We weave collective voices and drive equitable systems change so that communities, hapū and iwi can do what they do best.

He hoa mō te hohenga hapori

A partner for community action

BUILDING CAPABILITY
& CONNECTIONS

Across and between
communities, hāpu
and iwi

ADVOCATING
FOR CHANGE

So funding better responds to community, hāpu and iwi needs and aspirations

TAKING THE NEXT STEPS
IN OUR TIRITI JOURNEY

Both reflecting and reaching out

Check out our Annual Impact Report 2023-2024

Rauemi ā-Hapori / Sector Resources

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Hui E! Pānui | Updates, submissions and resources

Kia ora koutou, In this final Hui E! pānui of 2024, you'll find information about upcoming legislation and proposed changes, including charity tax and submitting on the Treaty Principles and Social Security Bills, links to our recent webinars, and new resources and events to check out for 2025. Wishing you all a restful and reinvigorating time with whānau over the break and a 2025 of standing strong in our power as communities, as hāpori, and in the knowledge of our impacts and our strength. We will be here pushing for tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector representation, engagement and championing at decision-making tables. A huge thank you as we finish the year to the JR McKenzie Trust for supporting the growing Community Constellation of peak bodies that we are privileged to coordinate, and a big welcome to those of you who have recently joined our mailing list. You can find out more about Hui E! here. Our office will be closed from 24 December to 6 January. Meri Kirihimete Katie and the Hui E! tīma Hui E! updates Hui E! has moved into a new office on The Terrace in Wellington with Volunteering New Zealand and Community Research. It feels very much like we've got the team back together as our organisations shared an office five years ago.       Click below to read our Hui E! Annual Impact Report 2023-2024 Annual Impact Report 2023-2024 Welcome Jess! A new staff member brings our team to three! Jess Barnes has joined in the part-time kairuruku | coordinator role. She brings with her many years of experience in the non-profit sector and a passion for the power of community. Find out more about our team here. Proposed changes to charity tax Recently, the Government announced coming tax changes for charities, with little detail, and some concerning assumptions about charities. While taking aim at specific large charities with trading arms, its scope and potential impacts are unclear. All of us registered charities are required to ensure that our activity is in line with our charitable purposes, have public reporting accountabilities and cannot produce profits for individuals. Hui E! are currently seeking assurances about the scope of these potential changes and how the sector will be engaged, including letters of concern to Ministers. Submissions Treaty Principles Bill (closing 7 January) The Bill proposes three new principles to replace the principles that are currently used. As Carwyn Jones states, 'the main problem with the proposed principles is that they do not reflect the agreement made in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Bill presents a false picture of Te Tiriti.' It is critical that the Government hears a loud and clear message on this one from our sector, and that tangata tiriti stand in solidarity with tangata whenua. You can read Hui E!'s submission here. We have also coordinated a Community Constellation submission. Some resources to support your submission: Together For Te Tiriti: FAQs about the Treaty Principles Bill. ActionStation NZ. Primer on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. November 2024, Carwyn Jones. 20 Reasons to Oppose the TPB [in less than two minutes]. [...]

Social Investment and Communities Webinar

The level of interest in this webinar held on 26 November 2024, with almost a thousand registrations, demonstrated interest in engaging with the Government on the issue of social impact. The level of interest also comes from a place of concern.  Hui E! coordinate a new group of over 20 community peak body and infrastructure organisations, called the Community Constellation, working to collaborate across communities to be more impactful, together. Collectively, the Community Constellation has thousands of member organisations, from the largest providers to the very smallest of community groups.   This webinar was hosted by the Community Constellation as an opportunity for the community sector to hear from, and engage with, the Minister for Social Investment, and for the Minister to hear about the opportunities, and the challenges, for communities. It was facilitated by Katie Bruce from Hui E! and Zoe Witika-Hawke, Kaiwhakahaere Matua | Chief Executive of E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services and co-chair of Te Pai Oranga Aotearoa SSPA. The webinar was recorded and can be watched here.  This is the start of a conversation that we hope will continue, grounded in the experiences, expertise and impacts within hapū and communities. Below is a summary of some of the realities, concerns and ideas shared, along with follow-up questions for the Minister and the Social Investment Agency that we have passed to them and will be sharing the answers we receive. Some current realities shared by webinar participants at registration (quotes):  I am seeing and hearing more vulnerability, more isolation, less support and less ability to find support or even information It is difficult to jump through the hoops to access government funding when you are a small organisation Demand for our services is rising while we’re simultaneously losing contracts and resources, and our internal stress levels are soaring with that Grave concerns regarding the wholesale cutbacks to front line contracts and the damaging effects on vulnerable clients and communities, if social services are no longer picking up the pieces who will? Many of the changes to disability funding in the last year have been the opposite of social investment The direction isn't too clear for many in the sector, some clarity would be useful for future planning. Concerns shared about social investment at registration:  Impact on grassroots  Concern about smaller hapū and community organisations lacking resources to navigate social investment, when they are the ones with the relationships with marginalised whānau and communities Giving effect to Te Tiriti  Indigenous models of wellbeing with evidence base may not be considered and therefore these approaches under-valued and under-resourced  Ensuring cultural integrity in research and evaluation  Government responsibility  Concerns about government reducing funding for social services, including prevention supports  Increased burden on local hapū, communities and volunteer-led organisations  Measurement and evaluation Challenges in measuring intangible outcomes (eg. changes in mauri)  Risk of non-clinically trained policy writers designing clinical measures  Balancing data-driven approaches with lived experiences of communities  Difficulty in quantifying quality of life and wellbeing impacts, particularly when whānau are involved in a number of services  Concerns about cherry-picking evidence to suit predetermined government decisions  Equity and access Risk of further [...]

