Month: March 2024

Wāhine came together on Sunday to eat, connect, and celebrate their experiences of Well Wāhine Week 2024. 

“The Closing Celebration is a great opportunity for participants and providers to reflect on the week that was” said Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Active Communities Advisor Sarah Pocock. 

“Well Wāhine Week is a time when women and girls, mums and daughters, carve out time to look after themselves, try new things, and maybe have a laugh as they step outside their comfort zones. The Closing Celebration applauds participants for taking time for themselves and connecting to activities in our community. It also thanks the providers. Well Wāhine Week doesn’t exist without their support of local women and girls.” 

Over the course of ten days, wāhine had the opportunity to participate in over 50 free events, ranging from waka ama, line dancing, various sports and wellness seminars. 

Workshops and activities were also held up the coast in Wharekahika, Tikitiki and Ruatoria. 

“The Closing celebration was such a great way to round out Well Wāhine Week” said Naturopathic Doctor and Women’s Health Expert Amanda Roe. 

“As Providers, it’s nice for us to meet each other and connect. It brings us together to see what more we can offer our amazing community when we combine our efforts, too. What’s also really cool is seeing former participants returning each year, trying new things, and some of them even hosting their own sessions!”  

Local businesses sponsored prizes for wāhine who had participated in events during the week. The combined prize value was over $2,000.  The sponsors were Akaia Blends, Functional Again, Louise Hansen Coaching, Aspiring Aesthetics, Women’s Native Tree Project, Petals Cafe, Tatapouri Bay, Far East Coffee, Kingpin, AM Espresso, Pharmacy53, Gisborne Boardriders Club, Lisa Murphy of Qi Gong, Gisborne Harrier Club, Kora Floral Boutique, Down to Earth Natural Health and YMCA. 

Plans to run Well Wāhine for its fifth year are in place for next year. 

On Thursday 21 March, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti officially launched its new name and brand, Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti – healthy, active, connected. 

The new identity reflects the organisation’s focus on not only sport, but active recreation, play and the wider well-being of the communities here in Te Tairāwhiti. 

“We love sport, and it will always be a critical part of what we do” said Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Chief Executive Stefan Pishief. 

“However, it is only one part of what we do. Our previous name of Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti created confusion, and could act as a barrier, with people believing we were only focussed on sport delivery. We’ve been on a significant journey of change in recent years, and we wanted our name to reflect that, and to ensure the breadth of what we do as an organisation is better understood.” 

The name Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti was born from engaging with a range of community members and from the board and staff examining the roots of who, and what their organisation was about. 

“When our board and staff got together to develop a new strategic plan it became more and more apparent that it was essential that we look at a change of name” said Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Chairperson Steve Berezowski. 

“Not only to better relate our core functions but to also assist funders to having a better idea of what we did for our community.” 

Whiti is to shine/bring light, and Ora is wellbeing/health. Together, and for Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti, they interpret the new name to mean ‘radiate the joy of living’. To extend it even further, it’s to radiate the joy of living through sport, active recreation, health and play. 

“We considered a range of naming options, but we felt Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti best encapsulated what we are about as an organisation as well as symbolising this amazing region we live in,” said Stefan Pishief. 

Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti worked with local designers, Tai and Rina Kerekere, to bring the logo to life. 

“The rebrand of Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti offers an important reflection and approach around being healthy, being active, being connected” said Tai and Rina Kerekere. 

“Branding, design, art, anything and everything creative that wraps around Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti should be fun and bring to surface warmth and positivity – activating and illuminating notions of innovation, connection and exploration!” 

This identity has been developed with the help of staff, the Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti board, whānau and communities, stakeholders, and Tai and Rina Kerekere.