Te Ururoa Flavell appointed to Te Arawa Whānau Ora board of trustees

Te Ururoa Flavell. Photo / File

Former Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell has been appointed to the Te Arawa Whānau Ora board of trustees.

Te Arawa Whānau Ora Collective made the announcement on their Facebook page today and said Flavell (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāpuhi) was appointed to the board at yesterday's Te Arawa Whānau Ora annual general meeting.

Whānau Ora is a major contemporary indigenous health initiative, driven by Māori cultural values.

Flavell held the government portfolio from 2014 to 2017, taking over the mantle from Dame Tariana Turia, who introduced Whānau Ora as government policy in 2010.

Flavell said he was hugely privileged to join the board that had clearly done significant work in communities, not just through the recent Covid crisis, but over a number of years.

"It marks for me coming full circle from a ministerial portfolio to working with those who do the actual work on the ground.

"I look forward to working with the current partners, building the profile of the collective even more, drawing together others that have similar values and motivations to continue to empower whānau to wellbeing in the widest sense."

Te Arawa Whānau Ora is a collective of Whānau Ora providers in the Te Arawa rohe. Each collective member has trained paeārahi (navigators) who work alongside whānau to achieve their dreams, aspirations and goals through a kaupapa Māori worldview.

Chief executive Lorraine Hetaraka said she was delighted with the depth, knowledge and iwi connections Flavell brought to the table.

"Te Ururoa comes to us as one of the original architects of the Whānau Ora kaupapa, so it obviously holds a dear place in his heart. Not only does he bring a wealth of skills and wisdom to our board, but a renewed energy and influence that we're excited to leverage off.

"He's a proven leader, with experience and passion for te ao Māori, and will be integral in driving our kaupapa to deliver more prosperous outcomes for whānau."