The Health and Wellbeing Hub at Fieldays covers visitors from top to toe.

Mark Eager, CEO with hub lead partner Mobile Health Group, says a diverse group of around 45 health-related organisations will feature at Mystery Creek.

“They work collaboratively to support the health and wellbeing of rural New Zealanders.”

Eager says Mobile Health originally took its mobile surgical unit to Fieldays but added other health providers in 2016 when it became lead partner in the Health and Wellbeing Hub.

“Our role, alongside a brilliant team, is to coordinate the hub, bringing the partners together, managing logistics, and ensuring the kaupapa stays strong, making health and wellbeing easier to access, especially for those who often miss out.”

Mobile Health also provides breakfast and lunch for the 200-plus people manning the hub.

“It’s about giving back to the rural community,” says Eager. “What started as a one-off initiative has grown into a coordinated, cooperative movement that’s now a key feature of Fieldays.”

With about 30,000 people through its doors over the four days, he says the Health and Wellbeing Hub is the second most-popular attraction at Fieldays behind the tractor pull.

Mark says the hub involved just 10 health-related organisations when it began 15 years ago.

“It’s not about flashy stands or hard sells. It’s about access.

“Many of our rural communities don’t have easy access to health information or services so we bring it to them, in a format that’s practical, friendly, and supportive.”

Hub operation

Eager says what makes the hub special is how it operates.

“It’s not just a collection of exhibitors; it’s a coordinated collective. We all work together.

“Our Health Navigators are out the front, engaging with visitors and helping connect them with the right provider, whether it’s about eyesight, hearing, oral health, bowel screening, diabetes, mental health, or support after a tough season on the farm.

“You name the body part and chances are someone in the hub is looking after it.”

The mix of commercial operators and charities also covers topics including mobility and brain injury support, along with groups such as the Rural Support Trust.

Eager says the audience at Fieldays is broad - farmers, rural workers, whānau, students, and “even urban visitors who stumble in”.

“The common thread is people who want practical, honest information or support, often for themselves, sometimes for someone they care about.”