Waitemata District Health Board

Amount of funding received

$30,000

About the programme

Waitemata DHB has been awarded a grant of $30,000 to organise and run the first ever national Pacific consumer conference. The conference is planned to be held over two days in April 2009 at the Waipuna Hotel in Auckland, for up to 120 registered participants.

Background

The conference programme will include facilitated sessions for the development of strategic implementation plans to develop an infrastructure for Pacific consumer leadership at local, regional and national levels. The conference will also allow for the formation of regional and national Pacific consumer networks.

The evaluation panel recognised the significance of this initiative and approved a further $20,000 from the Fakatu'amelie innovation fund, to be added to the Waitemata DHB contract. This extra funding will be ring-fenced and is to be used exclusively for scholarships to help consumers and service users from around the country to attend the conference.

What the evaluation panel said

Evaluation panel chair, Dr Monique Faleafa, said the panel sees this initiative as a landmark event for Pacific consumers in New Zealand. "The fact that this is the first ever event of its kind, coupled with very clear stated outcomes of establishing a national Pacific consumer network and enhancing Pacific consumer leadership, is very innovative and the evaluation panel as well as Le Va are very proud to be able to support this to happen through the awarding of this grant."

What Waitemata DHB said

Papali'i Johnny Siaosi, a consumer advocate and leader who works at Waitemata DHB, said there were tears in his eyes when he first heard they were successful. "This initiative is dedicated to and honours the many Pacific consumers who have been on this journey, but who have sadly passed on. I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr Monique Faleafa and her team at Le Va for providing the opportunity for this dream to finally come true."

Project update

WDHB was successful in its application for Le Va Fakatu'amelie innovation funds to plan, implement and host the first ever Pacific Recovery Conference in May 2009.

There have been ongoing discussions about how recovery can be promoted for Pacific peoples and how regional and national forums could be created for Pacific consumers and families to promote recovery and leadership for Pacific peoples. It is the aim of this conference to bring Pacific people together to enable the formation of these forums.

Read about the 2009 conference here.

Page last updated: 21 October 2010