Yesterday I got the job of launching the 2011 Childrens Health Stamps, up at Zealandia (otherwise known as Karori Sanctuary). The reason for doing the launch at Zealandia, apart from being a great place to visit is that this year’s stamps show flightless native birds, including the takahe. Earlier this year Zealandia began the proud home for two takahe, one of them pictured in the photo above, along with some children from the Otaki Health Camp, staff, representatives from NZ Post and me.
The release of Childrens Health Stamps is the result of an 82 year partnership between New Zealand Post and its predecessors and Te Puni Whaiora Childrens Health Camps. We were told yesterday that it is the longest running corporate/charity partnership in New Zealand. Essentially 10c from every stamp goes to the Childrens Health Camps.
It was great to meet the kids from the Otaki Children’s Health camp who came to the launch yesterday. The work that Childrens Health Camps do has changed a bit over the years. The focus is now more on mental health and well-being a bit more than physical health issues. Nowadays most of the kids come to one of the seven camps around New Zealand for a period of weeks on referral from their schools to help them find some stability and confidence. Staff from the camps work with both the children and their families to try to establish the basis for on-going positive development for what are some pretty vulnerable children.
I visited the Rotorua camp earlier in the year and was really impressed with the approach they are taking, working across different agencies and trying to address the causes of the issues that have brought the children to the camp. It was inspiring, as were the kids who were at the launch yesterday.
So, if you get the chance, buy some of the stamps and support their work. There is an order form in the link above.
you get the coolest gigs – and the sunshine!
That’s a cute bird!
The health camps sound great! 
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