The power of partnership creating play opportunities in Tairāwhiti
Healthy Families East Cape recognises that in order to shift the conditions for systems change, a whole of community approach is required. Acknowledging what it takes to create this change, Healthy Families East Cape and Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti co-funded a Regional Play Systems Lead role.
Sitting within the Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti team, this position focuses on developing play initiatives across the region which champion long-term, sustainable change to improve health and wellbeing for the people of Te Tairāwhiti. One of the key initiatives implemented under the ‘playful partnership’ approach, was the Neighbourhood Play System. Developed by Sport New Zealand, the Neighbourhood Play System provides a blueprint for urban play design, placing tamariki at the centre of the process.
Using the blueprint, the Regional Play Systems Lead, developed a prototype alongside tamariki of Cobham School, Elgin. The initiative began with a comprehensive assessment of the neighbourhood and surrounding areas, evaluating the barriers and opportunities to create playful neighbourhoods through the hearts and minds of the tamariki.
Taking the blueprint a step further, the initiative embeds Te Ao Māori and actively reflects the people who live, learn, work and play in the Elgin community.
This tamariki-led initiative recognises and elevates young people’s voices in the design of places and spaces to encourage physical activity through play. The initiative showed tamariki their role as valued contributors to society, giving them the space to participate, assume agency and take responsibility for factors that affect their daily lives.
The creation of the Regional Play Systems Lead is an example of what can be achieved when you work together, towards achieving collective impact. This approach recognises that strong leadership is needed at all levels and creates the space for communities to drive action while acknowledging and valuing the role community plays in determining what they need to thrive.
Creating an equitable Tairāwhiti Play System will require strong local governance, local play champions from the Elgin community and a continuation of the inspiring community-led, co-design approach with the tamariki of Cobham School.
“The opportunity to partner with another community group that has shared outcomes and values as us has been really valuable to get thinking and brains from across both of our organisations into the play mahi and have a joint voice in advocating for play in other sectors” - Kylie Turuwhenua-Tapsell, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti General Manager.