We provide the information and support to talk about gambling related harm. We also provide opportunities for Māori communities to speak out on their views about this kaupapa. Māori communities in return, provide the content that helps to make both regional and community, policies and strategies. These policies and strategies inform the way our city evolves and what changes it needs to make to better support the way Māori communities live, play and work within it. Most importantly though, we make sure it is the vision of the whānau we connect with that underpins the mahi we carry out through the Preventing Gambling Harm kaupapa here at Hāpai.

Preventing gambling related harm is an objective across the wider population of Māori within Auckland, but the issues of significance they face as unique Māori communities inform the way in which they choose to address those harms. Understanding the harms associated to gambling is varied across our population, also enables us to understand the way we address those harms can be just as dynamic. At Hapai we are constantly forming new relationships, exploring new ideas and developing new concepts for our projects. Creating diversity ensures a growing number of Māori communities have the connection and resources to achieve their optimal wellbeing as is the original purpose of Hāpai - ‘oranga tangata, oranga whenua’

We have three major themes our work is done within:

• Awareness raising in communities allows us to share the knowledge of how the region is addressing gambling related harm. This is also an opportunity to provide a space for our whānau to promote their own views to both
  the community and the wider Auckland network. This is always done through kanohi ki te kanohi.
• Supporting communities to leverage their strengths. Finding opportunities to connect to each other and develop their own kete with tools, insight and relationships. We appreciate communities have a depth of knowledge.
  Our role is to become/teach/source/learn whatever it is that supports their vision for increased wellbeing through preventing gambling harm.
• Policy development both on a local and regional level helps design an environment that enhances community wellbeing. To that end, the uptake of these policies must to something that empowers communities to succeed. We
  build relationships with funders and local authorities to ensure our communities ideas are interwoven throughout a range of activities.