Here at Plunket, we care for families in more than 400 clinics and community spaces across Aotearoa. Keeping these spaces modern, welcoming and fit for purpose is no small task.
Thanks to support from generous donors like you and amazing grant funders, we’re able to keep investing in these spaces where whānau come for Plunket expertise and wraparound care.
Recently, amazing support from donors helped to bring two exciting projects to life. In Papatoetoe, a major refurbishment has transformed an ageing hub into a bright, family-friendly space.
We touched base with the Papatoetoe Clinical Leader, Riteshni Kumar, to see how kaimahi (staff), volunteers and families are enjoying the makeover.
“Honestly, it feels like a dream come true,” she shared. “The space is so much more welcoming and practical now, with wider areas for prams, brighter lighting, and a layout that just works so much better for families. We’ve had such great feedback from whānau — people genuinely notice the difference and feel more comfortable coming in. One mum said that when she had visited the clinic before the renovations, she was shocked to see that it looked exactly as she remembered it from when she was a child! So when she came back after the makeover, she was so excited her jaw literally dropped.”
Meanwhile, further north in Kaikohe, a vibrant new playground is already bringing joy to local tamariki and whānau. The community was lacking a playground where the littlest of tamariki could play and explore safely.
Plunket was the natural location for a vibrant play space for under-fives, and as the clinic itself had recently undergone a refresh, it made sense to follow it up with an upgrade to the outdoor area as well.
Carole Smith, Kaiawhina in Kaikohe says, “the playground has been a real hit with the tamariki visiting the clinic. It has brought a positive new dynamic to appointments, with the kids often heading straight outside to play! We are so grateful to the donors and funders who have made this special place possible for tamariki and whānau in the Kaikohe community.”
Thanks for the fabulous new play area go to the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board, Oxford Sports Trust and generous individuals who believed in the vision.
But there’s always more work to do to keep our properties open and serving whānau well. That includes the final stage of renovations in Papatoetoe, but also continuous property projects across the motu. We’d love your support.
If you’d like to help create welcoming spaces like these where families can truly thrive, please contact our Philanthropy Manager, Loren O’Sullivan, at loren.osullivan@plunket.org.nz
