Learning & Community Participation Programmes
Our aim at Hōhepa Canterbury is to support each person to live a full and happy life, whatever that means to them. We do this by encouraging participation in a wide range of educational, sporting, cultural and community activities. Depending on individual needs and preferences, this can translate into active, vibrant activities, for others this may be more peaceful and occur at a slower pace.
Most in-house activities are based at the Somerfield campus in the Artemis Centre and range from meditation, zumba, music, arts and crafts – through to Maori culture and current affairs. Cricket is very popular on campus during long sunny summer afternoons.
Therapies are provided in the form of eurythmy (movement therapy), massage, art, speech and drama. Singing is also very popular, with a choir providing performances for special occasions. The Artemis Centre can be a very busy place at times, with taxis and mini-buses jockeying to transport people to numerous activities throughout the city.
Activities out in the community include learning at Ara, supported employment, voluntary work, and outings like ten pin bowling, visiting the SPCA, shopping for groceries, music lessons, swimming, the library, golfing, going to a cafe for morning tea …anything! We try to give everyone at Hōhepa the opportunity to try as much as they possibly can, and to really feel part of the wider community.
At the Halswell Campus the Gaia Centre has four large activity areas, where the people we support convene for a range of crafts and weekly music sessions. It has a fully equipped kitchen where we have the satisfaction of using produce from the gardens, preserving and baking. This is a popular venue, especially in winter, with tantalising smells and the warmth of the ovens providing an attractive environment!
A mini farm garden called “Maara Hua Whenau” (fruit from the soil) offers a social therapy environment where we enjoy hobby activities such as planting vegetables in the wheelchair-accessible raised garden beds and potting up native trees – all for the sheer enjoyment of getting our hands dirty!