Thank you to all Centres that have already signed the Branch Agreement. We know that Centres across the motu are currently working through this process and will soon be completing the necessary steps to adopt the legal status of a branch of Playcentre Aotearoa under the Trust Deed. Thank you for your continued focus and dedication as we take these important steps together toward a strong and sustainable future.
The Trust Deed, together with the accompanying Rules, embeds our commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, through the two-house model, and establishes frameworks that will support our communities to grow and thrive — the most significant being our Pā Harakeke governance framework.
The Pā Harakeke offers a clear pathway for communication and opportunities for emergent leadership. Just as the harakeke bush is structured around the protection and nurturing of new growth — grandparents surrounding and supporting parents, who in turn support the child at the centre — our governance model draws from this whakapapa to support our communities and ensure whānau voices can be amplified all the way to the Trustee Board.
Through this model, Hapori feed into Rōpū and regional Clusters, from which Representatives are selected to engage in the governance processes of their respective whare. Each part of the framework is an essential element of a thriving whole.
Our recent Somerset Bear’s Picnic was our first national Hapori activation — a milestone moment where Hapori events were held simultaneously across the country. We’ve received fantastic feedback from those who attended, and we acknowledge that for some, barriers to participation remained. Thank you to all who completed the feedback survey; your whakaaro will help shape future Hapori gatherings. Look out for your next local Hapori event in Term 2!
We also acknowledge that strengthening the foundations of our Rōpū and regional Clusters is still a work in progress. To support this, the trustees of Te Whare Tikanga Māori have decided to prioritise strengthening connections with whānau Māori in our Centres and focusing first on re-establishing Rōpū. As a result, Hui ā-Tau will be held later in the year – in late June or July – this approach allows Te Whare Tikanga Māori trustees to support greater engagement of whānau Māori with Rōpū and encourage active participation of Rōpū representatives before, during and after Hui ā-Tau.
If you are a Māori parent or whānau member of tamariki Māori and would like to receive updates and communications, please complete the Rōpu Registration Form, and look for more communications from Te Whare Tikanga Māori soon.
As such, this year Ngā hui ā-whare will be held as two separate hui: Hui ā-Tau (Te Whare Tikanga Māori) and the Tangata Tiriti Hui. This approach ensures each whare has space to engage in ways that uphold and reflect their unique roles and responsibilities.
Both hui remain significant and valued events within our calendar. This revised approach reflects our shared commitment to building strong, inclusive communities where every voice matters and each whare can thrive.
Look out for more updates as each whare prepares for their respective National Hui in 2025.
Na mātou noa nā,
Alice, Andrea, Bes, Fran, Heather, Natalie Rose, Peta mātou ko Ruth.