Gambling Harm Awareness Week (GHAW) 2 – 8 September 2019

  • Sep 02, 2019
  • Maria
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GHAW 2019 seems to be gearing up for a cracker of a week. I have noticed Facebook posts with Pause the Pokies campaign having lots of venues signing up to Pause their pokies over the week. What has surprised me though, is that this week a pokie venue in my local area paused their pokies for one hour during last week and will continue to do so again in GHAW week. Now that is impressive. The venue switched off for an hour as a test session and will switch off again during GHAW. In other Facebook posts I have seen some creative events: whanau movie nights, the Pasifika strong Mangere Family Fun...

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Back to study with Charles Chadwick

  • Aug 02, 2019
  • Maria
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I made the leap again and enrolled in the National Certificate in Public Health with Massey University. The back to study thing for me was ad hoc journey, to say the least. I had applied for the Ministry of Health scholarship to pay for my fees and unbeknown to me it was at a time when their website was down. Long story short, after filling in necessary paperwork I had to catch up on five weeks of study. Fortunately for me, I embraced and benefit strongly from the online learning environment. Why, because I could study anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Massey University utilises podcasts...

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We gather strength from each other

  • May 24, 2019
  • Maria
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The recent National Prevention and Minimising Gambling Harm (PMGH) training forum this past April, was a good opportunity to meet many more of the PMGH workforce from around the country. Photo: Pacific cultural day 2019 Photo: Māori cultural day 2019 The three-day forum kicked off with the first day of cultural experiences and activities that focused on public health and gambling harm. These sessions were well received by all participants with many excited for the next cultural session at the next training forum. Māori session "The korero from the home people. The TAKE which was important but...

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  • Ora Toa

Working with Ora Toa and the PMGH network at Ngati Toa Puna Ora whare.

  • Feb 28, 2019
  • Maria
  • Ora toa
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Just before school holidays come to a long-awaited end for some of us, Te Kakano’s Stephanie Erick (and whānau) spent a couple of days in Wellington to meet with PMGH services. Stephanie is working very closely with Ora Toa’s Ashleigh Sagar who is leading a collective of PMGH services and supporters on creating a “Pokie-Free Porirua”. At the end of January, Ora Toa held their second workshop to work on key messages and community events raising awareness around the harms of gambling in Porirua and the current gaps in the Porirua City Council gambling policy. Under the current policy in Porirua...

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