It has been a busy and positive year for the Waikato Wellbeing Project. We started the year with discussions with the WEL Energy Trust as part of their annual plan. Through these discussions, we were able to demonstrate the depth and breadth of support for the project and the positive outcomes achieved so far. These discussion helped to refine our 2024-25 Business Plan, which has guided our work programme and describe our ‘Theory of Change’ to funders and stakeholders. An updated 2025-26 Business Plan will be released in early 2025.
A big mihi to the core WWP project team of Joe Wilson, Quanita Ali, Amy Van Garderen and Norm Hill for their extraordinary contributions through the year. We thank our Kaitiaki Advisory Board for their ongoing guidance and support and sincerely thank the Manu Taki who have lead change in their communities and lit the pathway for us and so many others.
Thank you to our key funders and supporters, WEL Energy Trust, Waikato Regional Council, Trust Waikato and MAS Foundation.
Mere kirihimete and we look forward to working with you in 2025.
We have been undertaking a review of the deliverables and funding model options for the project. The review has been undertaken independently by Versus consulting, and a final report will be ready in February 2025, in time to inform our next Business Plan. We thank all those who generously gave their time to the reviewer.
The year has been full of amazing initiatives and partnerships, which we have shared via our newsletters, website and social media platforms. The recent completion of our first phase of research on kai and food in the Waikato, and the next steps now fully funded and committed to are significant steps forward. Partnerships with GoEco and the MAS Foundation will ensure that we can translate these insights into impact.
We have funded, supported and shared insight work in a range of other wellbeing topics and places including the wellbeing of young woman, organic waste reduction and our flagship wellbeing survey in the Hauraki rohe. Our wellbeing knowledge platform Te Ara Poutama has continued to develop and we now have a dedicated project lead for this initiative - Quanita Ali.
Lots of Little Fires continues to go from strength to strength. We have now shared 13 amazing stories from across the Waikato, plus a Year 1 summary video. These are shared on multiple platforms in addition to our website including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. The response to these has been incredible, with more than 325,000 views on YouTube alone, along with hundreds of positive comments and messages of support for the people whose stories we share.
More importantly, the act of sharing these stories with other change makers and funders is making a real difference to the people and organisations who we partner with. Our stories support proposals for funding and help others see the positive alternatives to the status quo, empowering people to make changes themselves and become part of the wellbeing collective.
Our next Lots of Little Fires story will be released later this week and will be a follow up to our earlier stories about Twenty20 Housing and He Puaawai. This story further explores the positive outcomes possible when ethical landlords work together with wellbeing agencies to provide housing alternatives for young mums.
