Healthy Families South Auckland getting active in community

The growth of Auckland over the past few decades has seen many urban neighbourhoods struggle to grow a healthy, active community spirit.

It is something that Healthy Families South Auckland is looking to bring back in its Play Streets pilot this year, an initiative giving new opportunities for South Auckland neighbourhoods to socialise with each other and use their public space for the benefit of tamariki and whānau.

The Community Play Streets Pilot also aims to: 

• provide play equipment to help local tamariki and rangatahi be playful and active 

• empower local communities to create opportunities for their own play and social events in the future 

• emphasise the importance of local community partners to play a leading role in community initiatives 

• engage local community placemakers, local suppliers of relevant goods and services, and local community champions to support delivery of the Pilot's play events 

Part of NZ Transport Agency’s Innovating Streets programme, the Play Streets pilot is being done in partnership with The Southern Initiative, The Cause Collective, Parks Sports & Recreation, Auckland Transport, and Healthy Families Waitakere.

Healthy Families South Auckland is bringing experience from its Healthy Environment Approach which was used to implement healthy principles (wai, kai, movement and smokefree/drug free) into Auckland Council supported events. 

Systems Innovator Ashleigh Siteine says the one key aim of Play Streets is to increase physical activity and movement for whānau, especially tamariki.

“For whānau the lack of physical activity for their children comes down to a lack of access,” says Ashleigh. “Lack of access to different play options, flexible times and the fact many parks and play options are too far away from their neighbourhood.”

“This pilot, which will take place across South and West Auckland neighbourhoods, will give us a chance to test events in certain streets and see what happens if we bring the access to them directly.”

Both Healthy Families South Auckland and Healthy Families Waitakere are involved in the initiative, making it a collective effort from all Auckland-based Healthy Families sites.

“Traditionally we work across a spectrum of different initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing of Aucklanders but it is great to have a chance to work together,” says Healthy Families South Auckland manager George Makapatama.

“By bringing all the kaupapa that Healthy Families has achieved over the years for our communities, and that from our partners, I believe we can make some impactful changes to how physical activity and play spaces are operated in Auckland.”