Improving people’s lives in Rotorua

MPs at Ka Pai Kai. Supplied photos.

Labour's Health and Wellbeing Caucus Committee are impressed with the hard work wellbeing-focused organisations are doing to improve people's lives in Rotorua.

A delegation of three Labour MPs were in Rotorua on Friday, on a mission to better understand how the Rotorua community is working to improve people's wellbeing, and how the government can best help, they will pass the lessons learned on to the Prime Minister.

The MPs met with QE Health, Te Aka Mauri, Ka Pai Kai, Te Waiareki Purea Trust, and the Manaaki Ora Trust's Te Whare Oranga Ngakau.

'These organisations are doing great things improving the wellbeing of so many children and families in Rotorua, it was heartening and insightful,” says Local Labour List MP Angie Warren-Clark.

'We talked to a variety of different Mental Health service providers today, including QE Health who are running a ‘Recharge Programme' to support people through difficult times.”

When the MPs asked the staff working on the Recharge programme about the government's Wellbeing Budget priority: taking mental health seriously and spending an extra $1.9 billion on mental health, the worker said 'I think that is excellent”.

The Labour MPs were here to pitch in and help as well as listen, Health and Wellbeing Caucus Chair Dr Liz Craig MP said ‘It was wonderful to see such healthy and nutritious meals being put together by a hardworking bunch of volunteers at Ka Pai Kai, we really enjoyed mucking in and helping make some food.'

MP Adrian Rurawhe enjoyed discussions with the Manaaki Ora trust, who provide drug and addiction services, saying 'these programmes are transforming the lives of whanau members using a totally Kaupapa Maori centred approach which reconnects people to who they are”.

The Labour MPs also had an in-depth discussion with Te Waiariki Purea trust who provide a variety of social and mental health services focused on young people with an outdoor education focus.

'Our vision for the future is one where people in distress can access the support the need; when where and how they want it - we want to make sure all New Zealanders in need can access free mental health and addition services,” says Adrian.

'There is a lot we can learn to do better in this space, around supporting our most vulnerable young people, we are just getting started, but Te Waiariki Purea are doing really positive work.”

The team also visited Te Aka Mauri: the children's health and library hub. ‘It's great how kids can have fun and enjoy this space in the library while also recieving essential health services. It seems like an excellent model that we could replicate elsewhere' said MP Angie Warren-Clark.

The MPs will report back to Jacinda Ardern's Labour caucus on their findings when they return to Wellington.

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.