Pirirakau Hauora

06/10/2026

🌿 OUR LATEST PĀNUI IS HERE! 🌿

Over the past three months, there has been plenty happening across Pirirākau Hauora — from our clinical services and rangatahi mahi, through to our Tūāpapa team and the kaupapa happening across our wider hauora.

Our latest Pānui brings together some of the mahi, kaupapa, people and moments that have filled the last few months. 💚

It’s a little look at what we’ve been up to, what we’ve been working towards, and what’s coming up next as we continue to support our whānau and our community.

So grab a cuppa, settle in and have a read. ☕📖

Nau mai, pānui mai — come and have a look at what’s been happening across Pirirākau Hauora. 🌿

Ngā mihi nui to all our kaimahi who continue to bring their mahi, whakaaro, manaaki and heart to the kaupapa. ❤️

📖 Our latest Pānui is available to read below.

04/10/2026

💙 MĀMĀ & PĒPI SPRING HĪKOI – WEEK 5 💙

Nau mai, haere mai! 🌿 Our Spring Hīkoi continues tomorrow, Tuesday 6th October, and this week we’re heading to Puketoki Reserve.

Come along for some fresh air, gentle movement and whanaungatanga as we connect with te taiao and each other. 🌱☀️

📍 Puketoki Reserve – Main Carpark
🕙 Meet at 10:15am
🚶‍♀️ Hīkoi starts at 10:30am

👶 Bring your pēpi, pram or carry pouch
💧 Bring your water bottle
☕ We’ll finish with a chance to kōrero and connect

Whether you’re joining us with pēpi, coming on your own, or simply wanting to get out, breathe and move — nau mai, haere mai! 💙

No commitment needed — come to one, a few, or come to them all!

📧 Contact Nataria: [email protected]
Or simply turn up on the day!

Hīkoi • Hauora • Hononga 🚶‍♀️🍃💙

30/09/2026

🌿 ORANGA PĒPI • ORANGA WHĀNAU 🌿

Every immunisation milestone is a step towards helping protect your pēpi, tamariki and whānau. 🤍

To celebrate these important milestones, Ngā Mataapuna Oranga are supporting participating providers with special pēpi merchandise at key immunisation milestones. 🫶🏽
👶 6 weeks — Māmā T-Shirt
🌱 5 months — Pēpi Onesie
💙 15 months — Pēpi T-Shirt

These are a way of acknowledging your whānau’s engagement with your pēpi’s health journey and celebrating each milestone along the way.
If you have questions about your pēpi’s immunisations, talk with your healthcare team — we’re here to listen, answer your questions and support you and your whānau. 💚
Strong pēpi. Strong whānau. Strong communities.

📍 Available through participating providers.

Eligibility applies.

29/09/2026

💙 BELONGING MATTERS | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 💙

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re opening our doors and inviting our hapori to pop in for a kai and kōrero.
Come down for a free sausage sizzle, meet our kaimahi and find out more about the different support services available through Pirirākau Hauora.

Whether you’re looking for support for yourself, your whānau, or simply want to know what’s available in our community — come and have a kōrero with us.

📅 12th–16th October
⏰ 11am–1pm
📍 Pirirākau Hauora, 3 Lochhead Road, Te Puna

No appointment needed. Just pop in. 💙
Nau mai, haere mai — all welcome.

27/09/2026

🌿 WEEK 4 – MĀMĀ & PĒPI HĪKOI 🌿
Tomorrow we’re heading to Carmichael Reserve, Bethlehem 💚
📍 Meeting at the Duck Park, Carmichael Reserve
⏰ Meet 10:15am | Hīkoi starts 10:30am

Bring your water bottle, pram or carry pouch for pēpi, and something small to share for morning tea afterwards 🥰
Come to one or come to all — all māmā & pēpi welcome!

Hīkoi • Hauora • Hononga 🤍

27/09/2026

✨ Meet our Home Care Support Team✨

This week we’re introducing two of the amazing wāhine behind our Home Care Support Services — Maria Hoani and Hine Kiwi.

These two bring different strengths to the team, but share the same heart for supporting our people and making sure our whānau are cared for, connected and supported.

