Investing in the future of tamariki

Our latest research shows we are paying it forward into the futures of tamariki.

The Heart Foundation is celebrating the success of the Tohu Manawa Ora I Healthy Heart Award programme, which has been shown to significantly impact the health and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of pre-schoolers across New Zealand.

A recent report highlighted a significant social return on investment (SROI) for the programme, showing that for every dollar invested in the programme there is a social return of $4.50.

The Tohu Manawa Ora I Healthy Heart Award programme has been implemented since 2002 in early learning services nationwide. It achieves a sustainable change to the environment by using a 'whole service' approach, mirrored by action areas in the World Health Organization Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion. The programme embraces nutrition and physical activity learning and promotion, alongside cultural diversity, local community environments and whānau realities.

Over its lifetime, the programme has undergone several evaluations which demonstrate its quality and effectiveness. 

For this evaluation, the benchmark for every dollar invested was a social value return of $2.00. As the Tohu Manawa Ora I Healthy Heart Award Programme saw a return of $4.50, this shows an incredible output of 450% in terms of value. 

The report demonstrates that by creating supportive environments for healthy habits to flourish through the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme, we are having a significant social impact.  
This includes, but is not limited to:

• improved physical and oral health 
• reduced diabetes for tamariki 
• improved health equity 
• improved nutrition 
• increased food exposure 
• lifelong wellbeing 
• reduced cardiovascular disease 
• reduced sugar consumption.

Read our report below

Download the report

For more information or to sign up to the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme click here.