Tena koe i nga ahuatanga o te wa. Ma te tuku o te roimata ma te hupe kia rere, kia ea te ngau o mate, o aitua. Heoi ano, me waiho ko te hunga mate, ki te hunga mate, ko ta taua, ko te whai i o ratou tapuwae, ki te whakatinana i o ratou wawata, no reira, tena koe.
Whanau Ora success
I was pleased to launch the report Understanding Whanau-centred Approaches recently. This document is an analysis of the establishment phase of Whanau Ora (2011-2014) and tracks the changes it has brought about over the first four years. It shows such approaches improve the well-being of whanau, including those deemed to be "hard to reach". Reports can tell you so much, but what I really enjoy is hearing from whanau themselves how much of a difference and what an improvement they have had in their lives due to Whanau Ora. Often, the issue is not about money, it's about direction. I have heard of many whanau and individuals who have utilised the help of a Whanau Ora navigator to assist with setting out a path to establish their own business, to become self-sufficient. Those stories are proof to me that Whanau Ora is alive and well and should certainly be adopted by more government agencies as a way of practice.
GHA Centre opening
It was my absolute pleasure to open the impressive new building, known as the GHA Centre, last week. The three-story building which is situated at the lake end of Fenton St, will house Glenn Hawkins' accountancy and management firm, along with a number of other small businesses and trusts. It has been wonderful to see a Maori business that started with such humble roots develop to the extent that not only are they now their own landlord, but are providing a hub for other like-minded businesses to be based out of. I wish Glenn, Mere and their growing team all the best in their new premises.
