Rāapa, 12 Ākuhata 2026 | Wednesday, 12 August 2026

Nau mai, hoki mai ki tō tātou pānui e te whānau

International Youth Day is being celebrated around the world today

Around one in eight Porirua residents is aged 15–24. This year, International Youth Day recognises that while young people's circumstances may differ, their aspirations for opportunity, belonging and a say in their future are remarkably similar. For us, that means ensuring rangatahi are not simply part of Porirua’s future, but have a voice in shaping it.

We're making Porirua the best place to raise a whānau

For years, people across Porirua have been working together to make our city the best place to raise a whānau. Now, that collective effort has been recognised nationally.

The Social Investment Agency (SIA) has selected Porirua as one of just three communities across Aotearoa to design a new approach to community-led commissioning.

Traditionally, decisions about how services are designed and funded have largely been directed by government. This initiative provides an opportunity to explore how communities and government can work together to create social services that are shaped by local strengths, aspirations and lived experience.

Porirua has been chosen because of the strong foundations already built across our community.

The next nine months are about listening, learning and designing together. This isn't about changing services overnight. It's about asking: What would social services look like if they were designed WITH our community, not just for our community?

To answer that question, we need the voices, experiences and ideas of the people who know Porirua best.

The conversation begins at the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum on Saturday 12 September, where everyone is welcome to join us as we continue shaping this work together.

Over the coming months, there will also be a series of public meetings, community conversations and direct engagement with organisations, and local stakeholders. Every kōrero will help shape the proposal that will be developed alongside the Social Investment Agency and presented to Ministers in early 2027.

Whether you're part of a community group, a local organisation, a government agency, a business, or simply someone who cares about Porirua, your voice matters.

Join us at the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum on 12 September, or keep an eye on our Events page for future opportunities to get involved.

Upcoming events HERE

Established in 2021, the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum strengthens local connections and provides a shared space for community-led action across Porirua. It brings together leaders from iwi, community, Pacific and Migrant communities, business, education and social sectors to identify shared priorities and coordinate collective impact for our city.

Read more about the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum here.

You can register to join the forum by emailing porirua.assembly@ngatitoa.iwi.nz

Details of our next hui:

When: Saturday 12 September 2026, 1pm-4pm.
Where: Mungavin Hall, 10 Mungavin Ave, Porirua East.

A case study shared by Janie Walker, a volunteer from Titahi Bay Community Group and Allana Lloyd, a community navigator from Salvation Army Porirua

The power of a shared purpose, kōrero and whakawhanaungatanga

Kai Shifters is a simple idea powered by community connection: volunteers shift kai from where it can be spared to where it can be shared.

It began with one small kōrero.

Earlier this year, Janie Walker attended the first Porirua Kaupapa Kai hui. The purpose was to explore how people could work together to create stronger local food systems. But it was the connections made around the table that proved just as important.

For Janie, there was something powerful about being in a room with people she might not otherwise have crossed paths with, but who shared the same purpose.

“It’s special meeting people you don’t usually get a chance to meet. We all wanted the same thing, so you automatically feel comfortable sharing.”

One of those people was Allana Lloyd, a Community Navigator from Salvation Army Porirua's food bank. As the formal part of the hui wrapped up, the two got talking. Allana shared something she had been noticing: rising petrol prices were making it harder for some Titahi Bay whānau to travel to Cannons Creek to access kai support.

It was a practical problem, but their conversation opened up the possibility of a practical solution.

“Our kōrero was quite organic. Sitting around the table first opened it up for us to have a conversation after. I’d been thinking about whānau in Titahi Bay, so it was great to then be sitting at a table with Janie and the community group from the bay.”

Janie was already involved in local kai tautoko in Titahi Bay, including helping give the pātaka kai in Kura Street a makeover. The pieces began to come together: rather than whānau having to travel to where the kai was, why not help shift the kai closer to whānau?

Sharing resources and time

From that conversation, Janie and friend Ana Pallensen formalised the idea into Kai Shifters.

Two volunteers became three, and the network continues to grow through friendships, relationships and a shared desire to help. Surplus kai is collected and redistributed through the Titahi Bay pātaka, making use of food that is already available and getting it closer to the people who can use it.

For Ana, it shows what can happen when people contribute whatever they have – whether that is kai, time, transport or simply a willingness to help.

“When you’re part of a great and supportive community, you just want to be involved with it. And there’s such a big need in the kai space. It’s awesome to see people take the kai they need and also to discover a new ingredient or two.”

Whakawhanaungatanga keeps on giving

And the relationships have kept growing.

Through the same kaupapa kai group, Kai Shifters has connected with others supporting local whānau. They now shift ingredients to Bellyful Porirua whose volunteers make meals for whānau with babies and young children facing challenges. They are also shifting kai to a local Titahi Bay church providing food parcels.

It is a small example of what whakawhanaungatanga can make possible. One hui created a connection. One connection sparked a conversation. And that conversation became practical action that continues to reach further into the community.

There is no grand plan for what Kai Shifters needs to become. Its future will be shaped, much like its beginning, by relationships and where the need takes it.

