Another local example is Patu Aotearoa.
There is a commonality of support mechanisms of those participants supporting each other to achieve. The achievements are magic and inspiring.
Levi Armstrong is our local Takitimu Ora whanau ora collective champion and director of Patu. Son of a Mongrel Mob Dad, one of the originals branded the "OGs", Levi tells me his dad did not want Levi or his brother to join the Mob. He describes his Mum as strong and resilient.
Schooled at St John's College, Levi went on to complete his sport and rec degree at EIT. He was particularly taken with a paper in Maori health during his last year, which opened his eyes to a greater understanding of inequities.
He went on to work in gyms and was involved with Crossfit. He soon recognised the strength of group exercise versus personal training.
Generally Maori are drawn to and excel in high-intensity training in groups - netball, rugby and team sports.
His experience was that one-on-one personal training did not produce the same outcomes as group exercise. He relates that to gang culture and the success of his gym, which creates a sense of belonging, brotherhood, whanaungatanga. He believes that this is one way of positively promoting that sense of belonging.
Patu is a weapon - a war on obesity, a war on social issues.
Levi pays tribute to 12 "obese men" who continue to be loyal supporters and who have guided him with the creation of Patu.
Levi set himself apart from other organisations striving for social outcomes in that he developed a business model, a company, in tandem with researching social enterprise online which took him to sites and examples in the United Kingdom, which eventually led him to the Akina Foundation in New Zealand.
Akina's mission is to support those "good ideas" to become a reality and eventually to become sustainable. Whanau members pay $10 a week.
Through Akina, Patu was shortlisted and placed on a "launch pad" - a six-month accelerator programme with 11 other organisations. This gave Patu access to the Compass network, with access to accountants, lawyers and ice-breaker experts in their fields.
On completion, Patu was voted people's choice. The experience and prize of $20,000, sponsored by Contact Energy, created great exposure for Patu.
In September 2015, it featured on Sunday on TV One, and also featured on Radio NZ and Maori TV.
Successful Health Research Council funding enabled Levi to bring a research team on board to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. I am impressed: HRC funding is getting harder to get. This research, Levi tells me, is different in that the data is from the ground up.
The measures are more than just about the physical stuff such as losing weight. Feedback from participants is important, which measures the impact Patu is making on people's well-being.
The team are looking to develop an app that assists with measuring outcomes - a "meke metre".
Levi does not underestimate the mental health skills needed. Often his role with other coaches is more like a psychologist - Patu is moving away from being a gym but feels more like an urban marae.
I ask him what his challenges are, being stretched with a newborn baby and many demands.
However, Patu is on a roll. It is now in Hastings, Napier, Wairoa, Kaikohe, Hokianga and more sites are interested. Patu is branded and licences are purchased to set up in other locations.
Last weekend Patu won the innovation award at the Sport Hawke's Bay Awards.
In the next few months, Levi will be travelling to Melbourne and Hong Kong to present Patu. These achievements are magic and inspiring.
- Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.
