PĀNUI
NEWS
WAITANGI WHĀNAU DAY 2025
(Community Connection & Engagement)
01 / 02 / 2024
Our first Waitangi Day Whānau day was a huge success. The sun was shining, 300 hāngi, music, games and much more.
Community Comes Together for Our first Waitangi Whānau Day!
It was great to see the sun shining and so many whaiora and community come out for Saturday’s event. 🌞
We were able to giveaway 300 Hāngī, which is no mean feat, so a big mihi to Friday’s prep crew especially Kaytrina and friends who knocked out a huge amount of delicious fry bread, the team on Saturday who handed out the hāngī and finally to Tane, Dave, Gary, Ricardo, and Willie, who braved the wee small hours to put the hāngī down, we appreciate you. 🙏🏼
Our survey kaimahi were kept busy, with a staggering 212 surveys completed. Of the community that filled out the survey it’s interesting to note that 121 have engaged with our services and for 97 it was the first time they had attended one of our events, this shows that these events are growing and capturing a different mix of community each time!
“My Grandad was in the 28th Māori battalion so that means a lot to me, and it’s our independence day.”
“Reflecting on the past and what else needs to be done. Celebrating survival.”
“Respect of Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Whānau, time together, time to remember and revitalise who/what NZ can be.”
“Connect with Whānau. Remembering my ancestors. Acknowledging the signing of the treaty.”
“A Day of Remembrance, A National Day where I believe all New Zealanders should come together and celebrate being Kiwis, while also remembering that the Treaty of Waitangi should be honoured.”
These events would not happen without the support of our event partners so a huge mihi to Joseph and Hazel from the Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa registrations, Mihi from ARA, George our amazing MC, and Wendy, Ebony and Gemma from CCC Libraries. This event we had a couple of new suppliers that also had great engagement, thanks to Denver and Isaac for bringing the MPI trailer down and to Jordan and Kati from Whai Rawa – Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, we would love to have you all back at our next event!
It was also great to have the community entertained by Te Huaki as they lined up for hāngī, a huge mihi to Whaea Tihi for making this happen. It was also a privilege to have Mananui Ramsden open the event and speak to the hapori, we have tentatively booked him in again for the Matariki Event in June. 😊
Thanks again to Tiana and the Rongoā team, Kandance , Lisa, Tay and Te Ao. They were very busy on Saturday and as this becomes a feature of these events, I am sure word will spread. A huge mihi also to Te Ao, who closed off the event.
Put our next Whānau Day in your calendars, Saturday 12th April.
