Congratulations to Sport Waitakere who were awarded a significant Ministry of Health Contract in a competive tender process . The contract is for a new governement funded programme Healthy Families NZ . Good to see some central government funding making it’s way into the West Auckland Economy and adressing some worthwhile community issues.
Reported here, Sports Waitakere successfully pitched and gained the contract for the delivery of Healthy Families, which began in September 2014 and will finish at the end of June 2018.Total contract is worth – $4,696,420.00 which equates to roughly 1.2 million per year…..It is estimated that the vast bulk of the money that will be made available will go towards staff recruitment and training and then the maintenance of this skilled workforce to deliver the programme into the community. Sport Waitakere anticipate getting 10 full time staff.
The Ministry of Health is leading the establishment of Healthy Families NZ communities in 10 locations across New Zealand, one of which is Waitakere.
The 10 Healthy Families NZ communities come from areas with higher-than-average rates of preventable chronic diseases (such as diabetes), higher-than-average rates of risk factors for these diseases (such as smoking), and/or high levels of deprivation.
The funding for Healthy Families NZ allows providers to:
- establish and build a local health promotion workforce
- support communities to find local solutions to local needs
- roll out a range of programmes that provide skills and support for families to achieve better health
- support prevention partnerships within their communities (eg, with government, non-governmental organisations, businesses and community members)
- support health promoting early childhood services, schools, workplaces and communities
- tailor health messaging to local circumstances and needs
- contribute to research and evaluation.