Tāmaki Makaurau are creating positive change and with the help of Auckland Council’s Local Board grants.