five and dime

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori was a few weeks ago now, but in the spirit of celebrating the language outside of its designated week, we wanted to talk about how much we loved this year's theme: 'Ake ake ake - A Forever Language.' You might recognize ‘ake ake ake’ from the end of karakia or korero, where it often evokes a sense of unity and solidarity. The phrase draws its strength from the ake ake tree, known for resilience as it thrives in some of Aotearoa's harshest conditions. We love how the theme reflects the resilience, adaptability, and endurance of te reo Māori, as well as the commitment New Zealanders have made to embrace and learn the language for generations to come. On a more personal level, as Wellingtonians, it's nice to be reminded of the power of resilience in the face of hard times like we're experiencing in Pōneke at the moment. Kia kaha e te whanau, & kia kaha te reo Māori. #tereomaori #solidarity #resilience #maorilanguageweek

Kids and caregivers at the Pudney Hub enjoy their new shade cover, which was made possible in part thanks to a donation we gave through our impact model. Clare Pudney, who runs the centre, shared some lovely words about it: "This addition to our playground has made the world of difference for our children - in the hotter months our turf previously got too hot for little bare feet to stand on. Some of our children have a real sensory aversion to wearing shoes, so on those hot days they couldn't play outside. We also used to have to put our slide under the shade of the tree, but now it can be put elsewhere leaving a lovely area for rugs and books and toys. The flexibility these umbrellas give us are awesome - we can choose which play equipment to shade at different times of the day - can't do without them!" So happy to hear about how the wonderful Pudney Hub community are thriving in the shade, ready to stay out of the Hawke's Bay heat this summer!

When you're trying to create change with a project or initiative, it's important to think about how to scale its impact. The ‘Pathways to Scale’ model is a wonderful tool to structure both your strategy and subsequent storytelling approach. Often the first thing our minds jump to is Scaling Out - reaching as many people as possible with our message. Social media, traditional channels and other broadcast channels are an effective way to do this, allowing us to share short messages with many people. But this isn't the only way to change minds and behaviours. You can also think about how your project might Scale Up and influence decision-makers to create laws and policies that support the change you're working towards. Creating the conditions to influence this change involves strategic narrative design, and may include tactics such as relationship-building, advocacy, and public relations, alongside assets such as briefing documents for policymakers, manifestos, or qualitative and quantitative impact stories. Scaling Deep is a key part of the puzzle when it comes to creating sustainable change too. It involves thinking about how your project might affect people's beliefs and mindsets, which contribute to what is considered culturally 'normal'. One way to achieve this is through social diffusion - by encouraging people to speak with each other about the issue, and normalise different ways of thinking about it. We can change the narrative around a particular issue by priming people's values; helping them connect with it in a way that resonates with them. If you're wondering which type of scaling to focus on first, a good place to start is by thinking about what's most important to you. To let your values guide you. If your group or organisation values leadership, maybe Scaling Up is where you start, focussing your energy on ensuring our governing bodies have the information they need to lead us well. Or maybe collective wisdom is something you see as particularly valuable. In that case, maybe Scaling Deep is where you choose to start, harnessing the power of us all to shift our thinking for the better. Scaling Out might appeal if you value freedom and choice, as it enables you to reach many people with your message, giving them the ability to act on that information now that they have it. By thinking about the different ways a project can scale, we're able to encourage change in a variety of different ways, based on our different values, resources and needs. These scaling actions work together, and cumulatively contribute to greater impact in our communities. Like the old saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. #scalingforimpact #behaviourchange #shiftingmindsets #businessforgood Original concept from this blog post by Gord Tulloch: https://lnkd.in/gZX8nNNk, which builds on Riddell and Moore’s (2015) earlier work that challenges our narrow view of ‘scale’.

Introducing Pōneke's newest place to rethink your waste. Offering repair, reuse and recycling services, as well as resources, events and advice - Te Aro Zero Waste has everything you need to be more resourceful at home, school and in your workplace. We recently partnered with the Sustainability Trust to develop a narrative and visual identity for Te Aro Zero Waste, which is their latest in-community offering. The team had bold visions for this new centre's identity, wanting to ensure it felt warm and welcoming, while also staying true to its vision of contributing to Wellington's interconnected, circular and regenerative future. Some of our favourite parts of the centre's new visual identity include the organic, terrazzo-like patterns that celebrate the interconnectedness of materials and their potential for repurposing, as well as the wavy 'better habits for a better future' line that represents the non-linear and explorative journey of waste reduction. Te Aro Zero Waste has just opened at 2 Forresters Lane, Wellington - head in and check it out if you're in Pōneke, the team are absolutely lovely and we know you'll like what you see! #sustainability #zerowaste #brandidentity #branddesign

The Women Who Get Sh!t Done unconference happened last weekend at El Rancho, and wow what a reminder of the incredible talent and energy within our wider collective of working wāhine. I noticed a visible shift in the frequency within the group – people seemed tired and a bit overwhelmed, and that was reflected in some of the session topics that were put forward (e.g. "Get less sh!t done", "Parenting the COVID kids", "Nap time in your room" (😂), "Reconnecting, nurturing and embodying your inner child"). Despite this, there were plenty of inspirational and action-oriented topics explored (e.g. "Climate Action Games", "A fraction about fractional work", "Build your personal Board of Directors", "Mission Swap") and an electric mix of ideas shared during the "Lightening Talks" section. My favourite part was the childcare provided – as well as the 108 women, there were 17 kids onsite and some lovely play and creativity organised by the childcare team. If you don't know what an unconference is – it's a total redesign of the power structures within a traditional conference format. The driving idea is that "everything is already within the room", so attendees co-create the agenda, lead sessions, and collaborate in a flexible, informal setting. What's best is that every topic is welcome, and if you aren't enjoying the session you choose, you have permission to get up and find another one. #WomenWhoGetShitDone #Unconference #changemakers #leadership #womensupportingwomen

