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Meet Alicia, our calm and capable office superstar (and yes, she’s part of the family too! Vicky’s niece 💛). If you’ve rung the office or emailed us lately, chances are you’ve already chatted with her. Alicia keeps our courses, tutors, and admin flowing smoothly, on a "help-we-need-you" basis. All while juggling life as a busy mum and Studio Co-ordinator at Zion Studios the hip hop dance school just down the hall from us! We asked Alicia a few questions. My name is Alicia, a

Knocked out tooth, first aid Accidents happen a lot in our family. Is that because of the sex of the offspring (all boys)? Or is it more about their wild, adventurous souls? I suspect the latter. So it wasn’t entirely surprising when the youngest managed to fall onto another person’s knee while jumping on the trampoline some time ago. Although, it was a bit unexpected to see one tooth pushed up into the gum and another out of the socket. Now I'm running the first aid files i

Meet the Coastguard Volunteer Who Teaches Our First Aid Courses If you’ve ever joined one of our first aid courses in Christchurch, Hanmer or Kaikōura, you’ve probably met Yvonne. She’s another long-standing member of the CFA whānau and brings a practical, real-world approach to her teaching. She brings calm wherever she goes, matched with quick wit and genuine care for people. After 12 years on our team, Yvonne is one of our anchors - steady, kind, and deeply respected by e

Earlier this year, we had what I now call “The Great Steak Incident.” You know where this is going, right?! Mike decided to cook himself a big, fat, juicy steak. The oil was shimmering, the pan was hot, and everything was going perfectly - right up until he threw the steak into the pan like it was a discus. You can probably guess what happened next. Hot oil met bare hand, and the kitchen briefly turned into a bubbly pseudo-fireworks display. Most people would have dropped the

Gail – The Heart and Hands of CFA Writing a “Meet the Team” post is never easy when it’s about yourself - so we’ve taken the pen from Gail this time to celebrate someone who truly deserves it. Gail has been a steady presence in our CFA whānau - the longest-serving member of our team. It would be hard to imagine the place without her. If you could picture a well-worn, dependable glove, that’s Gail. Not ordinary, but everywhere, teaching, guiding, supporting - with warmth, purp

You’d think after all these years of cycling, he’d see a curb coming. But no!!! One moment he’s cruising, the next he’s performing a spectacular over-the-handlebars stunt worthy of Cirque du Soleil. He landed squarely on his kneecap. By the time he’d got himself home, his knee was the size of a grapefruit. So, like any good first aid household, we went straight for the frozen peas — basically permanent residents in our freezer. Perfect for sprains, bumps, and dinner emergenc