Connecting with Communities Across the Eastern Bay of Plenty

Associate Professor Jackie Robinson and Dr Stella Black

Jackie and Stella have had a busy and rewarding week travelling throughout the Eastern Bay of Plenty, meeting with a range of community groups and organisations who are helping shape our work.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to EBOP Hospice, Waiariki Whānau Mentoring, Pou Whakaaro, Ngā Pou Herenga, and the Kōwhai Kaumātua Rōpū with Te Pou Oranga o Whakatōhea for welcoming us and generously sharing their insights, experiences, and aspirations for their communities.

These conversations are an important part of our community-led co-design project, which aims to improve support for whānau caring for someone at the end of life in rural Eastern Bay of Plenty communities. By listening to the voices of local people and organisations, we are working together to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities to better support whānau during this important time.

The project seeks to strengthen community capacity, improve equity for Māori and rural whānau, and lay the foundations for a larger national programme. Ultimately, our goal is to support the development of community-created end-of-life caregiving resources that reflect the diverse needs, values, and experiences of communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ngā mihi to everyone who has contributed so far. We look forward to continuing these conversations and working together to create meaningful, sustainable support for whānau and communities.

Stella and Jackie with some of their community collaborators