Community organisations left running on empty: Hui E! Community Aotearoa on Budget 2024

Katie Bruce, Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Hui E! Community Aotearoa It might not be the largest numbers in the budget that will have the biggest impact. The tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector, the invisible web that hold communities together, are facing a wave of cuts across many Budget portfolios. Hui E! Hauora research in 2023 highlighted the underfunding, severe and unmet whānau and community needs, coupled with burnout, facing the community sector. This Budget leaves them running on empty. Funds that communities have been able to access in the wake of COVID-19 and climate emergency events have fallen off a cliff, such as the end of the $35 million cultural sector COVID-19 funding and a $30 million decrease in funding for Community Connection services, despite organisations reporting high levels of continued need. Less visible are the ripples out to small organisations and groups that will be competing for reduced funding at the same time as facing this increased need. Community sport programmes, community-led development, budgeting services and community-based justice services are some of those affected. The Māori Development Fund has been cut by more than half and across Community Support Services the non-renewal of contracts expiring in June this year foreshadows further cuts. Cuts to the public sector mean reductions in roles and capacity to engage with the tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector, and the inclusion of community voice in decision-making. Also notable is reduced funding to lift procurement capability across the public sector. Complex application and monitoring processes have been long-term barriers for community organisations. More promising are increases in funding for disability support services in a context of long-term underfunding and a community sector innovation fund for mental health and addiction services. The Social Investment Fund, which will come out of a tagged $51 million funding pot to accelerate social investment, will be a litmus test for the Government. Bringing the community sector to the table would ensure this approach, including its impact measures, are informed by what works on the ground and the social infrastructure needed to support communities to thrive in the long-term. Every week the public sector job cut tracker rises, keeping us all up to date. We must do the same to make visible the effects on the tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector that will be felt deeply, with jobs and organisations on the line. This sector are the first responders for individuals and whānau seeking tautoko and assistance, and play a vital role in creating resilient, connected, and inclusive communities.

Kei te pirangi koe ki te whakauru atu ki te poari o Hui E!? Would you like to join Hui E!’s board?

Hui E! Community Aotearoa is seeking two Tangata Whenua members to join our Board. This is an opportunity to be on the governance group of a small, agile and committed organisation and make a positive contribution towards a vision of flourishing communities. An introduction to Hui E! Hui E! was established by combining multiple national organisation of the Sector. All of these organisations had a commitment to building a cohesive community sector and to ensure the value and the contribution of New Zealand Society is acknowledged. Hui E! is committed to working within the Spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi where our Tangata Whenua [1] and Tangata Tiriti [2] tūpuna/ancestors undertook to live in true partnership acknowledging each other’s Rangatiratanga. Hui E! operates within the Te Tiriti Relationship Governance Model consisting of up to four (4) Tangata Whenua and four (4) Tangata Tiriti. The leadership is shared by a Tangata Whenua Co-Chair and a Tangata Tiriti Co-Chair. [1] Tangata Whenua – Generic terms for Māori comprising those with mana whenua responsibilities (Māori who are tied culturally to an area by whakapapa and whose ancestors who lived and died there), together with Taura here (Māori, resident in an area, but who belong to waka and tribes from other parts of Aotearoa/New Zealand). [2] Tangata Tiriti – Generic term to describe people whose rights to live in Aotearoa/New Zealand derive from Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi and the arrangements that the Crown has established under a common rule of law, and the equity provisions of Article 3 of Te Tiriti/Treaty. Expectations of board members 1. The role is a voluntary (ie. no meeting fees payable)2. Attendance to monthly meetings (mostly on Zoom, some face-to-face) and undertake action items as required. Funds are available for travel assistance upon agreement, if required3. Ongoing communication via email, phone or kanohi ki te kanohi with other Board members and the Kaiwhakahaere Matua (Chief Executive)4. Regular contact with the sector in their own communities and to be actively involved in their communities of interest5. Advocate and promote the work of the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector locally, regionally and nationally. Ideal applicants Application process Applications have now closed and the Board is working through our applications. We will provide an update soon. If you have any specific pātai, please reach out to Jewelz Petley, Tangata Tiriti Co-Chair jewelea.petley@gmail.com.