Start from where you are

You don’t need a gym membership. You don’t need a sport. You don’t need to be ready. The only place to start is where you already are, and the letterbox is far enough. South Auckland has gyms. It has swimming pools, parks, courts and sports clubs. If you know where to look, the options are […]

Healthy Families South Auckland releases new reports with Health Coalition Aotearoa

Healthy Families South Auckland and Health Coalition Aotearoa have released two new reports highlighting key policy actions needed to improve access to affordable, nutritious food for communities across South Auckland. Titled “He kai kei aku ringa – There is food in my hands”, the foundation and community reports respond to rising levels of food poverty […]

Celebrating a decade of partnership: Healthy Families South Auckland & AUT

With the Healthy Families South Auckland and AUT partnership reaching a decade milestone in 2026, Lead Systems Innovator Julio Bin and Senior Lecturer Lisa McEwan reflect on a successful 2025 programme, why this partnership is important and what opportunities lie ahead. 2025 highlights and the Good Food Journal project As Healthy Families South Auckland (HFSA) […]

ImpactLab report highlights social value of Whenua to Whenua programme

A new report from ImpactLab provides comprehensive insights into the social impact of one of the initiatives created and implemented by the Food Hub Collective, an organisation supported by Healthy Families South Auckland. The GoodMeasure Foundations and Forecast Report focuses on the Food Hub Collective’s Whenua to Whenua experiential learning programme, a series of initiatives […]

Reflecting on a year of positive impact in the wellbeing space

As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, Auckland Council’s Healthy Families South Auckland is reflecting on a year of positive impact in the wellbeing space. Over the past 12 months, the team has been working alongside schools, whānau and community partners to strengthen the systems that support mental wellbeing for rangatahi. Such work is important as […]

Local Government: The critical connection to a healthier and happier Auckland

In the upcoming local elections, Aucklanders will decide who will sit at the decision-making table of Auckland Council and across the city’s 21 local boards for the next three years. While national politics often gets the spotlight, it’s local government that shapes many of the day-to-day realities that affect community wellbeing. From the safety of […]

Opinion: From food insecurity to food sovereignty in Aotearoa

By Julio Bin, Healthy Families South Auckland/Auckland Council. Aotearoa New Zealand produces enough kai to feed more than six times our population. We feed tens of millions overseas; however, here at home far too many people struggle to access enough food, let alone quality, culturally appropriate healthy kai. Data recently published by The Salvation Army […]

Reconnecting to kai and whenua

This kaupapa is deeply personal for Ngāti Tamaoho Charitable Trust’s CEO Matekino Marshall who sees the lack of good food in South Auckland as a problem when it comes to not only food security but the overall wellbeing of whānau in the area.

A look at the first three months of 2025 with Healthy Families South Auckland

Ray joins us as Lead Systems Innovator, bringing extensive experience in strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement, particularly in Pacific health. His recent work with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples saw him play a key role in the Government’s response and apology for the Dawn Raids, demonstrating his deep connection to the South Auckland community.