Western News: January 18, 2024

Thursday January 18 2024 5
Centre lacks extra funds to help
CHOLMONDELEY Children’s
Centre has seen demand for
its services climb as the cost of
living bites.
The centre in Governors
Bay provides free respite care
for children and support for
families.
Centre
general
manager Toni
Tinirau said
in recent years
there has been
a constant
demand for its
services. Toni Tinirau
She said
there were “countless weekly
phone inquiries” and a current
wait list of 51 children.
In the 2022-2023 financial
year 351 children from 295
families accessed the centre’s
facilities. It was an increase on
the 2021-2022 financial year
which saw 331 children from
267 families, and the 2020–2021
year with 318 children from 229
families.
Said Tinirau: “The need for
our services hasn’t gone away,
it’s grown. And as the cost of
living puts more pressure on
whānau doing it tough, it’s
only natural there’ll be more
demand.”
The centre has 23 beds to stay
overnight and on average only 17
of these beds are occupied.
“It’s my dream to have every
one of those 23 beds filled every
night. But it’s just not achievable
at the moment because we
don’t have the funding or the
resources.
“The space is there, the
demand is there, we are just
lacking the consistent financial
support. It’ll cost an additional
estimated $250,000 annually
to have all 23 beds filled every
night,” said Tinirau.
Cholmondeley costs $2.8
million to run each year with
20 per cent covered by the
Government. The remaining 80
per cent is generated through
community fundraising.
Said Tinirau: “We have been
looking really closely at how to
raise the much needed funds
for Cholmondeley as it’s been a
difficult time globally to raise
funds for charities.”
She said children are given
round-the-clock care, outdoor
experiences, learning activities
designed to build wellbeing
and resilience, and a fun
environment where they are
only asked “to be kids”.
“The support Cholmondeley
provides doesn’t stop when
tamariki turn 12. It also has the
‘Awhi Team’ (care team) made
up of social workers, youth
workers and whānau
ora navigators who walk
alongside whānau in their own
homes to address issues they’re
facing.
“We support tamariki coming
from homes where there
could be issues with health,
accommodation, interpersonal
relationships, single-parent
whānau, family violence,
family harm, mental health or
addiction.
“We just need Cantabrians’
help. Do not underestimate the
level of support you can provide
a charity like Cholmondeley.
Never think that you could
never give enough, because
whatever you can do, however
you can support us, will
certainly help our whānau,” she
said.
Organic
college
moving to
old school
THE FORMER Avonside Girls’
High School site is the new base for
the Biological Husbandry Organic
College.
The college, which was first
established on Lincoln University
farmland in 1976, will move
to the Climate Action Campus
Ōtautahi on Avonside Drive and
offer tertiary courses from late
February.
The move will allow more people
to access its combination of
hands-on training and classroom
courses, said college trust chair
Penny Platt.
She said the move will open up a
new era for the college.
“We will be more central and
accessible for everyone who seeks
knowledge and skills to grow
food in the most natural and
sustainable ways, whether they’re
working in local food systems or
bigger organics industries,” said
Platt.
“We provide a solid grounding
in the practice and theory of
organic growing, delivered by
tutors with a wealth of knowledge
and experience and all in a
friendly, supportive environment.”
The campus, which sits on the
Avonside site and an adjoining
1.8ha, is designated as a state
school for primary and secondary
students.
Get amongst the fun and show us
your biggest manu!
Meet your favourite
Tactix, Pouākai and Rams players!
Plus giant inflatables, hydroslide, ice cream and more!
Sunday 21 January, 12pm–5pm
Jellie Park
ccc.govt.nz/poolparties
competition
GRAND FINAL
Sunday 21 January, 12pm–2pm
Jellie Park
ccc.govt.nz/manu