The pilot project is being run by the 1000 Days Trust, a Southland orgnisation set up in 2013 to work with vulnerable children and families.

The project has been helped by a $155,000 grant from the Community Trust of Southland.

Trustee and registered psychologist at Invercargill Child and Family Centre Kay McKenzie said the trust was overjoyed at the grant and hoped to have the residential service set up by July.

“We’re incredibly excited, we’ve had such good feedback from infant mental health organisations in New Zealand and overseas and we’ve got international people coming to contribute to training our staff.”

The pilot programme will offer a three-bedroom centre for at-risk parents to stay with their babies for one week, Monday to Friday.

“The pilot project will explore the best way to operate the residential part of the service,” McKenzie said. 

There will be the option of a day programme afterwards and up to six weeks of psychological service, if the families want it.

“Any family and any parent can be vulnerable. Anything from a personal struggle to a medical vulnerability, all sorts of things.”

“It’s not about bad parents, any one of us could find, at some stage, that the relationship between parent and baby is under threat,” McKenzie said. 

“The clinical model was developed out of clinical experience and research, and knowing the components of what’s important to families under stress.”

The programme was groundbreaking and the first of its kind in New Zealand, if not the world, McKenzie said.

“It’s a gap that needs to be filled everywhere. Southland has a good sized population for a pilot programme, and it’s a good place to networkand to reach the families who need us.

“It makes it easier to set up a service like this,” she said.

Project manager Aimee Kaio said 90 per cent of the funding for the initial pilot programme had been secured.

“The Whanau Ora Commissioning agency Te Putahitanga O Te Waipounamu have also provided a significant funding contribution.

“We are looking at central government funding and fundraising for the remaining funding.”

The money will be used for the lease of the property, personnel costs such as recruitment, and the delivery of the service.

The pilot is one of seven major projects to receive grants from the Community Trust of Southland.

Community Trust chair Trish Boyle announced on Wednesday that a total of $2,552,570 had been approved for funding.

“We have not been in a position to offer major grants for new projects in recent years.

“Although our funding environment remains constrained, we acknowledge that there are a number of major projects on drawing boards all across our region which need a final boost to get them across the line,” she said.

Among the other organisations approved for a grant was Fiordland Trails Trust, which was approved $150,000 to create a trail from Te Anau to Manapouri.

Gore Kids Hub Charitable Trust, a collaboration between the Gore Playcentre, Gore Parents’ Centre and Gore Toy Library, were approved $200,000 to build a ‘kids hub’ building.

The biggest grant of $300,000 was approved for Rakiura Heritage Centre Trust to build a new heritage centre for Stewart Island.

 - The Southland Times

Many thanks to the Soroptomist International Invercargill group for organising a fundraising event to support the 1000 Days Trust.

Will be a great night out, come and meet our Trustees, enjoy great company, food and music!!!!

Contact Margaret on 027 893 7432 or Aimee on 021 408 174 for tickets.

Thanks for your support!!

See you all there!!

Media Statement – Innovation Key to $3.1 Million Multi Project Funding in Te Waipounamu

The South Island’s Whānau Ora commissioning body is about to announce $3.1 million in funding directed toward locally driven initiatives designed to support Maori innovation and achievement in the region.

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is excited about the high calibre of proposals that were put forward for funding and is currently working with 10 applicants through the final stages of the process.

Te Pūtahitanga Chair Norman Dewes says the current proposals are focused on a range of enterprises from assisting individuals with mental health difficulties to finding employment solutions, to programmes that help whanau in the earliest and later stages of life.

Mr Dewes says this new approach is innovative because it aims to create transformation for whanau.

“This is not ambulance at the bottom of the cliff stuff, this is forward focussed investment so that our whanau have the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge to realise their aspirations,” he says.

“The issues for Maori have largely been around lack of opportunities because Maori have generally been locked into an environment that focusses on issues and needs.”

Te Pūtahitanga aims to transform this thinking by working with whanau, hapu, Iwi government and non-government sector to generate opportunities for Maori to reach their full potential.

Ten applicants will receive full support in the first funding round and an additional 120 applicants will receive support from the organisation’s Whānau Enterprise Coaches to assist them further develop their initiatives.

Te Putahitanga o Te Waipounamu would like to congratulate the following 10 applicants on progressing through to the contractual discussion process:

• 1000 Days Trust (Southland)
• Low cost GP practice (Otago)
• Te Hurihanga ki Te Wai Pounamu (Otago)
• Koukourarata Wananga Taiao Incorporated Society (Canterbury)
• Whenua Kura (Canterbury)
• Native Bakers (Canterbury)
• He Toki ki te Mahi Charitable Trust (Canterbury)
• Sisters 3 (Canterbury)
• Kakano Café/Cookery School (Canterbury)
• Poipoia (Canterbury)

Mr Dewes says this is a significant commitment because whanau development is critical in order to lift Maori achievement and what better place to start than at a regional level.

“This is about local people providing locally based solutions, and it’s important that small enterprises get the opportunity to step up and drive community growth,” says Norman Dewes.