Forum seeking to provide community connections

Helen Cradock is one of many practitioners giving her time to help people find connections to improve their wellbeing. Photo / Leanne Warr

Helen Cradock believes that people need to start taking ownership of their own health, and wants to help point the way.

The last three years had been challenging for all, and along with many other like-minded people, she wanted to do something which would bring the community together, which led to the idea to hold a health and resilience forum.

Cradock said it stemmed from the community unity hui held in April.

"We got together and we thought what better way than to make a positive stamp on this."

She said the forum would concentrate on health.

"Health is such a massive umbrella. So many things can come under that umbrella for health and we know the one-size-fits-all methodology is not working."

The forum would bring together various practitioners as well as community organisations to give people options on how to build some resilience, without being hampered by such things as red tape.

Cradock said those groups would include gardening, sustainable living, budget advisors and spiritual advisors, all there to help provide some guidance.

"A lot of people that wouldn't normally need to seek those groups out are now in that position and possibly don't even know where to look for those people."

She said there were also people who wanted to explore different options involving their health but had no idea what was available.

It was also good for practitioners to help build their networks so that if someone came to them with a problem they didn't deal with, they were able to suggest someone.

Cradock said there had been so much division and unpleasantness in the past few months and the forum would help to bring that unity and connection to the community.

She said it would also make people aware that there were groups in the community that cared and were there to help them learn to get back on their feet, rather like the philosophy about teaching a man to fish.

Cradock, who began practicing as a naturopath in 2010, once organised a similar expo in Foxton, which included talks from practitioners and stalls, and thought it could work here.

She felt the time was right for the community to look into solutions rather than keep using systems that were no longer working.

Everyone taking part in the forum all had something different to bring to the table.

"Everybody has something valuable to offer. Even if they think they don't, they do," Cradock said. "Here's a space where you can connect with all these different people."

Cradock said Tararua was a big area.

"With all these people working together, how amazing could that be for our area?"

The forum will be held at The Hub in Dannevirke on June 18 from 10am to 3pm.