Starship's new research and innovation centre, Whiti Ora, was officially opened and blessed this morning by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei during a special dawn ceremony.
Since 2016, the Starship Foundation has provided funding exceeding $6 million for clinical research projects aimed at assisting the more than 140,000 children who visit Starship Children's Hospital a year.
Starship Foundation chief executive Jo Simon says the research centre is much more than a mere building. It has been thoughtfully designed to whiria te tangata, weaving people together. It will serve as a new home for the Starship Foundation, the clinical research team, and be a space to foster partnerships and collaboration.
Dame Naida Glavish presented Starship with a cultural narrative inspired by the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo). The pīpīwharauroa lays its eggs in the nest of the grey warbler, which then nurtures the cuckoo's offspring with the same care and attention as it would its own.
Starship Foundation cultural advisor Donna Tamaariki, affirmed the full support of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in this endeavour. "The foundation is firmly committed to establishing enduring relationships with iwi, particularly Ngāti Whātua, as this whare stands upon their whenua. The presence of the kaumatua during the dawn blessing symbolises Ngāti Whātua's dedication to the foundation's cause."