Rolling into a greener future at Hōhepa

Soft, melodic music plays. The video opens in a cosy town café. A group of Hōhepa Wellington residents sit at a table with hot chocolates and share a plate of fries. The background features a turquoise wooden counter with bottles and kitchen items, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

See the group of residents leaving the café, holding hands and crossing the street together. They walk towards a large, baby blue EV van. 

See Shane Gaskin, board member for Hōhepa Wellington talking to camera and standing in front of the shared garden of Hōhepa’s Kapiti Coast facility. 

Shane Gaskin: “My daughter, she has thrived in this community. It's her family and her friends that she grew up with. Hōhepa has allowed us to do that and all of the people that we support.”

The scene shifts to drone footage of the Hōhepa Wellington facility. The building is surrounded by greenery, with a sign indicating its name. Residents are playing and working in the shared garden. People are seen entering and leaving, some waving and smiling, conveying a strong sense of community. 

See residents doing crafts at local recreation facility, The Shed. The group is painting red poppy sculptures for a local fundraiser. 

Shane Gaskin: “Hōhepa Wellington has established itself on the Kapiti Coast as a conduit to us actually expanding to deliver services to people with intellectual disabilities in this region. We have 24 people that we support and a raft of people that support us. Support them on a 24/7 basis.”

See the group of residents driving in the EV van, they're talking and laughing. The weather is rainy and grey. 

Hōhepa staff: “Well, are you normally going to football today, Harry? Oh, I don't think there'll be football today. Could be a bit wet.”

See the exterior of the various homes in the Hōhepa community. Residents are engaging in daily activities: gardening, talking and relaxing. Staff members assist and interact with them, creating a sense of comfort and care.

Shane Gaskin: “First and foremost, we were providing homes for the people with intellectual disabilities. We were providing services that we wrapped around those homes and those people in those homes to be able to enable them to lead a good of a life as they possibly could.”

See drone footage of the blue EV van filled with residents turning around in the Hōhepa Wellington facility, then driving onto the street and heading to a nearby activity. See residents getting in and out of the car, and sitting in the car while it’s driving. 

Shane Gaskin: “The idea of expanding into more sustainable transport inspired us to actually go to Meridian to ask if we could actually use the Decarbonisation Fund to be able to purchase the electric vehicle that we now have.”

See residents doing crafts at local recreation facility, The Shed. The group is painting red poppy sculptures for a local fundraiser. The group are chatting, smiling and laughing with one another. The camera captures candid, happy expressions. The space is filled with colourful materials and finished projects, highlighting creativity and productivity.

Shane Gaskin: “Every day they go out to this place called The Shed, and The Shed is a place where they're able to spend the day doing things, making things, and being productive.” 

The Shed activity participant: “When the sign's been painted, we get to dry them over here.”

See residents at a local café, they’re chatting and laughing. See residents in the shared garden at the facility. See the blue EV van driving through the facility from above with drone footage. 

Shane Gaskin: “I think it's a great place. It's really important for them to be a part of the community, to broaden their horizons, to be able to interact with other people, and to be able to have the freedom of movement to go from one place to another.”

See residents getting in and out of the EV van. The van drives through the community, passing parks and shops. Residents wave at people outside, showing their connection to the wider community. See residents at the local café, one woman is drinking a hot chocolate. 

Hōhepa resident: “The hot chocolate's good. It's nice.”

See the EV van being plugged into the charger, then see the inside of the van and all of the high-tech features. Residents sit in the van, smiling and chatting. The van’s sliding doors open smoothly and everyone looks delighted.

Shane Gaskin: “A huge thank you to Meridian for this amazing electric van. There's a lot of things about it that they really enjoy. Even the little things like the opening of these sliding doors, it's almost like magic. 

Hōhepa resident: “I love this car.”

See the Meridian logo appear on screen and the soft, melodic music fades out.