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
CEO

Fred Astle
Head of Māori Development and Education

Mark Bogusz
Head of Finance and Operations

Brook Turner
Head of Services Development
and Partnerships

Sandra Hewlett
Head of People
and Culture

Murray Penman
Head of Health and Community Services

Judy Matai’a
Head of Housing and Pasefika Development
Board of Trustees

Daniel Barthow
Chair

Steve Parker
Deputy Chair

June Lamb
Treasurer

Gary Grut
Secretary

Izak Van Niekerk
Trustee

Jerome Edwards
Trustee

Andrew Fraser
Trustee

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
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As part of the Auckland Housing First Collective, Visionwest Community Housing Tenancy Services provide transitional and permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Specialist culturally appropriate trauma counselling is available through Mātanga Oranga, the counselling service within Huia Mai.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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

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

CLIENTS CARED FOR
Our response to food insecurity
Tā mātou whakautu ki te āhuatanga kai pōharatanga

FOOD PARCELS PROVIDED THROUGH PĀTAKA KAI
Our culturally
informed response
Tā mātou whakautu ki
te āhuatanga ahurea

MĀTANGA ORANGA SESSIONS DELIVERED
Our response to youth
employment and
training needs
Tā mātou whakautu ki
te kimi mahi rangatahi
me te wananga

YOUTH RECEIVED MENTORING & EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT
Our response to early childhood education
Tā mātou whakautu ki te mātauranga mō te hunga kōhungahunga

FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ENROLLED AT EDEN COTTAGE
Our response to financial hardship
Tā mātou whakautu ki
te āhuatanga rawakore

FINANCIAL MENTORING SESSIONS PROVIDED
Our response to emotional and mental health needs
Tā mātou whakautu ki te
āhuatanga o te taha hinengaro
