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Updated WWP Logo

We’re thrilled to share our updated logo!As we have travelled from the original concept for the WWP to the programme we have today (see business plan update) it has become clearer that at its heart, the Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP) is a research, knowledge and storytelling project focused on environmental and social equity in the Waikato. We have updated our logo to make it clear these are our major contributions to wellbeing in the Waikato, which aligns fully with our purpose statemen...

Long Term Plans - Regional and District Submissions

It’s Long-Term Plan season!Think ‘festive season’, but more logos than baubles and more strategy documents than greeting cards. What Long-Term Plan season has given us this year, however, is an opportunity to come to the table with a bunch of our community capacity-building whānau around the region to raise our collective voice. Think carol singing, but with more verses.The WWP are proud to have worked collaboratively with Community Waikato, Creative Waikato, Go Eco, Seed Waikato, and HMS...

My Long Term Plan includes food

By Dr Amber HammillLocal councils might not seem like the most obvious actors in the food system, but both city and district councils can have substantial impacts on local food environments. Councils, after all, have influence over where food is grown and produced, how and where it can be prepared and sold, what happens to food waste, as well as the food councils are responsible for buying and selling themselves.Right now, councils around the region are consulting on their long term plans.A...

Hauraki Opportunity: Research Project Underway

We want to hear from you if you live, work, or play in Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki or Matamata-Piako, from Mount Moehau to Mount Te Aroha, across the Hauraki Plains, and up to the Wharekawa Coast.We want to know what you think we should ask everyone about.Click on the link to take the 2-minute survey now, and share your whakaaro—your thoughts—to be in the loop when the survey comes out later this year....

Submission of the Waikato Wellbeing Project to the WEL Energy Trust 2024/25 Annual Plan

Ma te whakaatu, ka mohio         By discussion, comes understandingMa te mohio, ka marama           By understanding, comes lightMa te marama, ka matau           By light, comes wisdomMa te matau, ka ora                  By wisdom, comes wellbeing 1. IntroductionThis su...

Hamiilton City Council Waste Minimisation Strategy Submission

The annual $50,000 fund is for waste minimisation projects that involve or benefit the Hamilton community, and lead to long-term waste reduction and behaviour change – in line with the vision of Hamilton City Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Strategy.Our Submission: In addition to national and waste reduction targets and as part of its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ), the Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP- Waikato Wellbeing Project | Waikato Wel...

WEL Energy Trust Funding Update

Since its inception, the Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP) has been honoured to be supported by a broad range of people and organisations, both financially and in-kind. Amongst these, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) and WEL Energy Trust developed the original concept for the project, and the WEL Energy Trust is our most significant financial supporter. This relationship is captured in a Partnership and Funding Agreement covering the first 5 years of the project. The agreement was signed by the ...

Hunger and Poverty (SDGs 1,2)

An update by Dr Amber Hammill, Kai Challenge ActivatorOver the past few months we have been working alongside Community Waikato, GoEco, Creative Waikato and Trust Waikato to put together a community event, ‘Thriving Tomorrow: Navigating Resilience’. This event arose in response to reflections on a(nother) year of climate-related disruption, and the impacts of these events on communities. As we said in the event invitation, in reflecting on these events, “we are reminded of the power that e...

Looking After and Restoring our Awa (SDG 6)

The WWP has been proud to support two amazing initiatives which are working to clean up and restore the Waikato River, especially between Ngaruawahia and Kemureti | Cambridge. Both Deep Dive Division and the Waikato Kaitiaki River Sweepers are bringing together the community to restore the mauri of the mighty Waikato River which is at the heart of our region. Their complementary skills mean that we can fully support the shared vision of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato which is:“where a hea...

Lots of Little Fires

An update by Lead Social Innovator, Joe Wilson...

Te Ara Poutama- Hauraki Opportunity

We have now partnered with Huber Social, Te Tara o te Whai (the Hauraki Primary Health Organisation (PHO)), TCDC, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako District Councils to deliver in co-construction with the people of Hauraki a repeatable Wellbeing Measurement and Management System that measures what matters to them, so that their needs, aspirations, and priorities can be further understood and evidenced, and so that important choices regarding the present and future wellbeing of the region can be made wi...

Celebrating collaboration and empowering young parents through housing security

In July 2023, the Waikato Wellbeing Project joined forces with Twenty20 Housing to produce a compelling story as part of the ‘Lots of Little Fires’ series.This collaboration brought to light the essential role of exceptionally run transitional housing providers, like Twenty20 Housing, in supporting adults and rangatahi (young people) experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness.Angie Simpson, director of Twenty20 Sustainable Housing, saw a previous ‘Lots of Little Fires’ story shared...

Kōrero Waikato: Event Manager/Coordinator

Call for Expressions of InterestKōrero Waikato: Event Manager/CoordinatorAre you an awesome event and project manager with a passion for wellbeing in the Waikato, and the skills and energy to lead a programme of regional leadership conversations?The Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP) is a regional initiative to achieve a more environmentally sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive Waikato region. As part of our portfolio of activities, in 2024 we are launching Kōrero Waikato.Kōrero: Waikato is ab...

