CREEK FEST

Saturday 20^th March 2004

Creek Fest was a great success enjoyed by all. With fine weather and an unexpectedly large public response, we were landed with a great health promotion opportunity and the chance to network with various other health providers.

We took the opportunity to promote the following Ora Toa Health Unit services:

·        Whanau Ora

·        Immunisation

·        Nutrition and Physical Activity

·        Asthma

·        Tamariki Ora

We set up our stall in conjunction with the Maori Womens Welfare League, and displayed many pamphlets / posters about various health issues, and aspects of the services we provide.

Nutriton and Physical Activity                             

 

We decided to run a small survey whereby participants answered a few questions and then went into the draw to win a large ‘healthy’ grocery hamper.

The survey asked the following questions:

1) Please name one food from each of the four main food groups 2) ‘Push Play’ recommends that we exercise for at least how many minutes each day? 3) Did you learn something new today? 4) Please tell us one healthy change you have recently made or would like to make in the coming weeks

                                                           

Although the questions were quite challenging we had a total of 96 people take part. The result of this mini survey has shown us that people are learning from our resources (ie. The ‘fat kit display’ and the ‘sugar posters’) and people are beginning to or wanting to adopt healthier lifestyles. With the participants of this survey being mostly Maori or Pacific Island, we felt satisfied that we had reached our target group.

Immunisation / Whanau Ora

We promoted Childhood Immunisations in conjunction with the Maori Womens Welfare League and focused on the up and coming flu season and the Influenza vaccine. We used various posters & pamphlets and offered a pamper pack prize for answering the question: Is influenza (The Flu) a serious illness? The answer is of course YES and we had 80 correct entries go in to the draw to win a basket filled with beauty products, complete with the latest edition of ‘Mana’ magazine.

Asthma

 

Our focus was on encouraging the use of ‘spacers’ and the use of ‘preventer’ inhalers. We did this by offering the prize draw of a kids pack (a basket containing kids shampoos, towels, toys etc) and getting participants to answer the following question: What medicine do you need to take everyday even when well, for asthma - Reliever or Preventer? We had 80 participants and many more people stop to ask for advice about Asthma.

           

Tamariki Ora

Our focus was on injury prevention. We encouraged the public to participate by having on display a new carseat that was up for grabs by answering the following questions: 1) Is it a legal requirement for all children under the age of 5 to use a child restraint when traveling in a motor vehicle? 2) Can you name one service that provides carseats? This awesome prize attracted many young families to our stall and allowed us the opportunity to promote our ‘rent to buy’ carseat scheme. The carseat was won by, a very grateful Cannons Creek mum with a 5mth old baby who is nearly ready for his new carseat.

We were very pleased that all of our prizes went to families from Cannons Creek.

We had over 300 people answer the health related questions to go into the free prize draws at our stall, and many more who stopped to check out the information available and to ask questions, with referrals and follow-ups being made to the following: Aukati Kai paipa (Smokefree), Immunisations (including flu vaccinations, Nutrition and Physical Activities, and Asthma

Should Creek Fest become an annual event, we will be looking forward to this excellent health promotion opportunity again next year.