The vision is a smokefree Aotearoa. We can achieve this by reducing smoking and the impact of second-hand smoke, by making smoking less visible to our children and by raising a smokefree generation.

A healthy city is one that makes it easy and natural to be healthier, more prosperous and thrive. Active transport is a key component of a living in a healthy city as well as playing a significant role in transitioning to a sustainable transport system and meeting our climate change goals.

Shaping the future of play recently kicked off with a series of Play Huddles across the Wellington region to help better understand different communities’ perceptions and experiences of play, and what helps or hinders children’s play.

After three years as our Lead Systems Innovator, Eddie Edmonds was the driving force behind our team’s commitment to improving equity and health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori.

Since the beginning, Barry Gall our Systems Strategist, has led the mahi in our systems approach to prevention, creating change across urban design, smokefree environments, the food system and local government. Barry shared some of his learnings during his time in the team.

Hayley Buchan our Healthy Families Hutt Valley Manager has been part of the Healthy Families NZ movement and the pillar of Healthy Families Hutt Valley since the beginning of the initiative in 2015.

Food 4 Thought is a family-oriented community-led group that is uniquely Upper Hutt.

Play in the Hutt is a movement kick-starting action to get our community PLAYING again. A partnership between Hutt City Council, Sport NZ and Healthy Families Hutt Valley with the aim to create strong foundations ensuring tamariki are able to be physically active throughout their life-stages, starting with play at a young age.

He Hikinga Pūngao is a video series to promote whānau-oriented, community-led physical activity kaupapa in Te Awa Kairangi.

Active travel enables people to be more active more often and we know that for those people who are more active in their daily lives, their wellbeing is enhanced and they are happier and healthier.

Transport equity is a key focus for Healthy Families Hutt Valley. Increasing access and the use of low carbon, low cost transport options, like bikes, is great for our whānau and our environment.

The journey towards a smokefree Hutt Valley is continuing to build momentum thanks to strong partnerships with Hutt Valley District Health Board and members of the local Tobacco Control Group.

Connection for Māori to all living things is central to our identity, health, and wellbeing. Living in te ao tūroa (natural world) we connect to everything living and non-living through whakapapa (layers of connection).

We have a focus on reducing the harm caused by alcohol. Where people have safer patterns of drinking behaviour, environments support low-risk drinking, harmful drinking is not visible to our children and young people and community wellbeing and safety is enhanced.

At Healthy Families Hutt Valley, we know the importance of having spaces and places that support our health and wellbeing. We’ve been working to shift the system alongside our partners and community to create a smokefree and vapefree Hutt Valley.