Our volunteer guides remain an important part of the Gallery. As well as guiding groups at our offsite 'Outer Spaces', earlier this year they also provided free guided tours at the Museum for the Shared Lines: Sendai/Christchurch Art Exchange exhibition.

Some highlights of the year include the Gallery's tenth birthday celebration weekend, restarting baby tours and our popular signed tour for New Zealand Sign Language Week.

Guides have assisted with children's holiday programmes, school tours and visits and a new inniative with the Alzheimers community.

This year, two guides represented the Gallery as non-member observers at the Australian Art Gallery Guides Organisation conference in Canberra, and we organised two learning and development trips to Auckland and Wellington to network with other guides, galleries and industry professionals.

I am lucky enough to lead this skilled and loyal team of individuals who work of their own free will, un-paid for the common good. Aroha ki te Takata a Rohe.

So on behalf of the Gallery and its visitors who you engage with so well, thank you!