[ Return ]

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
26 August 2007

Contact increases support for Christchurch's Family Help Trust

Contact Energy has announced that it will commit an extra $60,000 over two years towards research being undertaken by the Family Help Trust in Christchurch to further establish the effectiveness of its programme.

The extra funding, announced at last night's "Kids Should Have a Ball" Charity event at the Christchurch Town Hall, will be additional to the $30,000 per year Contact already commits to the Trust's day to day operations.

The Family Help Trust operates pioneering child abuse-prevention services for high-risk families in Christchurch. It confronts the causes of family dysfunction and provides these families with the skills they need to improve their lives and those of their children.

Contact Brand Strategy Manager, Pattrick Smellie, said the Trust's research was important as it would help it to develop and improve its work with high-risk families.

"The Family Help Trust offers a successful model of intervention for families in some of the most difficult circumstances in Christchurch.

"The research will help improve the likelihood of this model being adopted more widely. At a time of great public concern about New Zealand's very high rates of domestic violence and child abuse, the Family Help Trust provides a success story that needs wide telling."

The research would be further funded by proceeds from a charity auction at last night's "Kids Should Have a Ball" event, organised by the Christchurch Rotary Club. The Trust and the Champion Trust were beneficiaries of this year's event - traditionally one of the most successful fundraising events on the Christchurch social calendar.

Family Help Trust Director Libby Robins said the Trust was delighted to be partnering with Contact to undertake this research.

"The Family Help Trust works with some of the most high-risk families in Christchurch.

"The results of this research will show us how we can make our programme as effective as possible - and this will benefit the whole community."

She said that many services that aim to reduce child abuse have difficulty raising money.

"We are very pleased to have Contact's support for the work we do."

Contact is a gold sponsor for the 'Kids should have a Ball' charity auction - an annual event hosted by the Rotary Club.

ENDS

For further information, please contact
Pattrick Smellie - 021 588203