Christmas Gift of Summer Fun and Community Health From Iwi

Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga is again giving the Tauranga community a Christmas present but this year it’s a doubly special.

Firstly, the iwi is opening its mobile health clinic doors to free doctor or nurse visits for community service card holders of any age, and secondly by giving everyone a chance to join the Bomb Squad and dive bomb from a barge anchored off Dive Crescent, legally and safely this Saturday December 11.

The Iwi’s HBU Mobile Health Clinic will set up at the northern end of the Edgewater carpark near Bobby Palmer’s fish and chip shop from 10am to 4pm. During that time from 11.30am to 3pm, kids of all ages will be encouraged to dive bomb from a barge anchored nearby into the harbour and compete for $100 prize money.

Iwi spokesperson Paora Stanley says the two activities will work together to promote the HBU clinic which operates year-round providing health services for 14-24 year olds, and also give young people a positive and safe environment to dive bomb in.

“Everywhere you go there’s signs saying ‘no jumping’ or ‘no dive bombing’ but it’s something almost everyone loves to do. We’ve done the hard yards and got permission so now our Christmas present to Tauranga is ‘come on down and dive bomb to your heart’s content’.

Stanley says the HBU clinic has been operating for over a year and this year moved its clinic into three converted shipping containers, which he describes as one of the iwi’s major innovations for 2010.

“Transporting our clinic around in containers makes us so much more mobile than when we were setting up in community halls,” he says.

“The success of the HBU clinics has been taking the clinic to where the young people are, and now we are even more mobile we can get to so many more places. Using this opportunity of Christmas and giving to our community means we can open the doors to everyone, no matter what their age.”

More than 100 members of the community made use of the community Christmas present last year which was an excellent result. This year the iwi is hoping even more will take the opportunity.

“We know there is a need because we are approached regularly by family members of the youth we are working with, so it’s great when we can open our doors to a wider group.”

HBU is a programme run by the Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga developed as a result of research into the lives and needs of young people in the community – taking health service to areas where young people hang out at the times when they are there.  The research showed while young people often carried a range of health problems they would rarely go to a doctor or health centre.

“We have been heartened by the way the service is being used since we made it easy for people to get to.  We know that in the areas of sexual health, problems tend to move around a community rapidly so any time we can deal with an issue and prevent its spread it is a success.”

Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga would like to wish everyone in the Tauranga community an enjoyable Christmas.
HBU Clinic open to all community services card holders 10am to 4pm Saturday 11 December, northern end of the Edgewater Carpark on Dive Crescent (near Bobby Palmer’s fish and chip shop).

Bomb Squad dive bombing competition – Squad 1 ages 12 and under, Squad 2 ages 13 and over 11.30am to 3pm Saturday 11 December, from a barge anchored off the northern end of Edgewater Carpark (near Bobby Palmer’s fish and chip shop).