Forum brings Wellington social sector together

Community organisations from throughout Wellington will join city council and government representatives at this month’s Wellington City Social Forum. The two-day social sector gathering will bring together practitioners, policy-makers and providers of services.

The forum – a joint initiative of Wellington City Council and Community Networks Wellington (CNW) – will draw on the collective knowledge and experience of participants to establish a ‘big picture’ view of the sector.

“Council wants to get a really clear idea of what community organisations believe is important and what they believe the city’s social priorities should be, and to make sure that Council priorities match as much as possible,” says Wellington City Councillor, Brian Dawson. “Gaining that bigger picture means we can more effectively use Council resources to make sure our communities and people are getting the support they need."

CNW Co-Chair, Julia Hennessy, says the forum is an opportunity to build a collaborative response to the city’s social needs. “We hope that the forum results in new and strengthened connections, with an ongoing commitment to working together.”

The forum takes place on 17 and 18 October and focuses on four priority issues:

• Mental health and addictions
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• Housing and homelessness
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• Social isolation
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• Poverty and financial inequality
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Community organisations interested in taking part are invited to contact socialforum@cnw.org.nz.

ENDS

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