The Ōamaru business community is coming together to help women of all ages navigate times of change in their lives.

Way-Ward Women, is being organised to help women figure out “where to from here”, one of the organisers, Cara Tipping Smith, says.

“From having a kid, to kids leaving home, retiring, changing jobs, moving town, grief, loss, all those things that kind of find us in that real common place where we're going, ‘something needs to move, but I don't know where to from here’.

“So, Way-Ward Women is a weekend programme of way-finding, essentially.” 

The goal is to attract 100 women to the Waitaki district for the weekend of August 8-11, and offer them a “bunch of tools and different perspectives” by pulling in the expertise of different locals, Cara says.

Amanda Fleming, a highly experienced transformational facilitator, and career development expert Jenny Bean, possibly better known locally as Waitaki District Libraries manager, will help the women look at some “core stuff”.

“Around who you are, how you fit into the world, what your values are, what your calling is . . . And in and around that core work, we're offering a bunch of different electives,” Cara says.

“So that could be something you might never have tried before, like bouldering or crafting. It could be some very specific and niche, with topics like emotional eating, personal recovery, menopausal movement. 

“Or it could be some of the highlights of what our amazing place has to offer.”

The idea is the women will do the programme, figure some things out, and leave feeling pretty positive about Ōamaru, its surrounds, and the kinds of people who live and work here, she says.

Winter has been chosen deliberately because it’s a quieter time of year for businesses, and a starting point for planning the weekend was it should help bring people to the area.

Amanda says the great thing about Way-Ward Women is there is something for everyone, and she is excited to help make the weekend happen, as well as run some workshops.

“I support women going through those big ‘change' moments - relationships, careers, life stage transformations,” she says.

“One core workshop . . . is all about tuning into and cooperating with your 100% natural potential. It’s not about being someone you’re not - it’s about being more of who you are. 

“Women in their late 30s onwards seem to reach a point where the feeling is ‘what about me?” and this inquiry is inevitably growth promoting if you catch that impulse and nurture it.” 

Others have a growing sense of restlessness but are unsure how to deal with that feeling, and Way-Ward Women can help, she says.

Jenny says the weekend is “really exciting”.

“It’s helping give women clarity.”

Jenny has been employed in different facets of career development all of her working life, including a number of years with the Defence Force. 

She says her work is not just about what a person’s job is, it’s a holistic perspective, focusing on all areas of their lives.

“It’s paid and unpaid work and encompasses a ‘whole of life’ approach.”

Cara says the weekend is also available to women who live in the Waitaki - “all of those same shift-change points apply here as much as anywhere”.

“But we're also thinking that if we can encourage some people from Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin to experience it, and then go back and talk about it, then this could be something that keeps going.”

With more than 40 different electives, involving a number of businesses in and around Ōamaru, a special booking system has been required and will be implemented, which can work for similar events down the track, she says.

“Suddenly we're levering open, using a bit of clever tech, an opportunity for businesses to collaborate and kind of work together mutually.”

The weekend kicks off with registrations at the Brydone Hotel on the Thursday afternoon, followed by cocktails at the Opera House and a catered panel discussion in the Opera House's Inkbox.

Friday evening includes dinner and a show. 

“Then on the Saturday we're going to do a gala dinner at the Loan and Merc. So, music and dancing. 

“Dance around the handbags appeals to women of every generation,” Cara says.

“Then on the Sunday, there'll be a get together and a farewell to kind of round everything out.”

There will be a set price for the weekend, which is still being finalised, and then add-on electives, which are optional, may cost extra. Women are able to select their own individualised programme.

“If somebody buys the programme, they will have an option that they can choose at every point without having to spend another cent. But if they want to go, for example, cycling somewhere on ebikes, then there'll be an add-on charge because obviously that business needs income.” 

Everything is to be prepaid, so businesses are not affected by people booking and then not turning up.

“We really want to be really clear about this one. It is commercial and it is about making sure that all the different contributors are paid.”

The weekend will be something that will suit either a group of friends or individuals, and the group is excited about releasing more details as they become available.