Nan lives with her grandson in a two-bedroom private rental. It is poorly ventilated, the curtains are thin and the bathroom is mouldy. Very little sunlight comes in, making winters extra cold. When her four other grandchildren came to stay on the weekends they had to share whatever bedding was available.
Thanks to funding provided by Variety – the Children’s Charity to Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB), Nan and her five grandchildren have each received a new set of warm bedding and comforters. Nan happily reported a positive change in the general well-being of her grandson as a result. Being able to get enough hours of warm and comfortable sleep each night allows them both an unhurried start to school in the morning.
The funding comes from Variety’s Beds for Kids programme which has, since last year, been a collaboration with the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI). This year the programme has enabled the HBDHB to provide enough beds and warm bedding for more than 100 children in the Wairoa area.
“Variety is delighted to partner with the HHI to make a positive impact on the families and children most in need of our support. Thanks to our incredible donors, we were able to provide the funding, and thanks to the DHB, we know the beds will go to the kids who need them most,” Variety CEO Susan Glasgow said.
The DHB’s Child Healthy Housing programme provides eligible families with a number of housing interventions, including beds and bedding, with the aim of supporting families to live in warm dry healthy homes to reduce illness and hospitalisations.
Hawke’s Bay DHB child health programme team leader, Susan Stewart said the funding meant the DHB was able to place a large order of bunk and single beds as well as bedding packs to support those in need across the region, with a significant proportion to be stored in Wairoa to support whānau where there was a lack of beds available.
“We know that many ‘bugs’ can easily be transferred from child to child while sleeping in close quarters. Through contributions of beds and bedding from Variety children are able to have their own separate bed which has many positive health benefits,” she said.
Anyone wanting more information about Hawke’s Bay DHB’s child healthy housing programme can call (06) 878-8109 or visit www.ourhealthhb.govt.nz
To learn more about Variety, visit variety.org.nz
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