Te Puke stalwart Colleen Pye is stepping up as Area Coordinator for Neighbourhood Support Western Bay of Plenty.

Neighbourhood Support works to make homes, streets, neighbourhoods and communities safer and more caring places. It has about 14,500 member families in the greater Tauranga area.

Colleen, a kiwifruit orchardist, has lived in the area for 18 years after 20 years in Auckland, and is well versed in what’s happening in her rural community.

As a voluntary Area Coordinator she’ll look after residents in Te Puke and Paengaroa.

She has always been in business, and is interested in entrepreneurship and new opportunities.

She’s also involved in theatre, arts and music in the area, and helping with events.

Colleen has three grown children and two grandchildren. And cats - people seem to keep giving her cats.

She also has many people coming to stay with her, including backpackers and Willing Workers on Organic Farms from overseas.

“I thoroughly enjoy meeting all these people, and developing relationships.”

That’s what she’d like to do for her community.

“I’d like to be the person who pulls everyone together to make this fantastic community even better.

"As a rural community we need to know that if we’re in trouble that someone would come and help.

When she first arrived in her area she became the Street Coordinator and about 85 per cent of the neighbours signed up as there were issues with wandering stock, dogs and rural burglaries.

Once these issues were managed with the help of local police, numbers dropped away.

She’d like to sign up more neighbours and have active Street Groups in the Te Puke area.

“I’d also like to develop a close relationship with local police so people know what’s going on in our area.”

Joining Neighbourhood Support is free. Just go to https://www.wbopns.org.nz/join-us and fill in the form