Monday 4th March 2024 | Mane 4th Maehe 2024

Welcome back to another edition of Te Wāhi Tiaki Tātou e-pānui, e te whānau! We hope your holiday season brought you moments of celebration, relaxation, and rejuvenation and that your cups are full. 

To start off 2024, we're pleased to announce that we're carrying forward the excellent work from last year, even with the recent announcement of a pause on localities pending further legislation change from Minister of Health, Shane Reti.

We remain committed to being led by the Porirua community and prioritising a community-based approach and believe that collaboration and inclusivity are key for real progress. Our dedication to the health of Porirua remains unwavering. 

We’ve already started collaborating and catching up with various community providers to push through some of the initiatives that came out of our Reimagining Workshops from last year! 

Charged with enthusiasm and more motivation than ever, Te Wāhi Tiaki Tātou is eager to share updates from the last two months alongside exciting upcoming kaupapa as we continue our collective efforts to transform the health and well-being of the Porirua community. 

In this month’s e-pānui, you can check out what we've been up to since being back at mahi:    

• Reimagining Workshop Collaborations across three portfolios (Mental Health - Rangatahi), Diabetes, Tāngata Whaikaha) 

• Community pānui and opportunities to be more involved!   
   

Mental Health Empowerment for our Rangatahi   
On February 14th, the Porirua Women’s and Family Centre hosted a collaboration hui uniting mental health providers from the Porirua community. Led by Tania Carr, discussions revolved around creative preventative strategies to facilitate open conversations about mental health among Rangatahi in a safe environment. Proposals such as a Rangatahi-themed "Real Talk" session and a "Porirua’s Got Talent" event are some of the new initiatives to look forward to for the year ahead.

Growth in Tāngata Whaikaha Support   
Following the mental health collaboration hui, significant progress has been made in advancing support for our Tāngata Whaikaha community. On February 16th, a large group of providers gathered at the Whitireia Campus to plan our next initiative. Drawing insights from the Reimagining Workshop, efforts are underway to establish a Local Peer Support Network, recognising that our Tāngata Whaikaha whānau have shared how important support from peers who understand their experiences is to them.
 
Porirua’s Diabetes Journey: Uniting for Healthier Futures   
On Wednesday 26th February (our 3rd collaboration hui this month!) we supported WELLfed to lead a Diabetes workshop with providers who support people with diabetes in Porirua. This workshop was the first step in designing a local programme for community members who have either been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic. It will aim to bring together the strengths of our existing providers and make it easier for whānau to receive help and support on their diabetes journey.

This programme will encourage healthy lifestyle changes, as well as provide individuals and whānau with knowledge that allows them to make informed decisions about their well-being.

Keep an eye out for when these initiatives launch throughout the year! 
 
Click the button below to look at all the recommendations and outcomes across all Reimagining Workshops we held last year and watch this space for more initiatives to come to life!

Expression of Interest - Diabetes Self-Management Education Programme

Leading on from the success of our Diabetes collab hui, we thought we'd also share similar initiatives that you may be interested in being a part of!
Run by Diabetes NZ, this self-management education programme encourages anyone living with Type 2 diabetes to come along. Check out their website below for more information and get in contact!

Expression of Interest - Kaupapa Māori Takiwātanga/Autism Research

Kaupapa māori researchers from Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University are looking for up to 8 people to join their waka in researching health and education outcomes for autistic tamariki Māori. 

If you are keen to contribute to this kaupapa and are passionate about autism and takiwātanga awareness, make sure you get in contact with Jessica Tupou and Fran Kewene!

WE ARE HIRING - Join our team today!

Are you passionate about elevating the oral health of your community? If so, then our Oranga Niho Kaiāwhina role may be perfect role for you! As part of our Dental Reimagining Workshops, one of the initiatives that came out was being able to focus on implementing early intervention and prevention oral health programmes, with a focus on supporting our rangatahi, hapū māmā, tamariki Māori, Pasifika and their whānau and other communities who would like to engage with oral health services.

Get in touch with Anita on 027 1800 4161 or click the button below to find out more info on the Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira website!

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