“I guess we’ll either evolve or dissolve! As long as there’s a need, we will keep shifting kai, one kōrero at a time.”

A big mihi to Salvation Army and Kiwi Community Assistance (KCA). KCA supports communities by rescuing surplus food and household goods, redistributing them to frontline agencies assisting those in need.

Providers' Cuppa & Connect Wednesday, 19th August

Join us for Porirua Providers’ Cuppa and Connect, our informal monthly get together. It's a great opportunity to connect with other Porirua providers, build relationships, and share information, ideas and insights.

Together we’ll explore ways to make it easier for whānau to access the support they need without having to navigate the system alone.

Details:

When: Wednesday, 19 August 2026 | 10am - 11am
Venue: Mungavin Hall (Supper Room), Mungavin Avenue

No RSVP needed! Just drop in every third Wednesday of the month.

#kotahitanga #manaakitanga #PoriruaProviders

Building the connections that help Porirua weather any storm

Community resilience is how people and communities positively adapt and maintain their wellbeing despite the challenges they face. Whether the challenge is big or small, resilient communities are better able to withstand the impacts and recover more quickly.

When we think about community resilience, we often picture what happens during and after a crisis: emergency responses, evacuation centres, welfare checks and volunteers arriving to help. These things matter. But how well a community responds to any challenge often depends on something built long before the crisis hits.

Resilience depends on connection. Connection between individuals, whānau, communities, culture and environment is the invisible fabric that holds communities together during times of disruption, uncertainty and change.

One of the biggest challenges our communities face today is adverse weather driven by our changing climate. Over the last decade, emergency events in the Wellington region have increased by 330%, and declared states of emergency across the country have nearly quadrupled. Porirua is not immune. That's why we're focusing on building resilience to adverse weather events through better connected communities.

Building the connections that help Porirua weather any storm

"Across the community, people are checking the weather, clearing drains, tying down trampolines and keeping an eye on the stream at the end of the street.

Someone checks on Terry, the kaumātua at number 12 who lives alone. A message goes into the neighbourhood group chat asking if anyone needs help. At the local marae, people begin contacting whānau who may need extra support.

Community organisations check in with one another. Who is already responding? Where are the gaps? Who knows the whānau who could become isolated if the roads close?

Nothing extraordinary has happened yet. But something important is already taking place: people are connecting."

In early 2023, Aotearoa experienced two major weather disasters that showed just how much extreme weather is escalating, and how much community connectedness matters.

The Auckland Anniversary Weekend Floods brought 200–300mm of rain in a short period, overwhelming stormwater systems and causing extensive flooding. The event triggered numerous landslides, resulted in four deaths, displaced around 2,500 people, and left 357 homes unsafe to occupy.

Just weeks later, Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread devastation across the North Island. Eleven people lost their lives and approximately 11,000 were displaced — the largest internal displacement event in Aotearoa since 2020. Hundreds of roads and more than 100 bridges were damaged, isolating communities for extended periods. More than 225,000 homes lost power, some for over ten days, and hundreds of homes were left uninhabitable.

Reviews into both events reached the same conclusion: strong community connection and preparedness are critical to reducing impacts and supporting recovery.

Formal emergency response systems play an essential role. But communities hold knowledge, relationships and capabilities that no formal system can replace. They know their streets and their whānau, who has a generator, who owns a four-wheel drive, who can cook for a crowd, who speaks the community's languages, and who has relationships with our Rangatahi.

Those connections are built long before a crisis. When people gather, relationships form, organisations share knowledge, and communities recognise the strengths already around them. They grow when people have real opportunities to participate, lead and contribute.

Because when difficult times arrive, the strength of our response depends on the strength of the connections between us.

That's why we're building the Porirua Community Resilience Kaupapa Group.

If you have something to contribute, we invite you to join the Porirua Community Resilience Kaupapa Group here and help strengthen the connections that make our community resilient.

Lifting outcomes for those struggling the most

Systems are failing too many whānau. The People's Voice Forum is a call to confront what’s not working and start doing better.

Facilitated by Wesley Community Action, People's Voice is a unique opportunity for those working in organisations focused on lifting outcomes for people struggling the most to hear from people who are experts in navigating these systems.

You can register via this on-line form or via the QR code on the invite below.

This event is free, thanks to support by J R McKenzie Trust.

Te Awarua o Porirua Community Environment Fund

Te Awarua o Porirua Community Environment Fund is here to help community groups, schools and rōpū kaitiaki bring local environmental projects to life.

Funding is available for projects across the Te Awarua o Porirua Harbour catchment and surrounding area, from Johnsonville to Pukerua Bay and inland from Pāuatahanui.

Whether you're planting native trees, restoring streams and wetlands, protecting biodiversity, or getting your community involved in caring for the streams and harbour, we'd love to hear from you.

Key dates:

Applications open: 9am Saturday, 1 August 2026
Applications close: Sunday, 13 September 2026

Scan the QR code below or visit www.gw.govt.poriruafund to apply.

International Youth Day is being celebrated around the world today

Your feedback is important to us. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please email us at tewahitiakitatou@ngatitoa.iwi.nz