Te Aka Tūao
Te Aka Tūao (TAT) is a regular gathering for people working and volunteering in nonprofit organisations across Te Awa Kairangi. Roughly translated it means 'the vine of contributing to your community'. It’s a space to connect, share stories, learn together, and build real relationships across the community sector.
While TAT could be described as a networking event, that doesn’t fully capture what it is. These hui are about community weaving. They are grounded in kaupapa Māori values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, creating a space where people feel welcomed, respected, and supported to show up as their whole selves.
“Te Aka Tūao is simple–it’s about relationships.”
Marcia Skinnon
Volunteer Hutt Manager
How Te Aka Tūao Grew
Started July 2024
Te Aka Tūao is a space where we are actively exploring tūao (taking your place in community). Rather than viewing volunteering as a set of task-based roles, tūao centres relationships and collective responsibility. This way of working challenges dominant western volunteer frameworks and opens new ways of thinking about how people contribute to their communities.
The learnings from TAT are already rippling out across our organisation and into the wider sector, helping us and others become more culturally inclusive and Te Tiriti-honouring.
What People Experience
Feedback from attendees described Te Aka Tūao as unique, inclusive, and deeply valuable – and not only for professional development and service delivery but also for fostering a sense of community, connection, and shared purpose.
The benefits of these hui ripple out into the community beyond the participants, as several groups shared that they were adapting their own events based on what they learned at TAT and government agencies and NGOs acknowledged the hui as a valuable listening post to understand grassroots challenges and opportunities.
It happens at least 5 times a year, it's free for everyone, and we'd love to see you at our next one!