Impact Lab and the Kai Challenge

While we might associate our university days with tight budgets, in 2022 The People’s Inquiry into Wellbeing (2022) found things had gone beyond ‘tight’.According to their research, over the preceding year, 22% of students were “unable to afford food weekly or daily, rising to 32% fortnightly”.This year, the Kai Challenge worked with students in the University of Waikato’s Impact Lab to understand more about the experiences of food and food insecurity among students on campus....

Waikato Wellbeing Project- 2023 Summary

Harvey Brookes, Executive DirectorThe WWP has continued to evolve and develop, and 2023 has been no exception. As we approach the end of the year, it’s worth pausing to reflect on the scale of our wellbeing challenge and the progress made. I also want to acknowledge the people and partner organisations who continue to contribute massively to and support the Waikato Wellbeing Project and its vision that our Mokopuna are Thriving.At a Kaitiaki Advisory Board Workshop in October, community develo...

SDG Summit

Co-hosted by the WWP, University of Waikato, Waikato Tainui and Te Pukenga, the Fourth SDG Summit in February (Home / | Aotearoa New Zealand SDG Summits) was focused on Implementing the SDGs in Aotearoa.Held at the Gallagher Performing Arts centre, we hosted several hundred people from across Aotearoa and explored a wide range of sustainability and wellbeing related topics, with fantastic speakers and workshops. Field trips on the second day visited Whaingaroa | Raglan and the Ruakura Superhub a...

Rangatahi Wellbeing (SDGs 4,8,10)

An update by Lead Social Innovator, Joe WilsonSince our work in 2021-22 on Rangatahi Opportunity and Case for Change, I have worked with the ‘Stronger Together’ Business Collective and the Kirikiriroa Youth Sector Services to build a united relationship between the business and youth service sectors. The bringing together of both sectors was carefully documented (Rangatahi | Youth Waikato | Waikato Wellbeing Project). This video story captures the whakawhanaungatanga as it happened and the s...

Youth Homelessness/Housing (SDGs 4,8,10 and 11)

In 2023, Joe has connected and facilitated a hui and process between 20/20 Sustainable Housing and He Puaawai Teen Parent Unit. Gill Cotter (Lead at He Puaawai) and Angie Simpson (Director of 20/20 Sustainable Housing) were introduced in September where they shared their mahi, experiences with youth housing and what opportunities may lie ahead.As a result of this first hui, we have since had three more and very quickly it has been identified that at least eight of the teen parents are living in ...

Hunger and Poverty (SDGs 1,2)

An update by Dr Amber Hammill, Kai Challenge ActivatorThe WWP identified SDGs 1 and 2 as major priorities at the commencement of our implementation phase in 2021. Across 2023 we have engaged with stakeholders and leaders in the Waikato kai system, engaged a Kai Challenge Activator and have commenced a process to:·       Develop a picture of the systems currently in use around the region to support our conversations about the future.·     &...

Other SDGs

Across other SDGs, we have worked with our Manu Taki and community stakeholders to identify and take opportunities to accelerate wellbeing.SDG 5 (Gender Equality) we have welcomed Riikka Anderson from YWCA Waikato as Manu Taki for this SDG. An initial SDG 5 scorecard for the Waikato has been developed and published on Te Ara Poutama. In October we supported Rainbow Hub Waikato and Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence to launch a report on the wellbeing for Takatāpui and Rainbow elders in...

Te Ara Poutama

2023 has seen further development of Te Ara Poutama- moving from concept to development. We were delighted in May 2023 to have Trust Waikato come on board as a key funder and supporter for Te Ara Poutama, along with continued support from Waikato Regional Council.  With our partners we launched the Te Ara Poutama Wellbeing Dashboard, showing progress at a number of scales (Global, New Zealand, Waikato, SDGs, districts) and through several lenses (frameworks, data and update reports).As well...

Introducing Tui

We have just launched Tui, our AI search facility for Te Ara Poutama. Powered by Chat GPT, Tui is a learning AI application which can search Te Ara Poutama and the internet to answer your wellbeing knowledge questions. You can find Tui on our website: Te Ara Poutama Waikato | Waikato Wellbeing Project...

Hauraki Wellbeing Assessment

In early 2023, along with key Waikato wellbeing agencies, we were invited by the Mayor and Council of Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) to visit their district and discuss support in the aftermath of cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. At that meting the role of wellbeing knowledge was discussed at length and it was agreed that the WWP could support TCDC and other wellbeing agencies in the area, to better understand what wellbeing means for people in the Hauraki rohe and how that night change o...

Lots of Little Fires

An update by Lead Social Innovator, Joe Wilson...

Waha: Using our Voice to Advocate for Positive Change

Across 2023 we have used our voices- individually and collectively in many ways to advance the Waikato Wellbeing project kaupapa. As part of the choir of Waikato change-makers, we’ve also humbly lent our voices to support the other awesome people making a difference as well.As well as what’s been mentioned already, some of the other ways we’ve supported positive change include:·       Making submissions to the government on key inquiries and change proposals ...