Little & Loud.

13/04/2026

What do we want?

"Positive stories about healthcare initiatives that are making a difference!"

When do we want it?

"Now!"

Breaking up the bad news with the people doing really good work. Stoked to tell these stories for our long-term clients Local Health (Feilding Healthcare) with The Post and Focus on Manawatū. Check them out below.

29/03/2026

We're not meant to have favourites. But if we did, the Palmerston North Hospital Foundation would be pretty high on the list.

The first month of fundraising for the only publicly-owned surgical robot outside of Auckland has been overwhelmingly epic. With a generous $500,000 donation from a private donor, as well as more than $32,000 from local businesses and individuals; it feels like the $2.5M target is a lot closer than it was before.

Public relations, copywriting, website content, event management, grant applications, relationship management, and donor stewardship by us.
Design and website by Jemma Cheer Design Company.
Ambitious targets and relentless optimism by the Palmerston North Hospital Foundation Board.

We’re feeling the love! A huge $500,000 private donation has been made towards our surgical robot project - as well as more than $32,000 in donations from local businesses and individuals ❤️

This just shows how much people believe in this project and the impact it will have for thousands of people needing surgery each year. We want this life-saving tool here by the end of the year, because every day counts for patients. We know $2.5 million is a big goal, but given what's happened in just one month, we know it's absolutely possible.

You don’t have to give big to make a difference and anyone can get involved - check out the community fundraising kit on our website. Thank you so much to all our donors to date.

Learn more and get involved here: pnhospitalfoundation.co.nz/surgicalrobot

26/03/2026

How great is it to be nearly eight years deep and still collecting cool people?

Introducing Gemma Gibson. Gemma is based in Taranaki and has been supporting our core team as a contractor for us since late 2025. She’s now come on board as a consultant part-time and has slotted right in with her understanding of the challenges facing regional comms teams. With over 15 years on the tools, Gemma’s background is in health and local government with a brief (but fun) excursion into agency life in London.

When we asked her for a photo to go alongside this post, she gave us this beauty which confirmed what we've suspected. Alongside being very talented - Gemma is an incredibly cool human.

11/03/2026

There's proud, and then there's extra proud.

And we are absolutely the latter when it comes to how we feel about how we got on at The Worthies Conference and Awards in Wellington last week.

Shivarn was representing the volunteer team behind the Keep Māori Wards campaign in two categories, and came away with Silver in the Best Te Ao Māori Campaign.

While we didn't take out Consultancy of the Year; we did make some incredible friends. Being a finalist when you are in such good company is a pretty good award in itself (although we do have our eyes on one of these FAB trophies).

20/02/2026

One of our most special clients are back with another very special project.

Check out the update from the Palmerston North Hospital Foundation below, and the media story here: https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360951190/surgical-robot-target-hospital-foundation

(Special mention to our project lead Shivarn for also fronting not one, but two radio interviews on this today for a bit of a change of pace!).

Copy, strategy, media, fundraising, socials, PR, and website by us.
Design by Jemma Cheer Design Company.

It takes a community to make a difference. Our surgical robot project will transform surgery and cancer care for the wider region. Be part of the future of our hospital. Learn more now Ways to donate

15/02/2026

We’ve been announced as a finalist for Consultancy of the Year for The Worthies! This is a national award for marketing and communications in the public sector, so we're absolutely stoked to be in the running.

It wasn’t just our day-jobs that got a nod. Shivarn’s volunteer work (all done in her own time, as part of an army of volunteers) on the Keep Māori Wards Manawatū campaign has seen her mahi named as a finalist in not one, but two categories.

The Awards will be held at Parliament on 5 March - watch this space to see how we get on.

11/02/2026

Everyone’s favourite Scot is back in the building!

This week, our Amber returned to work as a fully fledged mum-of-two. Liam (3) has adjusted incredibly well to big-brother life, and wee Zoey is just the sweetest little bundle of a baby sister.

Coincidentally, it’s also just ticked over the five year mark since Amber took a gamble on Little & Loud. It means a heck of a lot that you keep doubling down on us Amber - we wouldn’t change it for the world!

Welcome back lassie, och aye the noo etc.

08/02/2026

Our AI Literacy workshops became a much bigger deal than we expected last year. Lizi ended up speaking to over 500 people around the country, booking private workshops from Invercargill to Dargaville, and booking workshops through to April this year. We ran five sold-out workshops in Palmy (!) and had just shy of 100% of attendees say they would recommend this workshop to others.

Because of the demand, she's only running a limited series of public workshops this year. Get in quick - all the information below.

2 March - Tauranga
3 March - Rotorua
17 March - Palmerston North

https://events.humanitix.com/host/little-and-loud

03/02/2026

Reflecting on last year, with the general elections looming, we are so ridiculously proud of our Shivarn Stewart and the whole team behind the Keep Māori Wards Manawatū campaign. Life is so busy for all of us, and if it wasn’t for people like you lot creating space like this important mahi, things like this would go in the too-hard basket.

With all of our neighbouring districts losing their Māori Ward (which, just to remind everyone, was simply allocating a space for Māori to be at the council table as mana whenua), not having this campaign would have had a very real impact.

This is a beautiful example of a grassroots campaign that showed the impact of community outreach, education, plain English and the power of people united under Te Tiriti. Completely volunteer - led, Shivarn (and all of those involved) gave their own time to ensure that we didn’t lose the bare minimum of equity in local government.

On behalf of everyone that didn’t have the spoons - thank you.

Tararua elects a new mayor, Horowhenua, Rangitīkei and Palmerston North re-elect sitting mayors, Manawatū’s new mayor Michael Ford was unopposed.

27/01/2026

In this day and age, you'd never think it would be so difficult to run a business that sells perfectly legal products to consenting adults.

Turns out, it's harder than you'd think*. Next month, Viv Conway, co-founder of women's sexual wellness company Girls Get Off, is speaking at Women and Business in Palmerston North. We're proud supporters of Women and Business, and it's probably the safest place to not-network, or network, with other like-minded women. Everyone is welcome, students, SAHM, professionals, business owners, retirees and those inbetween.

Tickets are on sale now, and we will be heading along if you want to join us.

*Yes, that is a pun.

‘Not in polite company.’ Viv Conway, co-founder of Girls Get Off.

26/01/2026

Many of our friends, whānau and clients know that it's been a rough 18 months for Lizi and her family. Amelia, her eldest daughter, became suddenly unwell with a complex neurological condition in August 2024, and it's completely changed their lives.

They've had an incredible opportunity for a disability assist dog, Sammy, to join Amelia's life via Pawsible Service Dogs and are now fundraising to bring Sammy home.

The support from the community has been epic, and with media stories in the works, fundraisers from special friends like Blacksheepdesign (check out their SpiderDog fundraiser if you are in the market for a new spider plant) - Lizi, Amelia and the whole family are seriously feeling the love.

Check out the GiveALittle below; and follow Lizi on Instagram if you'd like to follow Amelia and Sammy's journey .guest

A complex neurological condition has changed 14-year-old Amelia's world since 2024. Service dog Sammy will give her some of her life back.

21/01/2026

It's getting there!
We've been traveling around NZ a fair bit over the last six months, and it's been interesting to see how many of our regional airports are going through similar redevelopments. Palmerston North Airport feels a bit unique, because we're starting from the ground up (twice), but it's going to be so worth it to have a terminal that will be fit for the future.

Full story here:
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360930710/airports-new-terminal-building-rise