Patu Aotearoa has been voted the $20,000 winner of Contact Energy's People Choice award. Photo / Ted Baghurst.
Patu Aotearoa has been voted the $20,000 winner of Contact Energy's People Choice award. Photo / Ted Baghurst.
Patu Aotearoa, a group exercise programme franchise for Maori and Pasifika, has won the Contact People's Choice award after 5500 people cast their votes online over the month-long voting period.
Following nearly six months of intense start up training and fierce competition, one lucky team of 11 social enterprises nurtured by the Contact Launchpad, the Akina Foundation's social enterprise accelerator programme, has emerged victorious with a grand prize of $20,000 from Contact Energy and a winning idea "fit" for social change.
The winning social enterprise, Patu Aotearoa, is led by Levi Armstrong, Jackson Waerea, and Kia Diamond, a trio passionate about bringing fitness and wellbeing to communities that struggle with obesity and other health-related issues.
The $20,000 grand prize from Contact Energy, will be used to purchase equipment for new program sites.
"Personally this will be a massive injection into the operations of our organisation as we have been operating on a very small budget," says Armstrong. "It will help us create more impact at a nationwide scale."
The program applies Maori concepts, using Te Reo Maori and cultural traditions or tikanga to motivate Maori and Pasifika to adopt a more active lifestyle in a group setting.
"Patu Aotearoa is a whanau-based gym that delivers group exercise sessions in a fun environment," Armstrong told Element earlier this year. "We aim to reduce health and social issues and inspire healthy, active lifestyles within communities, marae, workplaces and schools."
While Patu Aotearoa currently operates out of Hastings, the team hopes to expand the franchise nationwide and open regional satellite gyms. In addition, they aim to one day provide a selection of NZQA accredited courses in health and fitness to create employment opportunities in Maori and Pasifika communities.
"We want to transform Patu into a nationwide, franchiseable fitness model, so that irrespective of location, we can provide the tools and support to whanau who are willing to make positive changes in their lives."
And with an extra 20 grand in its pocket to further its fitness endeavours, the future looks bright for Patu Aotearoa.
The podium
1st
Patu Aotearoa
(1435 votes)
2nd
The Wellbeing Game
(838 votes) - a social media game helping Kiwis share how they stay happy and healthy.
3rd
ARCO
(789 votes) - creating employment in Kaikohe through the production of beautiful wooden furniture.
The Last Word
Nicholas Robinson, general manager - corporate affairs, Contact Energy
It's been a blast, but it's almost over! What better way to celebrate the end of the very first Contact Launchpad social enterprise accelerator run by the Akina Foundation than by announcing the winner of our $20,000 People's Choice prize, who is none other than... Patu Aotearoa!
Based in the Hawkes Bay, Patu Aotearoa are all about inspiring healthy lifestyles and whanau wellbeing. They have been operating a gym in Hastings and are now looking to roll out a model of group exercise designed specifically for Maori and Pasifika families nationwide.
We congratulate them for the win, and know that the $20,000 prize will go a long way towards supporting them to grow their social enterprise, and their impact on our communities.
The Contact People's Choice Award is the grand prize from Contact for the winning team in the Akina Foundation's Launchpad programme, but is most special because the winner was chosen by you. We received thousands of votes, which is not only a win for Patu Aotearoa, but a win for social enterprise in New Zealand.
We've been delighted with the Launchpad and the impact it has had on the development of each and every team. While there was only one People's Choice winner, we know that all teams have huge successes in front of them. The progress that they've made in the last six months is nothing short of brilliant, and all of us at Contact are extremely proud of what they've achieved.
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