West Auckland Together
Collaboration is part of West Auckland’s DNA - colloquially known as the ‘Waitākere Way’, the collaborative approach between community, council and government agencies has become the norm for organisations out West. For decades, small groups have formed collaborative networks, working together, sharing information and advocating for a stronger collective voice.
The West Auckland Together group emerged in March 2020 as a response to Covid-19 and its social effects, but is an iteration of an earlier collaborative network referred to as the Community Marketplace. West Auckland Together focuses on the emerging needs of Māori and Pasifika communities in West Auckland, and has continued to adapt and grow since then. In recent years the focus has been on identifying areas of need and addressing them through collaboration of participating community organisations and local networks.
In recent times, it has:
developed a Māori cultural capability locator tool that eight organisations are using to develop their own cultural capability.
supported the community in accessing resources dedicated to improving health and wellbeing during self-isolation, through the West Auckland Together digital hub.
worked to develop a weekly fresh food market run by locals, for locals in the heart of Henderson. Te Puna Market is an opportunity for locals to access affordable kai, connect with neighbours and support local makers and artists.
supported the development of Kai West, a collective made up of people working on community-based initiatives that focus on the local food system.
distributed copies of booklets including Easy Choice Family Kai (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring) and Homelessness, Housing and Community Resources in West Auckland
created and distributed activity-based NCEA study packs.
supported vaccination drives.
released a report on the key findings from the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Most recently, West Auckland Together surveyed 24 organisations across West Auckland to find out the severity of recent funding cuts.