Bay Harbour: October 14, 2020
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Wednesday <strong>October</strong> <strong>14</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
BAY HARBOUR<br />
PAGE 9<br />
News<br />
Supporting women through hardship<br />
• By Bea Gooding<br />
A SENSE of belonging and<br />
purpose has been the driving<br />
force behind the success of a<br />
women’s support group in the<br />
last two decades.<br />
The Women’s Social Support<br />
Group at the Woolston Development<br />
Project recently marked its<br />
20th anniversary of nurturing the<br />
lives of women across the city.<br />
The group provides social<br />
opportunities for women from<br />
a diverse range of backgrounds,<br />
including those facing unemployment,<br />
mothers of children<br />
with disabilities, or carers of sick<br />
family members for long periods<br />
of time.<br />
WDP manager and facilitator<br />
Bev Adams has been involved<br />
with the group since its inception<br />
and said its importance has<br />
been highlighted now more than<br />
ever due to Covid-19.<br />
“The founding members<br />
identified a concern that local<br />
women were becoming more<br />
isolated due to low income and<br />
increasing health issues,” she said.<br />
“We’ve seen a lot of changes<br />
over the years, but isolation is<br />
still an issue for women. Covid-19<br />
showed how isolated people<br />
actually were because they hadn’t<br />
built those community connections<br />
over time.”<br />
The women’s group was<br />
established in 2000 and started<br />
with 10 members, but it has now<br />
grown to more than 35.<br />
Activities such as arts and<br />
craft, games and bus outings<br />
were on offer to enable women<br />
MILESTONE: Woolston Development Project manager Bev Adams facilitates the many<br />
outings and activities at the Women’s Social Support Group, which celebrates its<br />
20th-anniversary this year.<br />
to build positive relationships,<br />
develop practical leisure skills<br />
and increase awareness of other<br />
opportunities city-wide.<br />
Adams said the dynamic of<br />
the group shifted over time<br />
because members were able to<br />
confide in each other around<br />
issues such as domestic violence,<br />
rather than attending just for the<br />
activities.<br />
This was particularly apparent<br />
following the 2010 and 2011<br />
earthquakes.<br />
Said Adams: “Pre-earthquakes,<br />
women came there to enjoy the<br />
activities. When the earthquakes<br />
hit we were closed for six weeks,<br />
but they still depended on those<br />
connections they had made especially<br />
as many struggled with<br />
losing their houses.<br />
“The whole dynamic of the<br />
group since then has changed.<br />
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN<br />
People are much more caring<br />
and they never hesitate to check<br />
in on each other.”<br />
Many women readily accepted<br />
the care and responsibility of<br />
their families, whether it was<br />
young children, ageing parents<br />
or unwell partners.<br />
Adams said this was often<br />
to the detriment of their own<br />
health and well-being, therefore<br />
the group helped women take<br />
some time out for themselves,<br />
and develop lifelong friendships.<br />
It impacted their lives due<br />
to learning new skills such as<br />
gardening, cooking, making<br />
clothes or having a hobby, which<br />
lifted self-esteem and confidence.<br />
“Some of these women have<br />
been working 24/7 to look after<br />
someone, managing finances or<br />
organising medical needs and<br />
never think about what they want<br />
or need,” she said.<br />
“They become overtired and<br />
depression is more apparent<br />
because they’re eating, sleeping<br />
and living for other people.<br />
“Coming to a group like this<br />
for two hours just provides some<br />
respite and is a lifting of the spirits.<br />
Having a laugh is incredibly<br />
therapeutic.”<br />
•The Women’s Social<br />
Support Group meets<br />
weekly at the Woolston<br />
Development Project on<br />
Wednesdays from 9.45am<br />
during the school term.<br />
•Founding member Gloria<br />
Brown, page 10<br />
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