Turou Hawaiki: Why local government matters for prevention

Since joining Auckland Council’s Community Impact Unit in 2023, Healthy Families South Auckland has continued to champion healthier communities. In Turou Hawaiki, Head of the Community Impact Unit, Dickie Humphries, shares why Healthy Families New Zealand and local government are critical partners in creating lasting health outcomes. Click here to download the Turou Hawaiki report. […]

Māngere Food Systems project: Connecting with community

Healthy Families South Auckland, along with its Health Coalition Aotearoa partners, held its fifth community engagement with local South Auckland groups and champions in August. It was the final hui on food systems in Māngere, held at Papatūānuku Marae and facilitated by Healthy Families South Auckland and Moana Connect. Eighteen participants attended, including Manukau Ward […]

From Rugby League Clubs to Thriving Community Hubs

Leasiosiofa’asisina Rachel Enosa, CEO of The Cause Collective, and Duane Mann, CEO of Auckland Rugby League sign the MOU with their teams supporting. For Healthy Families South Auckland, supporting healthier communities is not just about creating programmes, it is about strengthening the places, relationships and systems that shape everyday life. Our ongoing partnership with Auckland […]

Turou Hawaiki – A foreword from Boyd Swinburn

Healthy Families South Auckland has released Turou Hawaiki, a report which reflects on our work and what has been learned over the years. It highlights the conditions required for prevention to succeed, the importance of trust and relationships, and the role of local systems in enabling long‑term change. We are pleased to share the foreword written by […]

Healthy Families South Auckland helps get whānau moving together

A South Auckland dance programme is helping tamariki and parents build confidence, strengthen relationships and get active together. Whānau in Motion, delivered by Express Yourself at the Manurewa Leisure Centre, was supported through Healthy Families South Auckland and brought families together for 10 weeks of free hip hop dance sessions.  The Active NZ survey shows […]

Food: Is not just nutrition. It is culture, identity, connection and belonging.

More than what we eat: During a talanoa night, our team set out to better understand how a small group of Pacific participants viewed food and the way it is shared within homes and families. What emerged was a powerful reminder that food is about much more than nourishment. Certain meals and dishes carried deep […]

Turning Kūmara into Community Wellbeing

Left to right: Dickie Humphries (Head of Community Impact at Auckland Council), Kuli Taumoefolau (Chair of New Zealand Kahoa Tauleva Trust) and Toleafoa Ray Tuala (Healthy Families South Auckland) Healthy Families South Auckland and Auckland Council recently saw the social, economic and health impact that something as simple as kūmara can have for whānau in […]

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 […]

Growing new traditions for healthier futures

In South Auckland, a group of families are beginning something new. Not just a programme, but the start of new traditions that could shape the health of generations to come. We are currently in week one of testing a co-designed prototype created by participants who are living with type 2 diabetes, are pre-diabetic, or are […]