Tess Trotter is manager of the Valley Project. The group operates in the wider North East Valley and its work involves ventures including endorsing livable homes, providing food boxes for families in need and overseeing community gardens.
What is one strong childhood memory?
Many of my strongest childhood memories are of my dog, a border collie called Tammy. We would often dress up as pirates (yes, both of us!) and gallivant around our small farm in Sawyers Bay. One particularly strong memory is of a birthday party where we had real buried treasure in a paddock and real pirates who threw flour bombs at all the children from the rafters of the barn.
What is your message?
My message is all about kindness. My catch phrase is "You catch more flies with honey", meaning that I am a genuine believer in approaching any given situation with warmth and kindness first. We never know where another person is coming from entirely, or what kind of day, week or month they have had. By approaching with kindness and compassion, we're more likely to find out, and more likely to have a positive outcome.
If you were going to an island and could take only three things, what would they be and why?
I'd take my daughter Marion, snacks and my phone. My daughter because she keeps me endlessly positive and amused as she has the best sense of humour. Snacks because she wouldn't stay positive for too long without them, and my phone because I am addicted to it!
What's something only your family knows about you?
Not much! I'm very open and consider a rather wide group of people my whanau - I'm not so good at keeping things to myself!
You are a new addition to the crayon box. What colour are you, and why?
I'm the colour of yellow autumn leaves, because it is my favourite colour - and it's on trend this season.
