Te Puna Ora o Mataatua has kicked off its 2021 sponsorship programme..
Chief Executive Dr Chris Tooley says Te Puna Ora o Mataatua’s role is to support health, education and wellbeing for Māori across the Mataatua rohe (region) and sponsorship was one way to help achieve their goal.
“We have $10,000 every three months for community sponsorship with a yearly budget of $40,000. Applications are considered every quarter and priorities are given to individuals, schools, marae, hāpu and community organisation who demonstrate actions that align with our values.
“Our Te Poutokomanawa o Te Puna Ora framework sets out our vision for Māori health and wellbeing as well as the organisation’s way of working, and providing sponsorships was one of the ways the organisation was able to achieve the goals outlined in strategic document.
“The framework is designed to enable Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, alongside a range of communities that it works with, to validate results or work with its own data in a more meaningful way, and thereby to improve outcomes for Māori, in particular, and all other genres. As a tool, the framework recognises and supports a whānau ora approach to healthcare and overall wellbeing.”
Sponsorships opened last week and applications for the next funding round close 31st March.
The application form can be downloaded from the organisation’s website. The senior management team will review applications following the close date and recipients will be advised of the outcome within six weeks.
Last year, Te Puna Ora o Mataatua’s sponsorship included supporting the provision of bilingual science kits to schools in the Mataatua rohe, uniforms for Tuhoe League, a barbecue for the Whakatāne Hot Rod Club and Nga Uri o Mataatua Ryderz, sunhats at Te Kura o Te Paroa and Whakatāne future leaders attendance at the Inspire 2020 conference.
Te Kura o te Paroa principal Erin Simpson said the school was grateful to Te Puna Ora o Mataatua for helping them provide sunhats for their tamariki.
“Te Kura o Te Paroa is an accredited sun smart kura. We follow the Cancer Society’s programme that is provided for New Zealand schools. Our commitment means we have developed and run a sun protection policy in terms one and four. Hat wearing during these terms is mandatory for all students. Any tamariki without hats must remain in a shaded area.
“The difficulty we had was ensuring that all tamariki had hats or hats that were suitable with the correct brim width and cover for their neck. For whānau the extra cost of a uniform hat on top of other uniform costs was a barrier. For staff monitoring hat wearing, this proved an onerous responsibility.
“So, we approached Te Puna Ora o Mataatua and applied for sponsorship to purchase a school set of hats that are approved. This meant that this year, every tamaiti at Te Kura will be safe and sun smart. With the intense sun and temperatures we are experiencing, we are happy that we are keeping our children health and teaching them good habits of the future.”
Individuals, schools, marae, hāpu and community organisations are welcomed to apply at www.tpoom.co.nz/service/sponsorship.