Our stories

Ashburton mum Emma* says that connecting with the Family Wellbeing Service team has been one of the best things she’s ever done. Following a referral from Oranga Tamariki about 12 months ago, she was put in touch with a Family Wellbeing Service volunteer worker who she could regularly meet with over a cuppa. “They have...

Catherine* was 13 years old when she was referred to Youth Support, after moving to the Ashburton district to live with her father. Her parents had been involved in a custody battle in which Catherine felt her wishes had not been acknowledged. She and her sister were sent to live with her father, leaving her feeling...

Passing her full drivers’ licence has helped Priya* become more involved in the Mid Canterbury community she now calls home. The young mum has discovered her own independence by getting out and about, taking her children to and from school, and volunteering with local organisations. Any rural isolation she first felt...

Support and encouragement, provided through the Safer Mid Canterbury Youth Support Programme, has helped George* to thrive. He was aged just 15 when he was referred to Youth Justice Services, following a record of offending in the community, and time spent at different schools and locations. When our Youth Justice...

The Family Wellbeing Service received a referral this year from a local medical centre concerning Sam*, who is an older mum with two young daughters.  Sam was battling postnatal depression and was struggling to cope with her 1 and 3-year-old daughters, Abby* and Xanthe*. Abby had health issues and Sam was finding it...

BJ* was 14 years old, excluded from school and becoming involved in petty crime with other youth around the town. He had a long list of behavioural issues starting in primary school, including being verbally abusive to teachers and students, truancy, and misuse of property. He had no charges against him yet, but local...

Puti* was 16 and struggling. Her home environment was dysfunctional and tense, with a family breakdown, domestic violence, and siblings in the care of Oranga Tamariki. She had experienced an altercation with her stepfather and needed to live independently.  Initially, Puti was referred to Youth Support by her school...

While most children get excited at the thought of school holidays, sisters Brianna*, 9, and Taylor*, 5, were not among them.  Both girls had been exposed to their parents’ domestic violence and alcohol issues, before moving in with their grandmother, who became their permanent caregiver. However, their grandmother...

Dylan* had just turned 15 when he moved out of home and in with a group of older friends. A short time later, he began working with them on a dairy farm and stopped going to school.  When Safer Ashburton’s Attendance Service coordinator first learnt about Dylan, they thought it could be difficult for him to re-engage...

When Alice*, an elderly Ashburton resident, had her fence damaged by a young driver she didn’t know what to do. Not only did she live on her own but she also suffered from mobility issues. The most upsetting part of the incident was discovering that a memorial plant for her late mother had been destroyed.  A referral...

After touching down at Christchurch Airport, the first Hazara family from Afghanistan travelled to their new home in Ashburton, which had been set up by RSSS volunteers the day before. The RSSS is a collaboration between Safer Mid Canterbury and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It was...

David* was referred to Restorative Justice after pleading guilty in court to a charge of wilful damage and breaching a family harm protection order. The Restorative Justice facilitator made contact with both David and the victim, Sarah*, explaining what the service was and informing them that the process was completely...

When Margaret* and Gordon* visited the Family Wellbeing Service at Community House, they knew they wanted support but weren’t exactly sure what they needed or what was available to them.  The local couple had recently been granted full custody of their grandchildren and were struggling with some of the aspects of...