On set with Silver Ferns

When the opportunity to be part of a Summerset campaign with Silver Ferns came up, Summerset Kenepuru resident Christine Burr jumped at the chance, with one request, that her thirteen-year-old granddaughter, Maisie Hartnett was included too.

Preparing a competition campaign requires a lot of work behind the scenes, script, storyboards, film location, props and of course, talent. A request for netball enthusiasts was sent out to three of Summerset’s Wellington villages early May and the spots were quickly filled. Within a few weeks, they were on set with painted faces, vibrant wardrobes and learning new acting skills from three Silver Ferns, Whitney Souness, Kelly Jury and Maddy Gordon.

All up, the group were on set for almost five hours. A new experience for both Christine and Maisie “It was quite different to what I imagined.” said Christine “There was so much equipment in a small space, but they were all very good and patient. And the ladies at Summerset were excellent at looking after us, making sure everything was okay and having your makeup and hair done is a bonus.”

When the cameras weren’t rolling, the Silver Ferns shared some great tips on how to be natural on camera. “It was cool that in between the filming that's how me, grandma and the others learned what to do. They were helping us on how to stand to make it look cool and fun.” said Maisie. Christine agreed, “When we arrived, we thought it was only going to be two Silver Ferns, then Maddy Gordon turned up. So, I was really blown away that they'd given up at least two hours of their time in their busy schedule. Getting to meet them was a highlight."

Maisie was delighted to share the news of working with Silver Ferns with friends, having discovered her passion for playing the game when she saw her friends signing up. “I've been playing since Year 6, so like 9 or 10 years old. It came along with school, all my friends were doing it, so I decided to join in. It was really fun, so I stuck at it.” said Maisie

Christine also found her love for netball at a similar age when the game was still called basketball. “I was put in goal shoot, so I didn't really go anywhere else. Once you were put in goal shoot, that's where you stayed” chuckled Christine. “I've also worked in admin for the Capital Shakers, that’s what The Pulse used to be called. So, I did a year in admin for netball, and I've also worked in tennis for many years in admin, and played both”

Whenever possible they attend lives games together but with Maisie living just a ten-minute walk from her grandparent’s villa at Summerset Kenepuru, watching games is a family affair. “I follow Maisie’s games, even though I can't get to her games at eight o'clock in the morning on the other side of the city. I always text to see how she's got on. And if there’s a Pulse game on and she can get up here, she'll come and watch it with me, or I'll record and save it for her.” said Christine.

Christine and her husband moved into Summerset Kenepuru to be closer to their family and make the most of retirement living. “We've been here 14 months, my husband and I. So, it's brand new and it's lovely. We're in an upstairs villa and we've got quite a big space, we're very lucky. Because when the grandkids come there’s plenty of space for them.” said Christine.

While Christine isn’t sure that many will recognise her in the competition ad with such big names in netball on screen, she’s looking forward to organising a Constellation Cup viewing in the village centre for the new village friends who share her passion for netball. “I thought what I could do is when we have the Constellation Cup, we can set up the big TV in one of the lounges and play it there and get the women to come over. And the men if they want to.” said Christine.

Watching the game they have been a part of promoting is bound to be another highlight Christine and Maisie share. But getting to watch the Constellation Cup in person, in Melbourne, is something Summerset is offering you the chance to win!

Win a Silver Ferns experience in Melbourne!

Win a trip for three people to see the Silver Ferns take on the Australian Diamonds for the Constellation Cup. With the prize including Auckland airfares, accommodation, $1,000 spending money and breakfast with the Silver Ferns you will feel like part of the team and have memories to last a lifetime.

Summerset Retirement Villages — proud partners of Netball NZ and the Silver Ferns

Enter now · summerset.co.nz/win

Competition period 4 June – 31 July 2023, see full terms and conditions