English Language Partners Bay of Plenty recently marked its Pearl Anniversary – 30 years of supporting the community in Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty region. 56 guests joined Centre Manager Philippa Cairns and the team to celebrate.

Among the crowd were volunteers, teachers, supporters, and representatives from local community groups. The evening was full of warmth and humour.

“Tonight is like your lesson plans, all done with a great deal of thought but likely not to run as you expected!” Philippa joked, before thanking the office team and volunteers for making the event sparkle.

Three decades of impact

Over three decades, the Bay of Plenty Centre has supported 14,500 learners in their English language and settlement journeys and trained 700 volunteers. Philippa described the service as a “pearl” - built slowly, layer by layer, through dedication, patience and heart.

“Each volunteer, each teacher, each learner, and yes – each office staff member – is a pearl in our necklace of community, and tonight that necklace is truly shining."

“I want to thank our incredible volunteers who give their time, energy, and warmth, our paid teachers who bring professionalism and passion, our learners whose courage and determination inspire us daily, our supporters who keep this service strong, and our office team who keep the whole show running,” said Philippa.

From humble beginnings to growth

The Centre’s story began in the 1990s alongside Adult Reading and Learning (ARLA), operating from a tiny office in the Bongard Centre Polytech with no funding. Philippa recalls fundraising for her own salary and teachers volunteering their time.

The mid-90s brought a wave of migrants from Taiwan, sparking demand for English language support. In 1996, the Centre partnered with ESOL Home Tutors and secured government funding – a turning point that enabled growth.

Over the years, the Centre moved from cramped offices to its current home in Greerton, expanding classes and innovating to meet community needs.

Resilience through COVID

Every pearl needs some grit to form, and for ELP Bay of Plenty, the COVID-19 pandemic provided plenty of grit.

“None of us can forget those early lockdown days when no one knew what was happening and how we could continue running classes and helping learners,” said Philippa.

Within days of lockdown, classes moved online in what Philippa calls “the mother of all pivots.” Living rooms became classrooms, pets became teaching assistants, and teachers and volunteers mastered Zoom.

Out of that grit came gold: today, the Centre offers many online classes, reaching more learners than ever before.