A Nelson-born movement dedicated to preventing child abuse has been named Community of the Year at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards.
Safeguarding Children, which has trained more than 93,000 advocates to recognise and respond early to signs of abuse, received the honour at the awards gala in Auckland on 19 March.
Chief executive Willow Duffy accepted the award, describing the moment as “unbelievable” and “surreal”.
“It’s quite difficult to put into words.”
Safeguarding Children was created in Nelson in 2011 over a cup of coffee shared by three nurses and a detective. It has since grown into a nationwide movement reshaping how communities respond to child abuse and neglect.
“It was the learnings from our local community that made this happen… Nelson has created something that’s leading the way. We are punching above our weight,” Willow says.
The initiative was developed in response to New Zealand’s high rates of child abuse, aiming to inspire people to speak up for children and take steps to protect them at home, in communities, and in the places young people spend time.
Today, the registered charity is a leading provider of safeguarding education across the health, education, sport, justice, faith and community sectors. More than 70 organisations have embedded safeguarding practices into their culture, helping create safer environments for tamariki and rangatahi.
Willow says the scale of the work, achieved without direct government funding, is “colossal”. Despite the charity’s success and the training of tens of thousands of advocates, she says there is still much more to be done.
“When we started, we wanted it to be a safety net, a spider's web… but we’ve still got lots of flies to catch,” she says.
“It’s tough that none of the governments have stepped up to the level of priority it needs to be.”
She hopes the award will shine a light on child abuse and the organisation’s work.
“It’s something that people are horrified by, but don’t want to talk about.”
Stories of abuse and missed opportunities for intervention, including those highlighted by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, continue to motivate Willow and the team.
“Protecting our precious taonga, our nation’s tamariki, is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding Children will continue to advocate for better safeguards to prevent abuse in New Zealand, as well as equip people with the knowledge and tools to step in and do the right thing.”
She says the team behind the initiative makes her “so proud” every day.
“We are supported by an incredible voluntary board who work so hard to give their time and make it happen, and sponsors who donate so we can do this work. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
Looking ahead, Willow says the award would help drive further awareness of child abuse and neglect, describing it as “fuel” for the work ahead.
“You may not be affected, but how you advocate for children can make a difference.”
