A new research project will be carried out looking at the geographic communities in Tauranga.

Acorn Foundation, TECT, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council are teaming up to carry out the new research project, which will look at the communities and who is in them, and what are their needs, wants and aspirations for their neighbourhood and the wider city.

The research, called ‘Vital Update – Tauranga', is a community check-up that measures the wellbeing of communities and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to quality of life.

Tauranga Mayor Tenby Powell sees the research as providing fundamental information to guide decision-making on future work in our communities, and to create a vision for Tauranga.

'The more people that take part, the better we will understand the make-up of our communities, and their aspirations for our city. As Tauranga grows and changes, we want to ensure we are meeting our communities' needs and that no one is left behind."

'I encourage you to share your views, so we know what matters most to you and your family. Every voice counts.”

Acorn Foundation general manager Lori Luke says identifying which geographical areas and demographic communities need the most help and for what reasons, will help local funders understand where they can best make a difference.

'All the funders and charitable organisations in Tauranga will benefit from having this data to assist us to make better decisions and hopefully, influence more central government support for our region,” says Lori.

The research outcomes will also feed into council's long-term planning process when the community has a chance to have their say on what projects council will lead and fund over the next 10 years.

The community can share what matters most to them by completing the online survey: https://survey.keyresearchsurveys.com/kr/VUT-1

There will also be a focus on gathering information from harder-to-reach groups such as people experiencing housing issues/homelessness, people with a disability, young people, older people, ethnic communities and Māori.

Paper copies will also be sent to a random selection of people on the electoral roll.

People who complete the survey can choose to go into a draw to win one of 14 prizes, including a $500 Prezzy card, $100 Prezzy cards, $100 Pak'n'Save voucher, UE boom speaker and dinner for two at Macau.

The survey is open until 5pm on Friday, January 5, and is being conducted by independent research company, Key Research.

The Acorn Foundation runs the Vital Signs research study every three years which gathers information from people across the Western Bay of Plenty.

‘Vital Update – Tauranga' is an interim research project between the last Vital Signs research in 2018 and the next which is planned for 2021.

This study focuses on the suburbs within the city of Tauranga rather than the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region.

For more information visit www.vitalupdate.org.nz