Community Wellbeing Forum

About this event

Community Wellbeing Forum - partnering, people and places: creating wellbeing councils

Taking a community-led approach to wellbeing requires positive and collaborative relationships, strong internal mechanisms, and a culture that supports wellbeing outcomes.

How do we create a culture to support a community-led strength-based approach? What does local government look like when we enable communities to lead?

This Forum will be centred around the concept of whanaungatanga – the importance of building relationships to create a sense of wellbeing and belonging.

You’ll hear from experts who are committed to supporting community empowerment. We’ll explore a social investment model, and how we achieve a return on investment, empowerment through deliberative democracy, and how to create the conditions for working with communities. We’ll also have some case studies on community-led practices in action.

This Forum is essential for leaders, planners, and policy-makers.

Day One – Monday 27th May 2024

9.00am Registration opens

9.50am Registration closes

10.00am Mihi whakatau - Welcome to Whanganui a Tara
Co-Facilitators - Toa Waaka, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Ātiawa, and Esther Bukholt, Director, Solstone

10.15am Kapu tī

10.45am Whakawhanaungatanga
Co-Facilitators - Toa Waaka, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Ātiawa, and Esther Bukholt, Director, Solstone

Deliberate session to build connections and set the audience up for success over the two days and beyond

12.30pm Lunch

1.10pm Inspiring Communities – Make the move; shifting how we work with communities.
Sarah Morris, Inspiring Communities

Sarah Morris from Inspiring Communities will elaborate on the report which aims to shift how we work with communities in a local government context.

With a new government keen to explore localism, we have an opportunity and a clear path forward to support our local government community to create the conditions for change. This will have a positive and lasting impact for our communities. Inspiring Communities have developed a learning series to help.

Experience a “make the move learning series taster” to get an insight into the change required and the support available.

2.30pm Kapu tī

3.00pm Taituarā good decision-making tool introduction and feedback session
Jon Gabites, Senior Advisor, Strategy and Reform, Taituarā

Help us develop the prototype tool for equitable decision making. This will be a tool for looking into the future and thinking about the critical needs for community wellbeing in changing times.

4.00pm Keynote address - return on social investment
Dr Ganesh Nana, Economist and Former Chair of the Productivity Commission, Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa

Ganesh will offer his insight into the current thinking around social investment and how best to leverage community wellbeing outcomes in times where much of the focus is on infrastructure, finances and funding.

Close 5.00pm

Day Two – Tuesday 28 May 2024

8.30am Welcome back

9.30am Introduction to return on social investment for community empowerment
Emily Mason, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Frank Capability/Frank Advice

Learn about social investment; what it is, how to apply it to your advice, and the key components and concepts to enable your organisation to take a social investment approach.

10.45am – Kapu tī

11.00am – Keynote address - Partnering for wellbeing outcomes – the essential ingredient
Helmut Modlik, Chief Executive, Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Helmut is a powerhouse of inspiring conversation, well versed in the intersection of Local Government and Mana Whenua relations. He will challenge us to think deeply about the implications of working together towards a wellbeing council. Wellbeing is a complex space to work in especially in the context of a city council with all of their legacies, structures and operating models. He will inspire us to understand the challenge and move forward through the complexity.

Helmut is an experienced director, executive and consultant with specialist skills in implementation and change management, business and economic development (including new venture identification, planning and establishment), strategic analysis and planning, public policy and finance.

He has worked closely with Local Authorities in his role as CE at Ngāti Toa and has a great understanding of effective partnering for the benefit of community wellbeing.

12.00pm Lunch

1.00pm How cost benefit analysis supported a homeless strategy (case study perspective)
Andrea Black, Principal Policy Consultant, Frank Advice

One of the tools available for implementing a social investment approach is the cost benefit analysis tool on The Treasury website. Hear about a council case study which successfully uses this tool alongside an understanding of the community and evidence to develop a homelessness strategy.

2.00pm Wellington Regional Leadership Committee - Creating a Partnership to deliver a Food System Strategy
Tessa Ackerson, Senior Public Health Advisor, Te Whatu Ora National Public Health Service
Huia Puketapu, Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust representative, Wellington Regional Leadership Committee

Hear about research and examples of how we can grow food in a way that supports a healthy environment, nourishes our communities, celebrates our diverse cultures, and strengthens our local economy.

3.00pm Kapu tī

3.30pm Koi Tū – The centre for informed futures (online presentation) / Empowering communities through deliberative democracy
Anne Bardsley, Deputy Director, Koi Tu

How stronger connections to democratic processes and decision making can enhance wellbeing.

Koi Tū have successfully delivered democratic innovations for public dialogue and decision making as a pathway to increasing trust and cohesion. They will share their insights to running successful processes and how working with communities to understand their needs can help.

5.15pm Summing up and Close