It’s starting to feel like summer is around the corner, daylight saving is here, and the mood is positive. Hand-in-hand with that positivity is another excellent FREE issue of Channel Mag for the North Shore. 100-plus pages of full-on spring positivity!

 As a business, we have supported Sarah Dann-Hoare’s Project Employ initiative from day one. Christine Young has done a feature on Project Employ's brand-new Flourish Café in Anzac Street, which is opening in early October (moving from Como Street). This has come to fruition due to the generosity of Brendon Thomas and his family’s charitable entity, ‘Made with Aroha Foundation’. This is a heartwarming story that is a win-win for all concerned. I urge readers to support the new Flourish Café that provides training for disabled people.
It’s Taste of Takapuna month, and we include lots of encouragement in this issue for you to dine near the beach in Takapuna. Yum! Hand in hand with this is a profile on Jess Granada of Nanam, the popular Takapuna eatery that has been awarded a ‘Hat’ by Cuisine Magazine.
We have an interesting Q&A this month with seven local school principals about their favourite travel destinations. I got some inspiration for future trips from reading the answers provided by Kim, Greg, Nixon, CJ, Jane, Rakesh and David.
It was a thrill during September to see Takapuna resident John Berry inducted into the North Harbour Business Hall of Fame, becoming the 45th laureate. I have known John for many years, invested funds with his Pathfinder entity, and have been well aware of his contribution to business and community. We celebrate John on the back of his induction in the issue.
Paula Arblaster has interviewed Lin Carmichael, North Shore’s champion of the golden era of ocean racing. When we started Channel Mag over 16 years ago, a big driver was to highlight interesting ‘Shore people’, and this feature is a great example.
Finally, as you may have learnt in previous issues, I am now living with Parkinson’s disease. It’s been a tough diagnosis that has obviously changed my life. I’m getting to grips with it and am grateful for the support I have received. As I have done my entire life, I’m not sitting still – I am leaning into things that will make a difference. I am getting behind the Cure Parkinson’s NZ 'Climb for a Cure' fundraising initiative coming up in early 2027. I’d love you to join me. Full details are in this issue.
 
Have a great October!

Aidan Bennett, QSM
Publisher, Channel Magazine
Founder and Managing Director, Benefitz
aidan@benefitz.co.nz