"We want to create a way of working as a whole community, agencies and us together, that creates hope and optimism"
Georgie Thompson, Ruapotaka Marae, Tamaki

Great Start recognised with Award

November 2009


altIn the December 2008 Network News we pictured a group of Lower Hutt school children meeting with the Hutt City Council to present their ideas and desires for a planned park in the suburb of Taita.

This unique and highly successful approach was instigated through Great Start Taita, a community force that has been successfully building better connections and outcomes for the Taita community since it began getting to know residents in 2007.


Fast forward to September 2009: The Great Start team were surprised and honoured to discover (only a few days before the Awards evening), that Great Start had been nominated in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2009. The nomination was in the Education and Child Youth Development category, for their ongoing work with families in Taita.

 


On the night, the team were "delighted and astonished" to not only win this award, but also to receive the Hutt City Supreme Award.
Karen Clifford from Banardos has led Great Start since its inception, which began with a door knocking survey to learn what the community wanted for Taita. She says the awards night was full of surprises.

 

Walter Nash Park Project


The park is now in its first stage of formation, with landscaping and planting completed - with help from not only many members of the community of all ages, but also 100 Council members who donated their time for a working bee, inspired by the children's work with the Council throughout the planning process. Playground equipment is expected to be added early 2010

"When we learned about the nomination we just were excited about the opportunity to get dressed up and to listen to all the wonderful community work that is being done in Lower Hutt. To our surprise we won... then when the Supreme Award for Hutt City was announced, we were still so excited about the first award we didn't hear the call."


While delighted with the acknowledgement, Karen is not focussed on awards. "It is important to recognise the work being done but also being humble and knowing, hey, we'd be doing this anyway. And it's not about us; it's the whole community that is making this happen."


Candy Murison, Community Development Officer for Hutt City Council was on the judging panel and explains why Great Start stood out as the Supreme winner:


"The park project was a big part of the nomination, but what came through repeatedly was the way they have brought the whole community together in this and in everything they do for families."


altThe final regional awards were held with a gala dinner on 29 October at Wellington Airport, where E-Learning Porirua Trust was named the overall winner for the region. Special attention was however given to Great Start's presentation on the night, which was delivered by two of the children involved in that first visit to the Hutt City Council. Kaisa Fa'atui and Danielle Tafili, along with Sue Rei of Great Start, told their story about the park using a ‘story sack' of props, including a model of the park crafted by Kaisa's Dad.


Great Start Taita is a community-led development initiative "held" by Barnardos NZ. It aims to increase community engagement, activity and participation amongst local residents (adults and children), volunteers, church leaders, people from non-government, local government and government agencies - people, who live, work and have an interest in the Taita / Pomare community.

Leigh Strange, with thanks to Karen and Sue at Great Start