News from the Family Help Trust

Index

> FHT benefits from quake book royalties
> Champion Canterbury Awards
> Evaluation report pending
> We move to our new office
> "Too hard basket?" DVD
> Contact increases financial support
> Netballers provide support for FHT
> Judge Andrew Becroft new co-patron
> Contact to provide sponsorship

For earlier Trust news,
view news archives.

FHT to benefit from earthquake book royalties
September 19 2011

FHT will receive the royalties from a book of unique and previously unseen photographs taken in Christchurch’s Red Zone by Police forensic photographers in the aftermath of the 22 February earthquake.

Published by Hachette New Zealand, in association with the Canterbury District Police, the 208-page book has 256 evocative photographs shot by the police photographers who documented the 10-week rescue and recovery operation inside the cordoned area of the CBD.

A high-quality book of colour photography, "Christchurch 22.2: Beyond the Cordon Through the Eyes of New Zealand Police Photographers" will be in bookshops on 22 September with a recommended retail price of $49.99.

FHT named as a finalist for the Champion Canterbury Awards
July 30 2010

Family Help Trust was named as a finalist for the Champion Canterbury Awards, the second successive year the Trust has been recognised in this way. FHT was a finalist in the Charity section.

Organised by the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce, in association with The Press, the awards celebrate business excellence, passion and success, recognising the contribution small, medium and large enterprises make to the vitality of the Canterbury region.

Awards winners were announced at a black tie dinner on 30th November. Sadly we didn't win, but we do congratulate the winners, Search and Rescue Institute New Zealand.

Evaluation report presentation
May 26, 2009

On Monday May 25th, the latest 2-year evaluation report on the Family Help Trust’s work were presented at a function in Christchurch.

Among the 110 attendees were numerous dignitaries and professionals in the Social Welfare and Child Welfare sector, including Social Development and Child Youth and Family Minister Paula Bennett, MP Rahui Reid Katene, child welfare advocate Lesley Max, Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft, Chairperson of Jigsaw NZ Tim Metcalfe, and Chief Social Worker of CYFS Marie Connolly. Dr Mark Turner presented his report and results, and a 4-person panel discussion was moderated by media personality Ali Jones.

In October 2006 Dr Turner undertook an evaluation report on the outcomes of our work with 55 families recently introduced to our services. According to that 2006 report, “FHT families were successful in improving maternal child-rearing skills and reducing child abuse risks over the first 12 months involvement with the service.”

In the 2-year evaluation report, Dr Turner tracked our subsequent work the same group of families to see what further progress has been made. These reports are immensely important to the Family Help Trust as they provide an independent, in-depth critique of our work, which enables us to objectively measure what we do and present our case to potential funders, policy analysts and Government decision-makers.

Download executive summary of the research findings » (PDF, 590KB)
See also the Press Release »
and commentary on this work »

Article in Christchruch Press, May 26, page A3:

We've moved to our own new office
April 14, 2009

Last week we moved to our own new office, Unit 5, 31 Carlyle St, which is over the road from our previous leased space and down the road a hundred meters west toward Colombo Street. This is an exciting development in the history of the Trust: the first time we have owned such an important asset.

We're on the upstairs level (access is via the parking area behind the building), in the middle section. (In the photo below, we're behind the second set of 3 windows. However, there is no signage.) The office/working space is a bit tighter than before, but it's logically laid out with everything close at hand, and the office is warm and comfortable. Less space means we will have to take steps to get our filing better organised.

In a brand new building, fitted out to suit, we will be more comfortable and more efficient in the way we work. Special thanks to Contact Energy for their significant contribution towards this.

Our step up to property ownership has been made possible through the generous assistance of a series of funders: the Canterbury Community Trust, the Lamar Trust, the Christchurch City Council and another significant donor who has chosen to remain anonymous. Funding to assist FHT in this move means we will be mortgage free within five years.

It is ironic that, although we now own the roof over our heads, we still struggle to fund operational funding to meet the cost of our services.

At the time of writing, the space still needs some painting and infrastructural tidying up, but this should be cleared up within weeks. Initial problems included phone and email access, so we offer our apologies if you've had difficulty reaching us - in particular our IT systems did not like being moved and our email facility is not entirely reliable.

"Too Hard Basket?"
April, 2009

Towards the end of last year, FHT completed production of a nine minute promotional DVD, ‘The Too Hard Basket?’ summarising and illustrating the work we do.

Focusing on the stories of some of the families we work with, ‘The Too Hard Basket?’ presents a powerful picture of how we have helped them to turn their lives around and overcome adverse circumstances. For a copy of the DVD, please contact FHT.

We are grateful for the generous assistance of the Rotary Club of Christchurch, which funded production and distribution of the DVD.

Contact Energy increases support for Family Help Trust
August 26th, 2007

Contact Energy has announced that it will commit an extra $60,000 over two years towards research being undertaken by the Family Help Trust to further establish the effectiveness of its programme. The extra funding, announced at the "Kids Should Have a Ball" Charity event at the Christchurch Town Hall, is additional to the $30,000 per year Contact already commits to the Trust's day to day operations.

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."

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

Goldair Flames call on fans to support Family Help Trust
April 4, 2007

Current Silver Fern and Goldair (Canterbury) Flames captain Julie Seymour is calling on Flames fans to support the Family Help Trust (FHT) at home games. Julie and her husband Dallas are ambassadors for the trust and say it's a great cause all Cantabrians should support. Julie is urging Flames fans to donate a GOLD COIN at GOLDAIR FLAMES home games to ensure the Family Help Trust can continue its great work.

Collectors will be present at the Goldair Flames five home games, against the Diamonds on 7 April, Rebels on 15 April, Flyers on 28 April, Shakers on 26 May, and Sting on 2 June. At the first game just over $200 was collected - a very pleasing result.

Judge Andrew Becroft welcomed as new co-patron
October 11, 2006

His Honour Judge Andrew Becroft was welcomed as our new co-patron, at an event at the Hagley Netball Centre on October 9th, which also featured the release of the Evaluation Report of Family Help Trust - Twelve-Month Outcomes. Judge Andrew Becroft was appointed Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand in June 2001.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and educated at Rongotai College, Wellington, Judge Becroft graduated from Auckland University in 1981 with a B.A./LL.B (Hons) degree. He practised in Auckland with the firm Fortune Manning & Partners.

In 1986 he assisted with the establishment of the Mangere Community Law Centre and worked there as the Centre’s senior solicitor until 1993. He then worked as a criminal barrister in South Auckland until his appointment to the District Court, in Wanganui, in 1996. Judge Becroft is a former council member of the Auckland District Law Society and the New Zealand Law Society. He is a current editor of LexisNexis “Transport Law”.

Judge Becroft is currently the Patron of the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc., which assists those with various forms of speech impediment. He is also President of the NZ Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship.

He is married with three children, aged ten, nine and five. Judge Becroft is a keen sports watcher (but an average participant). He is a strong advocate of youth issues.

Contact Energy to sponsor Family Help Trust
March 8, 2006

Energy retailer Contact Energy will sponsor the Family Help Trust, and will contribute $20,000 a year for three years towards our operating costs. Contact Chief Executive, David Baldwin, says Contact saw the community-based Trust as an effective and practical way to help families in the greatest need.

"As a major energy retailer in Christchurch, we have chosen to support the Family Help Trust as it is a community initiative which makes a real difference to families facing severe hardship. The Trust provides practical assistance where it is needed most, strengthening families so that the children most at risk have a better chance in life," he said. Read the full press release . . .