Please note this content has now been added to the Archives.
It is available for reference purposes but otherwise neither maintained nor updated.
If you require an accessible version please contact info@sportnz.org.nz.
Food and play is a recipe for success in Southland
Food and play is a recipe for success in Southland
Jessie Beer, KiwiHarvest and Megan Dawson, Healthy Families Invercargill play systems innovator, Active Southland
A group of Southland organisations are joining forces to help isolated rural communities create a healthy balance of nutrition and play.
Invercargill food rescue agency KiwiHarvest, with support from Southland Rotary Satellite Club, applied for T奴 Manawa funding through Active Southland to include 鈥榩lay packs鈥� in the food parcels it delivers to local wh膩nau.
Between now and Christmas, KiwiHarvest will distribute sixty play packs, featuring games such as playing cards and stacking towers and a range of sporting gear, to wh膩nau in the rural communities of Ohai/Nightcaps, Tuatapere and Otautau.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never done anything quite like this but jumped at the chance to provide more manaakitanga to our wh膩nau in the wider community,鈥� says delighted KiwiHarvest branch co-ordinator Jessie Beer.
鈥淭he play packs will be going to our isolated rural communities to create a healthy balance of nutrition and play, and that, in turn, will create positive change in the community,鈥� she says.
鈥淲e hope that through the play packs, wh膩nau will be encouraged to have fun and gain better overall wellbeing.鈥�
Combining play packs with food parcels hasn鈥檛 been done before, says Jessie, and down the track there鈥檒l be an evaluation process carried out. If the initiative proves successful, KiwiHarvest intends to apply for further funding and extend its offering to other wh膩nau in the Southland region.
鈥淲e are passionate about this mahi and hope we achieve some great outcomes and put smiles on the faces of wh膩nau,鈥� says Healthy Families Invercargill play systems innovator, Megan Dawson.
鈥淲ith this pilot, we鈥檙e excited to see the impact the play packs could potentially make to wh膩nau connection, activity and gained confidence 鈥� and bring about positive change,鈥� she says.
爆料社区 Play consultant Mark Curr says, 鈥淲e know that play is vital to the wellbeing and development of our young people, but in some communities, play is under threat. We鈥檙e delighted to see innovative approaches like this being taken to create more play, where it is needed most.鈥�
鈥淲e all need play in our neighbourhoods, but sometimes it takes a little nudge to make it happen. This is a great example of community groups working together to do just that,鈥� says Mark.
