A Christmas barbecue lunch for Cromwell’s elderly, children's art workshops, and music therapy for those with intellectual disabilities are initiatives to improve mental wellbeing in Central this summer.

Funding for these initiatives is coming from Te Whatu Ora Southern’s (formerly Southern District Health Board) Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group funding (THT).

The latest Connecting Communities funding round has boosted 54 groups, with each receiving up to $1,000 to help facilitate community-led activities.

Cromwell Community House together with Neighbourhood Support Cromwell will co-host a Christmas Picnic BBQ for vulnerable older people in the community.

The art workshops cover a sketching mindfulness class and a greeting and gratitude card class. Aimed at rangitahi and tamariki aged eight to 16, the classes will be delivered by Cromwell based tutors from Creative Workshops Queenstown.

Music therapy is the use of music to assist in the healing and growth of people with emotional, intellectual, physical or social challenges. Two three-hour sessions of music therapy will be run in Central for participants delivered by the M!NT Charitable Trust (MCT).

MCT is a small group of local families working on a voluntary basis to support youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities in Central Lakes. 

“It’s wonderful to see different cultures focusing on how they can bring their communities together and support each other in a way that works uniquely for them,” Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group chair Adell Cox said.

“But there are still common themes around celebrating diversity, welcoming newcomers to the region, forming stronger networks, and creating forums to openly discuss issues that affect their mental health and wellbeing.”

Te Hau Toka introduced the Connecting Communities fund a year ago as part of its efforts to combat the ongoing negative effects of Covid-19. 

There have been four funding rounds so far, and almost $180,000 has gone to 185 recipients in Cromwell, Queenstown, Wānaka, and Fiordland to help people improve mental wellbeing, social connection and resilience in their communities.

The next Connecting Communities funding round is February 20 to March 2, 2023. 

Eligible not-for-profit groups can apply for up to $1,000 including GST to support community-focused mental wellbeing initiatives. 

For more details about the fund or other Te Hau Toka initiatives, visit.