Six of the region’s core community and social service organisations have strengthened their bonds and deepened their mutual understanding during a recent get-together in Motueka.
Held last month at Motueka’s Community House, the event brought together representatives from Age Concern Nelson Tasman, Restorative Justice Nelson, RISE, Sexual Abuse Support and Healing (SASH), Whakatū Refuge Trust, and Women’s Support Motueka (WSM).
Attendees each gave presentations about their organisations before discussing the scope, challenges, and overlaps of their services, as well as exploring referral pathways for clients to access support from other agencies.
Mikayla Cahill, WSM’s community engagement coordinator, says it is important that the services stay connected and communicate regularly, so that they are “working together and not in silos”.
The idea came from feedback during WSM’s 2023 community readiness study, which found that although the community is well resourced by local service organisations, general awareness of those services is still low.
“Many people wait until things are really bad before seeking help,” she explains.
“We want to raise awareness of the amazing support available so people can reach out earlier and feel confident that we’re here to walk alongside them when they’re ready.”
She says there was a strong sense of collaboration in the room, with each organisation sharing their work and showing their passion for the community.
“We left feeling uplifted, grounded, and connected to our collective purpose.”
An upcoming project for WSM is the creation of a comprehensive family and sexual violence services poster, offering clear information about each service and how to access them.
“By making these services more visible, we hope people will feel empowered to seek help sooner,” Mikayla says.
