A total of $85,000 has been awarded to community-led projects in the developing suburb of Oranga, which is located between Onehunga and Penrose.
This year, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board undertook a pilot project, called Oranga Decides, giving locals the opportunity to submit ideas for projects to benefit their whānau-oriented neighbourhood.
Local board chair, Maria Meredith, is excited about the pilot.
“We’ve been looking forward to this fresh approach. I believe it’s hugely effective and beneficial to give a tight-knit community ownership and be empowered to choose what they need and want,” she says.
As part of the board’s strategic partnerships programme, an initiative that sets up local organisations to help other locals, budget was set aside for collaborative funding pilots like this.
For maximum impact, other funders, like Foundation North, have partnered with the local board to prioritise the best possible outcomes for Oranga Decides.
A survey was circulated online and at key venues, where Oranga residents identified their top priorities.
These included improving safety at Fergusson Domain and supporting local tamariki under 14 years.
Activity ideas and proposals were then gathered from the community to address these two priorities.
Through two rounds of engagement, participants developed these project ideas:
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cooking classes for tamariki
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installing a pump track and picnic tables
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local programmes and activities specifically engaging with rangatahi and tamariki
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a dance therapy class.
Finally, using a participatory budgeting tool, the community ranked ideas in order of best outcomes for themselves, their whānau and the community.
Passionate community connector, Caleb Haurua, is extremely proud of his neighbourhood and is excited about projects like these bringing Oranga together.
"Our connectedness helps facilitate conversations and relationships that gain improvements for the community, like the new pump track and picnic tables,” he says.
“Oranga is full of good neighbours and is all about the people, its diversity and richness in culture. These projects make us proud of our whenua and I want to continue to weave that into our community as Oranga grows.”
The collaborative nature of this pilot has helped all six projects move towards delivery, including the pump track – expected to be installed at the end of the year, thanks to Kāinga Ora.
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