Local Four Square stores put community giving in customers’ hands

From left to right: Glenn and Sarah Wells (Owner operators of Four Square Russell), Ange Maioha (volunteer from the Russell Fire Brigade), Doreen Bailey (Principal of Russell School), Will Heta (representing Waikare).

Northland shoppers can now decide where thousands of dollars in local community funding goes each month, thanks to a new initiative being trialed at two Four Square stores.  

Kicking off this month in Russell and Coopers Beach, the trial, called Here 4 Community, turns a regular shop into the chance to back local charities and community groups.  

With each Four Square contributing between $2,000 to $2,500 every month to a local cause, customers can have a say which matters most to them.  

How it works:  

• For every $50 spent, customers receive a token to place in the display slot of one of three nominated community groups, giving them direct say in where the funding goes in their community
• At the end of each month, the group with the most tokens will receive the donation amount from their local Four Square store 
• The groups are changed each month so that a variety of community groups have the chance to receive funding 

The initiative comes at a time when many New Zealanders are feeling stretched by the cost of living but still want to give back. By making it easy to contribute without any extra spending, Here 4 Community ensures local support continues to go where it’s needed most.  

Four Square Russell owner, Glenn Wells says: “This is our way of giving back, but we put the choice of who to support in the hands of our customers. Customers don’t have to do anything extra; they can just shop as normal and choose where their token goes.” 

This week, the store’s first three community partners - Russell School, Te Kura o Waikare and the Russell Fire Brigade - came together at Four Square Russell to connect and share what the initiative means to them. 

The Here 4 Russell display has already had lots of contributions from customers in its first week.

Doreen Bailey, principal of Russell School says that the school is all about preparing their tamariki to be resilient and stay connected to the land, culture and people around them.  

“One of our key focuses at the moment is the cost of fuel. Education outside the classroom is incredibly important, especially for small schools like ours. With these funds, we’d be able to get our students to events like inter-school sports days, giving them the chance to connect with other students and communities.” 

Te Rerenga Walker, tumuaki of Te Kura o Waikare, says that they’re grateful to be included in the initiative. 

“As a small rural kura, it means a lot to know our community is behind us and supports the work we do. Any donation would make a real difference; we’re currently working towards upgrading our playground so our tamariki have better opportunities to learn and play.” 

For Ange Maioha, of Russell Fire Brigade, it’s all about supporting their young people too, “We started a hands-on cadet programme for local teens to give them an early pathway into the brigade. A lot of them have told us they joined because they want to help their community and learn these skills early.  

Community support helps us create more opportunities for the cadets. It allows us to get them out and about, take them on trips, and run more activities.” 

Alysse, a regular customer at the store says she loves being a part of the decision. “My son has just started at Russell Primary School, so when I come and do my shop here, I can pop a token in and support his adventures.”  

Four Square Coopers Beach has also selected its first three community partners, Donna Doolittle's Animal Rescue, Mangonui Volunteer Fire Brigade and Mangonui Community Patrol.  

The Here 4Community initiative forms part of Four Square’s wider commitment to backing local communities, particularly through winter when many charities face increased demand for support.  

Small actions at a local level can make a real difference, and Four Square hopes the initiative will inspire customers to continue backing the people and organisations that keep their communities going.