We've gone digital

Hello and welcome to the NPA’s new E-newsletter - that’s your cue to say ‘Hello NPA, welcome to the 21st century’.

That’s right, we’ve stepped bravely into the digital world to bring you this electronic update on our work and the healthy living movement across the top of the south.

We’ve designed it so we can deliver more timely information and to link up with internet-based resources. It will also save reams of paper and leave more money for what we do best – investing in the future health or our community.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, so let’s hope this E-newsletter becomes a powerful weapon in the fight against obesity.

Marlborough on the Move

To put it simply, Paul Tredinnick is a do-er.

And that’s why the NPA has charged him with the massive task of increasing exercise rates in Marlborough. We’ve teamed up with Paul, the Marlborough Stadium Trust chief executive officer, to deliver an exciting new cluster of programmes designed to get a wide range of Marlburians benefiting from increased physical activity and improved nutrition. The programmes that target children and a wide range of at-risk people are all based on engaging participants in naturally occurring groups like school classes.

“A strong research base indicates that ‘significant others’ play a major role in people sticking with an activity, and engaging people in their social groupings aims to significantly enhance behavioural change strategies,” Paul says.

The first of these programmes has already been a great success with the award winning Fundamental Skills programme delivered to two rural schools in March. Contact: ceo@stadium.co.nz or 021 501959

Food industry links

Don MacLellan is using his 35 years experience in the food industry to help improve the nutritional quality of food available in local supermarkets.

As a Heart Foundation food industry project manager, Don will be working closely with the NPA and manufacturers in the Nelson-Marlborough region towards purifying the composition of key foods and increasing the availability and marketing of healthier foods.

The former Goodman Fielder Fiji country manager says he hopes to spark a mini food revolution. “We’re taking preventative measures to help create a healthier population,” Don says. “If you can get manufacturers to change and improve their projects we’ll be making huge steps towards reducing the rates of obesity.”

Don brings expert inside knowledge gained from working in four countries across all sectors of the industry from dry goods and frozen foods to drink manufacturing and canneries.
“I know from the other side how the products are made and the restrictions the industry works under,” he says.

Don’s role will see him identify, develop and implement pilot projects and establish sustainable relationships with industry stakeholders. He joins the NPA team as part of the Heart Foundation-led, Food Industry Demonstration Pilot that involves partnerships with the Ministry of Health and supports the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action movement. Contact: (03) 546 3877or donm@nhf.org.nz

Breastfeeding action

The first of our two breastfeeding coordinators has come onboard to help improve initiation and duration rates. Barbara Ryan takes up the Marlborough position, which sits alongside her role as the Community Dietician based at Kimi Hauora Wairau Primary Health.

Barbara will be supporting service providers such as Plunket and the Babes in Arms breastfeeding group as they help mothers to give their babies what’s best for them. She’ll also be working with the Public Health Unit to assist workplaces with the new ‘family friendly’ requirements for facilities and breaks for mums to breastfeed on the job.

Barbara has been involved with breastfeeding for many years in her role as a Public Health dietician.

“I have a real interest in this area and a good knowledge of the local community for the networking that will be vital as we make the Nelson Marlborough District Action Plan a reality,” she says. Contact: (03) 5783561 or barbarar@marlboroughpho.org.nz

Ethnic edibles

Congratulations to the Marlborough Migrant Centre for creating ‘Healthy Ethnic Food Lunches’ - a booklet of recipes from around the globe for school lunches. Centre Co-ordinator Andreja Phillips says food is a great way to break down cultural barriers.

“Caring for our children and whanau is something we all have in common,” she says. “We encourage people to share stories, recipes and information with families and friends to enrich our lives.”

The recipes in the booklet are designed specifically for the lunchbox and use inexpensive ingredients to create tasty, nutritious and diverse meals and snacks. The NPA-funded booklet is available free from the Migrant Centre. Contact: (03) 579 2460 or mmc@marlboroughonline.co.nz.

Gardens are Growing

A harvest picnic, annual community tool drives, workshops, and mentoring schemes are all on the horizon for the new Marlborough Community Gardens. Coordinator Tina Fortune says the gardens are well on their way to having their own identity.

“At the moment I’m focussing on landscape design, signage and a logo, so we are easily recognised, and also the allocation and management of the first twelve allotments at the gardens,” Tina says.

“The Marlborough Farmers’ Market has taken on a supporting role at this stage but eventually the gardens will have an infrastructure and be self sustaining.”

The gardens, partially funded by NPA, are on land donated by Ralph Ballinger, alongside NMIT off Budge Street. As a farmer and former landowner, Tina says Ralph was a natural choice as Patron for the Community Gardens. So far, the water is connected, there is a storage container for equipment and community groups have started planting.

 

Marlborough Community Garden Team Leader, Richard Hunter and Holly Fortune (aged 2) pick tomatoes from the gardens.

For more information go to www.marlboroughcommunitygarden.blogspot.com.

Newsletter #13
May 2009

Here’s Helen

Whoever said 'Many hands make lite work' has never worked on an NPA production line.

The NPA staff and families, some as young as 8 weeks, proved false for the NPA team this month.

Despite the efforts n this issue we introduce Marlborough on the Move, which kicked off last month. It’s a revolutionary project that will engage more than 2500 people from key target groups from Marlborough with the aim of preparing them for long-term active lifestyles. The mechanics of the programme are explained later in this newsletter, but it is also important to understand the scope of the project. It represents the single largest financial contribution by the NPA to-date and signals our intention to balance the playing field of opportunities for everyone in our region.

In Nelson-Tasman we’ve had the Way2Go teams working for the past three years, breaking down social, cost, skills and age barriers that prevent people from exercising. But there is still a need on the other side of the hill. So we’ve teamed up with Marlborough Stadium Trust to deliver various programmes to people who need them most, in social groups they are comfortable in.
Stadium chief executive officer Paul Tredinnick and his team have a proven track record of achieving positive results and I am confident that they will be an asset to NPA and the community.
Increasing physical activity is our region is one of our primary objectives and Marlborough on the Move is a concerted effort to engage those who don’t exercise regularly, and give them the push-start they need to get moving.

We’d like to congratulate the schools who continue to encourage good nutritional habits despite the removal of the NAG5 clause around healthy eating in schools. They have our continued support and assistance in helping to foster healthy eating patterns in our children.

Helen Steenbergen
NPA Programme Director.


Contact us

Nutrition and Physical Activity Team

Jenni Gane/Maria Baxter
Programme Managers - Marlborough
P: (03) 520 9851
E: npa.marlborough@nmdhb.govt.nz

Richard Butler
Programme Manager - Nelson
P: (03) 546 3873
E: Richard.Butler@nmdhb.govt.nz

Luke Katu
Tu Healthy Community Co-ordinator
P: (03) 546 3872
C: 027 246 0727
E: luke.katu@nmhs.govt.nz

Helen Steenbergen
Programme Director
P: (03) 546 3875
C: 027 672 0044
E: helen.steenbergen@nmdhb.govt.nz

Lee Punt
Administration & Support
P: (03) 546 3870
E: leanne.punt@nmhs.govt.nz

Don MacLellan
Food Industry Pilot Manager
P: (03) 546 3877
C: 027 248 3442
E: don.maclellan@nmdhb.govt.nz

Adam Hicks
Communications Coordinator
P: (03) 546 3879
C: 027 246 4314
E: adam.hicks@nmdhb.govt.nz


 

 



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