Weaving Our Hopes Together

Home Ground at Newtown Festival 2026

Home Ground works alongside the community, using creativity and connection to support the people who live, gather, and grow here. 

Through our mahi with Te Toi Mahana, creativity becomes part of everyday life, not something separate or out of reach, but something that grows in our homes, in our streets and in the spaces where people gather and find their place to belong.

At the recent Newtown Festival 2026, we invited people to add their whakaaro to our community lei — sharing their hopes for Ōmaroro / Newtown and the kind of community they want to be part of.

We have created this short film to tell the story of our beautiful Omārōrō community. Huge thanks to Mahana Dexter for making this happen!

https://youtu.be/kUClucu5oJw?si=qVcBdqVbh4f5KNnp

People spoke about diversity, kindness, cost of living, and what it means to truly belong.

Here’s what people hoped for:

🌏 Diversity & inclusion - celebrating the creativity, kai and cultures that make this community special – and keeping Newtown welcoming for everyone.

🏡 Being cared for - people shared real concerns about the cost of living, the need for warm homes, affordable kai and rent, accessible mental health support, and better public transport.

💖 Love & kindness - above all, people hoped for more connection, creativity, joy and care – a community that looks out for one another, especially those experiencing homelessness.

“I hope that Newtown stays loved and full of love.”

These voices remind us when we centre community and aroha, Omārōrō thrives!

Te Toi Mahana is Wellington’s largest community housing provider, managing around 2,000 social housing properties across Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington. They have created a space for us in the Newtown Park Apartments, a space we call Home. 

Having a home is about more than just a roof over your head; it’s about feeling safe, feeling seen, and knowing that you belong in the community around you. 

Thank you to everyone who added a flower to the lei at Newtown Festival 2026 and helped us weave together this vision for Omārōrō.

Together, you added 164 beautiful flowers

Huge mihi to everyone who shared their hopes and whakaaro. MAURI ORA!

Our community lei was created at Newtown Festival 2026 and serves as a symbol of unity and connection for us, celebrating the unique hopes and dreams of Omārōrō Newtown. This heartfelt message resonates deeply, we want everyone to have the home that they need.