Pathway 2 Health – Boosting activity levels across the Eastern Bay of Plenty
Overview
Pathway 2 Health is an Eastern Bay of Plenty initiative which kicked off in 2007. The aim is far-reaching: to get people across the region more active. There’s particular emphasis on Maori, youth and families.
Essentially, Pathway 2 Health is a support service. There are three coordinators, based in Whakatane (population about 15,000), Opotiki (4000) and Kawerau (7000). Around each of these communities, the coordinators have created and supported a wealth of opportunities for activity, ranging from regular social fitness groups to annual events. They’ve also assisted sport and recreation clubs; and helped to develop ‘active-friendly’ local body policy.
Perhaps above all, the coordinators have encouraged a shift of thinking. Through their work, they’ve inspired many families and groups to embrace greater activity into their lives.
Background & partners
The initiative evolved out of ‘Active Eastern Bay’, the 2006 Eastern Bay of Plenty Physical Activity Strategy that identified gaps in the delivery of local sport and recreation. The report led to the development of a proposal for Pathway 2 Health – and when the proposal attracted $800,000 of funding for a three-year term, the initiative became a reality.
Funding came through a partnership of SPARC (Active Communities Investment), Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Ministry of Health, ACC, and Kawerau, Opotiki and Whakatane Councils. Other partners in the project are Sport Bay of Plenty, Mataatua Sports Trust, and Toi Ti Ora Public Health.
A sense of local ownership was kicked off by the Pathway 2 Health logo being created through a competition for secondary school students. The competition winner was Ruatoki teenager Te Wehi Preston, who then worked with a professional designer to refine his concept drawing and create the logo that’s used to promote the programme today.
The initiative
Pathway 2 Health supports both structured and unstructured physical activity. It sees the coordinators working with sports clubs, recreation groups and community organisations to provide opportunities for people to get active.
“Pathway 2 Health aims to achieve a balance between local and regional initiatives. It’s important to have regional ‘flagship’ initiatives that are available across the Eastern Bay and help tie everything together. But equally important are the local initiatives which are identified by the local communities,” explains Amy Fowler, Pathway 2 Health Project Coordinator.
“Our three coordinators are guided by the Pathway 2 Health objectives, but they work locally and respond to community needs, to achieve those objectives most effectively. The coordinators each come from the towns they work in. They understand their local communities,” she says.
As Amy notes, Whakatane, Opotiki and Kawerau each have quite distinct characteristics. “They have different popular sports, different outdoor environments. They each needed a person dedicated to that community.”
There have been dozens of Pathway 2 Health initiatives. Here are a few examples:
- Kawerau Aquatic Programmes. The aquatic centre was an existing free-entry community resource, however there was potential to increase usage of such a great facility. Pathway 2 Health has developed ways for this to happen, supporting training for centre staff and volunteers, to enable them to run regular classes.
- Whakatane Business House Series. This has been run a number of times since 2008. It sees 15 teams of six people come together once a week for six to 10 weeks, to take part in sports such as waka ama, basketball, squash, bowls and athletics. Pathway 2 Health coordinated local clubs to host the series – opening the door for the clubs to gain new members. “The series introduces people to the sport at a beginner level. Teams can include friends and family. There’s a real family focus. It’s a great way for people to experience physical activity in a safe and encouraging setting,” says Amy.
- Opotiki Let’s Du It duathlon. This idea started with the establishment of a walking group called Puku Busters. Each Tuesday and Thursday 15 to 30 people would set off on a three to six kilometre lunchtime walk. To add fitness focus, Let’s Du It was created, a social teams’ event with spot prizes adding to the fun. The event has been repeated several times.
- Kawerau/Opotiki walking and cycling strategies. The two local coordinators led work with their councils to develop these Active Transport strategies. Both strategies were adopted in 2009.
- Opotiki’s Mini Motu. The BayTrust Opotiki Motu Challenge is a major multisport event. The Opotiki coordinator took advantage of the big day to create the Mini Motu, a fun sprint duathlon for children. The aim was to boost family participation. That was achieved: in 2008, the Mini Motu attracted 134 children.
- Club support. The coordinators help work out the best way to provide sport development. In Kawerau for example, work is going on to revive athletics. In Opotiki, the coordinator has been instrumental in the revival of Opotiki Tennis.
Pathway 2 Health received Evaluation funding from the Ministry of Health to track progress and impacts of the programme across the region. Wellington consultancy Quigley & Watts released an interim evaluation in May 2009, with a final outcome evaluation due in April 2010.
Key benefits
The success of Pathway 2 Health in getting people to adopt a more active lifestyle is difficult to measure before the outcome evaluation is completed. In general terms, though, there is no question the initiative is making a difference. For example:
- Successful events. Whether it’s a women’s triathlon or a waka ama regatta, Pathway 2 Health events are giving local people of all ages a focal point to motivate activity – usually at the beginner level.
- Targeted programmes. Activity programmes respond to local demands. They are designed to tackle local needs, and embrace local opportunities. This has proven the right strategy, with many groups achieving a significant number of regular participants.
- Safer environments. Pathway 2 Health has helped improve local environments so they are safe for activity. An example of this is enhancement of Opotiki’s Waioeka and Otara river stop-bank walkway, which forms a scenic and accessible circuit around the town.
- Opportunities for small communities. The programme includes small and isolated communities. For example, Pathway 2 Health helped Apanui Sports Club develop a proposal to gain land; and assists the Iwi of Origin touch tournament, which brings together iwi from around the Eastern Bay.
- Healthier clubs. Pathway 2 Health aims to empower clubs with the skills they need to deliver the best opportunities for club members. The Pathway 2 Health coordinators work in partnership with the Sport BOP Sport Development team, to respond to club needs.
- Active-friendly legislation. Coordinators have ensured local policy supports physical activity, for example helping to change grazing policy on Opotiki’s stop-bank walkway, to encourage walkers.
- Active family environments. Many of the programmes foster family activity, including learn to swim classes for adults and children; and the Whanau Activator series.
Looking ahead
The funding set out to help local Eastern Bay of Plenty communities get their own programmes started – an incubator fund not ongoing investment. Right from the start, funding was for a fixed, three-year term, ending September 2010.
The challenge now is for the Pathway 2 Health governance team to identify where and how to gain funding to continue their efforts. Finance could perhaps come from an existing partner, from new sources, or from a combination of both.
One thing is clear: Pathway 2 Health has been a tremendous success for numerous Eastern Bay of Plenty communities. It has touched thousands of people and made a big impact on the lives of many. There’s enthusiasm and commitment to do everything possible to see Pathway 2 Health continue past 2010.
Contacts and links
To know more about Pathway 2 Health, email Amy Fowler at amyf@sportbop.co.nz or call 07 3484125
To know more about Sport Bay of Plenty, visit www.sportbop.co.nz
Updated | 17 Jul 2009.
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