Did you know 30-40% of all food produced globally gets lost or wasted? 😧 We're chuffed to be working alongside the incredible team at Every Bite - a new programme tasked with reducing Aotearoa's household food waste. Every Bite is a locally-led initiative helping New Zealanders make simple changes at home to waste less food. Participants take part in a month-long programme where they try simple experiments at home to understand how much food they're wasting, and create new, easy habits to reduce that waste. Over the past year, we've partnered with the Every Bite team to help with their storytelling and strategic comms. So far, this has included: 🥦 Co-creating the Every Bite brand and visual identity (through one of our 9-5 creative sprints) 🥦 Conducting discovery research to uncover and understand existing knowledge about both food waste prevention specifically, and behaviour change campaigns more broadly 🥦 Surveying the programme's initial target audience to understand their needs, barriers and motivations 🥦 Holding focus group sessions with the people who will be delivering the programme to co-create its design 🥦 Weaving the knowledge from our research, survey and focus groups into the programme's communication outputs, including a comms strategy and a suite of assets to help local Hubs deliver the programme Every Bite is in its pilot phase at the moment, with the programme being delivered by four Hubs across the country: Go Eco in Waikato, Sustainable Hawke's Bay, Environment Manawatū and Wastebusters in Wanaka. We're excited to see this list grow as the programme is developed further - hopefully it will be coming to a place near you soon! To learn more about the programme and get involved, visit www.everybite.nz #foodwasteprevention #behaviourchange #climateaction #smallchangesbigimpact

Being part of a community, and gathering in person can save lives. Research suggests that social capital (the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively) leads to outcomes like higher trust, an increased sense of connection, better individual wellbeing, and as a result, longer life expectancy*. Festival for the Future (FFF) is a community characterised by pragmatic optimism. This is because it's an event built on intergenerational connection. Festival participants span all ages and backgrounds. They are hungry for a future that is as diverse as it is collective and as purposeful as it is impactful. And they're up for being put on the spot for a dance battle (shoutout to Ben from Create Now, pictured). Last year we worked with Guy Ryan, Katie Trott, and the wider Inspiring Stories team to help translate FFF's values into storytelling opportunities to help champions like Tory Whanau and Quack Pirihi grow the community. This year, we're attending as participants to recharge and find resources for the second half of 2024. After a year that started with conversations where we asked, "is this going to be a harder year than the one the economy shut down for two months so we could stop the spread?", we need to constantly find reframes. And this is the event to do it. Whether you're young or old, fill your cup at Festival. It's happening next Wednesday and Thursday (July 17tn and 18th) at the TSB Arena in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) and there are tickets still available. Hope to see you there. 😊 Tickets at ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gitxZtE *https://lnkd.in/gGJc_SME #FFTF24 #FestivalForTheFuture #ForwardThinking #Changemakers

Clare Pudney and Glenn Bond are a Napier-based couple committed to making a difference for the children of Hawke’s Bay. Clare, a Speech-Language Therapist, and Glenn, with over 20 years of experience in managing community development programs, founded the Pudney Hub in 2023 for tamariki with additional needs. Over many years working in a specialist school in Hastings, Clare began to realise that many of Hawke’s Bay's most vulnerable children were arriving at school having experienced limited exposure to support and therapy. At Pudney Hub, the focus is on the crucial first five years of a child’s life, providing services that fill a vital gap in current support. Research indicates that early specialist support significantly improves developmental outcomes for disadvantaged children and families. We had the pleasure of collaborating with Clare and Glenn to extract their vision for the centre, co-create the foundations of their brand, and partner with Create Now to capture their story through video. #videostorytelling #changemakers #valuesled

Our team has made a pledge to refuse single-use plastics at work for Plastic Free July this year. Like so many others, we hate single-use plastics. They take forever to break down in landfill, are made of fossil fuels, and bits of them have even made their way into our food and bodies 🤢. But plastic can be so hard to avoid - especially if you need something specific or are in a rush. So even though we're pretty waste-conscious, there's always room for improvement. Plastic Free July is a great chance to really focus on the plastic that is coming into our lives, and think about adjustments we can make to avoid it. For us this year, that means making sure every meal, snack and beverage we consume at work comes to us plastic-free. We'll be remembering our drink bottles and keep-cups, refusing plastic forks, and asking for our sushi on the plate we brought down from the office kitchen (and then hoping it doesn't blow off in the Wellington wind on our way back!) Hopefully over the course of the month we'll pick up some new habits, and move a bit closer to a plastic-free lifestyle. Will you be taking the Plastic Free July pledge this year? Do you have any tips for helping us avoid single-use plastic? We'd love to hear them 👇🏼 #PlasticFreeJuly #PlasticFreeJulyAotearoa #PFJ2024

We're constantly inspired by the changemakers we work with. Sometimes referred to as change influencers or change champions, agents of change act as catalysts to improve systems, processes and culture to provide better outcomes. There are four ways they tend to do this: 1. Proposing the change and explaining why it's necessary 2. Planning the change 3. Guiding other people through the change 4. Making sure the change has the desired impact So, how are you changing the present to affect the future? #changemakers #agentsofchange #impactstorytelling