Annual report
2023/24

Overview

In the most challenging of times, hope of a better tomorrow is often what carries us through. Visionwest journeys alongside individuals and families, supporting each household in times of need, so that the whole whānau can thrive.

Our mission

Building Hope Together

Kia Tūmanakotia

We believe that, by supporting individuals as they work to answer their greatest needs and achieve their life goals, we can see entire communities transformed.

Our vision

Transforming Lives, Healthy Communities

He Oranga Tāngata, He Oranga Hapori

In all we do, we endeavour to reflect the values that we believe lead to empowerment and transformation for whānau.

Our values

Whanaungatanga – authentic relationships
Aroha – compassion
Mana – dignity
Manaakitanga – holistic care

OUR COMMITMENT

Visionwest supports whānau in times of hardship through the provisions of faith-led, Kaupapa Māori-informed services that provide housing, youth solutions, youth development and support, food support, counselling, financial mentoring, in-home healthcare, and early childhood learning and care.

The Executive Team

Lisa Woolley

Lisa Woolley

CEO

Fred Astle

Fred Astle

Head of Māori Development and Education

Mark Bogusz

Mark Bogusz

Head of Finance and Operations

Brook Turner

Brook Turner

Head of Services Development
and Partnerships

Sandra Hewlett

Sandra Hewlett

Head of People
and Culture

Murray Penman

Murray Penman

Head of Health and Community Services

Judy Matai’a

Judy Matai’a

Head of Housing and Pasefika Development

Board of Trustees

Daniel Barthow

Daniel Barthow

Chair

Steve Parker

Steve Parker

Deputy Chair

June Lamb

June Lamb

Treasurer

Gary Grut

Gary Grut

Secretary

Izak

Izak Van Niekerk

Trustee

Jerome Edwards

Jerome Edwards

Trustee

Andrew Fraser

Andrew Fraser

Trustee

Maliena

Maliena Jones

Trustee

What we do

Addressing some of the key social issues in our local communities and offering support to those who need it.

Homelessness

We believe every New Zealander has the right to a warm, dry, healthy, and affordable place to live and yet, in Aotearoa New Zealand, 102,123 people – 2.2% of the population – are severely housing deprived, almost half of them under the age of 25.1

  • As part of the Auckland Housing First Collective, Visionwest Community Housing Tenancy Services provide transitional and permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness.

  • In Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Waitaha Canterbury, our Community Housing Support Services provides wraparound support for client whānau to enable them to escape poverty, sustain their tenancies, and work towards achieving their future goals.

  • We have two youth housing initiatives specifically aimed at under 25s.

Aged and disability care

As we age, our independence is fundamental to our quality of life. Still, many older people and people living with disabilities could not experience the comfort and independence of living in their own home without personalised care and support.

  • Visionwest Home Healthcare’s trained Support Workers provide over a million hours of personalised in-home care to over 7,000 client whānau every year.

Poverty

Financial hardship is a reality for far too many households in Aotearoa New Zealand with around 20% of children in Aotearoa New Zealand living in a household with lower than 50% of the national median income after deducting housing costs.2

  • Money Mentors is Visionwest’s personalised financial support hub for those who want support with their financial challenges.

Food insecurity

Food is the great connector. Yet, despite the fundamental place of kai in our daily lives, 20% of New Zealand households experience food insecurity, while 19% of children live in households that experience food insecurity.3

  • Whai Manaaki Kai, our food supply service, provides multiple avenues for whānau to access food support including Manaaki Kai, our social supermarket and Pātaka Kai which provides emergency food parcels to those who are finding things tough.

Wellbeing

We believe that, with the right support, people can overcome many of the challenging situations they face and move forward in their lives. Yet, nearly
1 in 4 New Zealand adults (aged 18 and over) experience ‘poor’ mental wellbeing on the World Health Organisation’s WHO-5 scale.4

  • Visionwest Wellbeing Centre offers a range of confidential counselling and wellbeing services to whānau of all ages including counselling support for children, families, and couples.

  • Specialist culturally appropriate trauma counselling is available through Mātanga Oranga, the counselling service within Huia Mai.

  • In response to the 2023 Auckland Floods, ten free counselling sessions are offered to those who still need support.

Rangatahi (youth) development

Young people need support for a better future, but without it, can find themselves without a job or educational pathway. Right now, the unemployment rate of young New Zealanders in Aotearoa New Zealand is three times the national average.5

  • Ōhinga Tū, Visionwest’s youth development service, ensures rangatahi who need support in self-development receive the encouragement, wisdom, and advice that will provide inspiration and hope for tomorrow and will enable them to confidently walk the pathway to a flourishing future.

  • Ōhinga Tū provides a range of mentoring, training, and pre-employment programmes for young people with each rangatahi treated as an individual with a programme designed to meet their specific needs.

Ngā take Māori – Māori issues

Visionwest proactively integrates Kaupapa Māori practices into our mahi following specific tikanga in a way that upholds the mana of every individual. This includes Huia Mai which is involved in:

  • Proactive Kaupapa Māori development within Visionwest.
  • Several Māori-focused programmes including Mātanga Oranga (Māori-informed trauma support), Ōhinga Tu (rangatahi development programme), and My Whare (youth housing programme).

Pasefika Development

15.5% of the population of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland identify with a Pacific ethnicity6. With this in mind and recognising the overrepresentation of Pasefika tagata (people) accessing Visionwest services, a GM of Pasifika Development has recently been appointed. It is too early to report on progress in this space in this report.

    1 University of Otago researchers and the Ministry of Housing based on the 2018 census.
    2 Stats NZ, 2021
    3 RNZ – 21 July 2021
    4 Stats NZ 2018
    5 Stats NZ December 2021
    6 Stats NZ 2018

    Annual Insights

    Our response to homelessness
    Tā mātou whakautu ki te āhuatanga kāinga kore
    Community Housing

    HOUSES PROVIDED BY VISIONWEST (LONG-TERM AND TRANSITIONAL)

    Our response to the needs of older people and people with disabilities
    Tā mātou whakautu ki ngā hiahiatanga o te hunga kaumatua me te hunga hauā
    Elderly Icon Statistics

    CLIENTS CARED FOR

    Our response to food insecurity
    Tā mātou whakautu ki te āhuatanga kai pōharatanga
    Pātaka Kai

    FOOD PARCELS PROVIDED THROUGH PĀTAKA KAI

    Our culturally
    informed response
    Tā mātou whakautu ki
    te āhuatanga ahurea
    Huia Mai

    MĀTANGA ORANGA SESSIONS DELIVERED

    Our response to youth
    employment and
    training needs
    Tā mātou whakautu ki
    te kimi mahi rangatahi
    me te wananga
    Youth Solutions

    YOUTH RECEIVED MENTORING & EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT

    Our response to early childhood education
    Tā mātou whakautu ki te mātauranga mō te hunga kōhungahunga
    Eden Cottage

    FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ENROLLED AT EDEN COTTAGE

    Our response to financial hardship
    Tā mātou whakautu ki
    te āhuatanga rawakore
    Money Mentors

    FINANCIAL MENTORING SESSIONS PROVIDED

    Our response to emotional and mental health needs
    Tā mātou whakautu ki te
    āhuatanga o te taha hinengaro
    Wellbeing Centre

    SESSIONS SUPPORTING CLIENTS

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