I hope you are all well rested after last week with the Regional Training Forums in Auckland and Wellington. One collective feedback from participants was how they enjoyed reconnecting with each other and getting to know those who are new to the workforce. There were good robust discussions in some sessions, and others felt inspired and left rejuvenated to go back into their regions and apply what they had learnt. We have forum videos that will be uploaded to He Taumata website; I will notify through the Enews as they become available for viewing. These videos will help those in the workforce...

At the MPGH Training Forum in Wellington we caught up with Laura Hay, a rising star in gambling harm prevention. Laura is a health promoter with the Salvation Army Oasis Centre for Problem Gambling in Christchurch and she was recognised this year with the prestigious dapaanz Newcomer award. Tell us about this award, were you expecting to win? I knew nothing about it! I felt sick when they called my name – the girl before me who won an award said she had no idea she’d been nominated. I thought she was just pretending and then they called my name and I couldn’t believe it. I was the only South...

This week, I attended a Te Kakano Public Health Workforce training on the Core Competencies for Prevention and Minimising Gambling Harm for Public Health. Stephanie Erick, Te Kakano Manager was excited to kick off training at the Oasis National Forum. The Core Competencies were the key feature of the training however the Oasis Public Health team couldn't wait to reconnect with each other and welcome their newest member Siobhan Kemp into the Oasis Public Health family fold. The group shared what each of them had been doing in their respective regions, the highs and the lows. I could see how...

During Gamble Harm Awareness week, I attended a Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) event held at the Auckland City Mission. The Auckland City Mission established in 1820 has a solid reputation of caring for those that have found either themselves homeless, rough sleeping, isolated elderly, dealing with addiction, living with mental health issues, and struggling to feed their family due to an unexpected crisis.