Healthy Families summer update
The Papatoetoe Food Hub achieved some significant milestones in 2019 and the project is now going to a new development phase due to an injection of funds from Foundation North. We have applied for the South Auckland Community Innovation Fund and have been selected as one of the recipients among 130 projects, based on the innovative replicable model and systemic impact the Food Hub can have.
Healthy Families/TSI support has been fundamental in this journey, helping and facilitating with various stakeholders to develop and implement a strategic plan to improve and continue delivering positive outcomes for the community.
Among the recent achievements are:
The structure of The Food Hub Collective Ltd. A community-led social enterprise aiming to deliver the projects main purpose i.e. making good and affordable food accessible for the community; also creating a ‘hub’ where people can have cultural and social interactions, learn and share new concepts related to (sustainable) food systems.
Underground Hāngi (pictured above) is another addition to the Food Hub whānau. This mana whenua-owned business started as a fundraising initiative several years ago and the Papatoetoe Food Hub has provided a pathway to grow their food business. With traditional and unique hāngi creations, Underground Hāngi joins the Roots Creative Entrepreneurs, Kai Tupuna, Gia Grab&Go and other local guest chefs as part of the Collective.
A new partnership with the local New World supermarket has been structured in order to rescue surplus food, mostly fresh fruit and vegetables. The agreement will allow the Food Hub to use the ingredients in an upcycling scheme creating new dishes and giving a second life to edible food that otherwise would have become waste.
Healthy Environments Approach
Leisure Centres:
Healthy Families South Auckland have been working with Auckland Council leisure sites Alan Brewster Leisure Centre, Ōtara Pools and Leisure Centre, Te Matariki Clendon Leisure Centre and Manurewa Leisure Centre to test Healthy Environments Approach across their systems. As a project team we prioritised a consistent approach to good kai across leisure programmes i.e. OSCAR Kids Club program.
30,000 healthier meals in the OSCAR Kids Club program since September 2019
Reset budgets to ensure proper investment into good kai throughout the term(s) with the food budget increasing from 15 cents per child, per day to 75 cents per child, per day
Workshops with test sites to co-design nutritional menu that was fit for purpose i.e. not all facilities have the appropriate cooking prep space or storage space, some facilities have limited equipment (oven)
Sourcing food via Bidfood has provided benefits such as reduced invoicing, saving on staff time and administration, centralized visibility for management, allows for accurate forecasting and reporting, improvement in cost and quality control
All leisure sites providing OSCAR programs are set up for Bidfood deliveries and can access the Bidfood ordering system
The Bidfood ordering system is locked to only allow agreed menu items to be ordered
Staff capability building to deliver good kai consistently and training provided to all leisure sites regarding the Bidfood system
Healthy Families South Auckland is now working with leisure sites to scale this system change across the Kauri Kids (ECE).
Community Places:
Healthy Families South Auckland has been working with Auckland Council Place Manager and Programme Coordinators from Te Puke o Tara to demonstrate what the Healthy Environments Approach looks like and how it can be implemented.
Established relationship with food vendor Affirming Works Limited who run the Te Puke o Tara kiosk and Fresh Gallery café
Conducted environmental scans of the above food vendor establishments running out of Auckland Council community facilities
Completed interviews with café and kiosk staff, head chef and community stakeholders to capture what their already doing
Synthesised work into themes and prioritised focus area to test with Affirming Works Limited and Auckland Council Te Puke o Tara Programme Coordinator
Currently partnering with the above stakeholders to begin work on the prioritised focus area; implementation of Auckland Councils Food and Drinks guidelines across Te Puke o Tara kiosk and Fresh Gallery café.
Community Leases:
Healthy Families South Auckland have been working with Manurewa Leisure Splashes Café to demonstrate what the Healthy Environments Approach looks like within leases. Healthy Families South Auckland have engaged with Auckland Council Property Manager who manages the contracts across Auckland Council leisure facilities.
The Healthy Environments Approach recommendations have now been added to the existing agreement specific to owners of the Manurewa Leisure Splashes Café
Senior Property Manager will trial this one agreement first before rolling a process out across the network.
June 2019 a leasing agreement between Auckland Council and Affirming Works was finalised regarding Te Puke o Tara kiosk and Fresh Gallery café. This leasing agreement includes the appropriate Healthy Environment Approach requirements.
Healthy Families South Auckland are currently working with Te Puke o Tara community centre Programme Coordinators and Affirming Works to further demonstrate how the Healthy Environments Approach can be applied across Community leases.
Community Grants
Partnering with the Auckland Council Community Grants team, Healthy Families South Auckland has been supporting the implementation of the Healthy Environments Approach principles into the community grants decision-making process for the Southern local boards.
The four identified principles are:
Wai/water is the easiest choice
Good kai for all
Champion smokefree, alcohol and drug free
Encourage movement
The principles are to help increase the availability and accessibility of healthy food and drink choices, reduce smoking and alcohol intake, and increase opportunities to improve physical movement in communities.
As of December 2019, all recipients of community grants from Southern local boards are required to show their event/project meets one of the above principles.