Maria brings plenty of positivity, laughter and kōrero to her mahi across Training, Recruitment and Payroll, while Hine brings her experience, practical knowledge and people-first approach as our Home Care Coordinator.

Both are passionate about supporting whānau and our wider hapori, and we’re grateful for the mahi they do behind the scenes and alongside our people every day.

Take a moment to get to know Maria and Hine and the whakaaro that sits behind the mahi they do. 💚

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. ✨

22/09/2026

💙 33 YEARS OF PIRIRĀKAU HAUORA 💙

This year we celebrate 33 years of Pirirākau Hauora — 33 years of mahi, whānau, connection, growth and walking alongside our community. 🌿

A huge ngā mihi to all of our whānau, our community, our kaimahi, past and present, and everyone who has supported, contributed to and shared in the journey of Pirirākau Hauora.

What started as a kaupapa has continued to grow through the people who believe in it, carry it, and keep showing up for our whānau.

33 years strong, and the journey continues. 💙

He mihi nui ki a koutou katoa — thank you for being part of our story. 🫶🏽🌿

Pirirākau Hauora | 33 years of connection, whānau and hauora.

21/09/2026

Kia ora koutou,

Don’t forget to enroll and make sure your voice is counted in the 2026 General Election.

Here at Pirirākau Hauora, we have enrolment forms and envelopes available for any whānau who would like one — or a few to take home for whānau and friends.

If you’re not enrolled yet, or you know someone who isn’t, come in and grab a form. 💙

Let’s make sure our whānau have the opportunity to have their say. ✊🏽

📍 Pirirākau Hauora - GP reception.

As we near the end of te wiki o te reo Māori, we’ll leave you with this phrase you can use to remind your whānau and friends when they need to rēhita by.

Remember, you can’t enrol once voting starts, so make sure you’re enrolled and your details are up to date by midnight, 25 October.

He pārongo whai take ēnei i te reo Māori e pā ana ki te rēhita, ki te pōti, me te pōtitanga anō hoki: https://vote.nz/2026-general-election/resources/information-in-te-reo-maori

Kia kaha te reo Māori!

21/09/2026

A beautiful and well-deserved acknowledgement for our own Janice Kuka. 💙

A wahine toa, a wahine pou, and someone who has dedicated so much of her life to uplifting Māori health and the wellbeing of our whānau.

Your mahi, your advocacy and the pathways you’ve helped create have touched so many lives, here in Tauranga Moana and beyond. What a legacy you continue to build for our people and for the generations coming through.

Ka nui te mihi, e Janice. Thank you for the mahi, the heart, and the strength you continue to give.

He taonga koe ki tō tātou iwi.

Ms Janice Kuka, of Tauranga, MNZM for services to Māori health.

Ms Janice Kuka (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) has been a leading advocate for Māori healthcare. She helped establish Kaupapa Māori services at Tauranga Hospital, including Māori nursing wards and mental health services. She is Managing Director of Ngā Mataapuna Oranga, a Māori Primary Health Organisation (PHO) and Whānau Ora Hub, which provide healthcare, social services, and cultural support to approximately 30,000 people. During the COVID-19 epidemic, she co-ordinated funding for whānau and communities, and developed mobile clinics. She is a member of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, and Chair of Turuki Health Care, Te Manu Toroa, and Pirirākau Hauora. Ms Kuka has contributed to Waitangi Tribunal enquiries, representing Māori PHOs and advocating for Māori-led healthcare.

21/09/2026

✨ Meet our Clinic Team ✨

Our staff profile series continues, and this week we’re introducing Jo Kahotea, who is part of our Clinic team as Ōranga Whānau Kaimahi.

Jo brings such a gentle and nurturing presence to her mahi, with a genuine love for helping our hapori. She’s passionate about walking alongside whānau and making sure they stay connected to the care they need — including helping them get to those all-important medical appointments.

And while we’re shining a light on our Clinic Team, we also want to give a big shout-out to Dr Malcolm and Dr Patrick. 👋🏽

Together, our Clinic Team brings knowledge, care, connection and a whole lot of heart to the mahi we do with our whānau and hapori.

So this one is for Jo, Dr Malcolm, Dr Patrick and the wider Clinic Team — thank you for the mahi you put in every day to support the hauora of our people.

He aroha, he manaaki, he oranga.