All In, All Out South: Our Social Innovation All-Team Away Day

At the end of June, the Social Innovation Unit came together in the heart of South Auckland for a day of reconnection, reflection, and grounding.

We began at Māngere Central Community Hall with a strategy session led by our Head of Social Innovation, Anne-Marie Mujica, and Penny Hagan from the Auckland Co-design Lab. Together, we aligned on our shared kaupapa and looked ahead to the systems shifts we’re working toward.

Then, gumboots on and spirits high, we headed to the whenua. Guided by Te Ihu o Mataoho Tours — mana whenua of Ihumātao — we walked the sacred landscape, learning the histories of place and people. Stories flowed: of resistance and injustice, but also of mana, whānau, and the enduring wisdom of mātauranga Māori. Our guide, Ali, brought to life the stories of her tūpuna - like Maki the tuurehu, who was admired for her beauty and fishing prowess, her name lives on in our city - Tāmaki Makaurau.

We visited the Otuataua Stonefields, one of the areas most significant historic sites, occupied and cultivated since the earliest days of settlement.

The day ended with a shared kai — hāngī, seafood chowder, and fry bread — before gathering one last time to reflect on the experience and revisit insights from our Te Tiriti o Waitangi training with the Auckland Co-design Lab.

It was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do — deepening our connection to each other, to place, and to the purpose that grounds our mahi.