Chairpersons Report

2006

One Double Five has expanded current projects and included new projects during 2006 but remains first and foremost a place for a cup of tea and a chat. ‘Dreaming the future over a cup of tea’ is one of our descriptors.

House matters
The Community House continues to attract a high caliber of volunteers. Workers have been overstretched this year because of the increased amount and complexity of work – front line response to people in need; the development of existing and new projects that provide longer term solutions to the relief of poverty and unemployment; and strategic action to create opportunities for development.

Margaret Poananga is the House Manager Carol Peters is the Community Development worker and overall Coordinator of projects, and Isopo Samu is the Youth Coordinator. The community house is having an electrical upgrade and some internal this year.

Legal Advice
Free legal advice during the year has been supported by 11 lawyers and our paralegal team headed by Luci Mangu. People come to the Wednesday clinics or phone in from all over the mid-north. We are exploring ways to make it easier to help people in the rural areas access our lawyers. The highest legal need identified is for support with family issues.

Whanau Support, Counselling and Adult Courses
Whanau support, counseling and adult courses continue to be provided at the Whare.
Meals on a Shoe String has run 4 courses teaching basic cooking courses this year. Erana Leaf is the teacher. They continue to provide good food, good music and lots of laughter in our Whare.

One Double Five, James Family (Family Works), Parent Help and Pa o Te Ora formed a joint project to run a parenting programme called ‘’Strategies for Kids Information for Parents” (SKIP) during this year. Two parenting workshops were held at One Double Five. The year included a number of public events such as Christmas in the Park at Raumanga, and 3 family camps.

SKIP Parenting Course

Cyber Whare Network
One Double Five has joined other community groups in the mid-north offering free access to information technology and the internet. The collective is called the Cyber Whare Network. The group is developing video conferencing ability and offers free collective training in building computers, in computer use and Microsoft programmes, and will be offering a wide range of on-line learning through relationships with North Tec Polytechnic. One Double Five is also running a pilot NZQA employment skills course (called Poutama) in Hikurangi together with Pa o te Ora Charitable Trust this year. 8 adult students are enrolled and the course started in August. We are exploring the possibilities of online banking, shopping, marketing, video on demand, and access to education and services in rural areas.

This is an exciting and innovative project using technology to bring infrastructure support into remote areas. Currently Cyber Whare are being developed in Moerewa, Motatau, and Hikurangi and at One Double Five’s House and School. A parallel project of run by the Ngatiwai Trust Board is establishing 3 sites in rural marae on the coast and plans 5 more next year.

Cyber Whare catalysts - Hemi Horne and Dorothy Shackleton from Hikurangi; Pita Tipene, Mihi and Celia Cooper from Motatau; Carol Peters, Rowena Moselen, Alex Mason from 155; Debbe and Ngahau Davis from Morewa; and Tim Howard from NURM

Home Maintenance Team
The home maintenance team mows lawns and provides firewood at a reasonable cost to those on low incomes. Morgan Wharehinga is the boss of a helpful and energetic team.

Whangarei Emergency Housing Trust
We have been offering support to homeless people for 18 months now and have housed over 400 people with minimal financial support. We are very thankful for the donations of goods that people have made and the many hundreds of voluntary hours that have gone into offering this service. The key worker in Emergency Housing is Chris Mcloughlin. In October 2005 we opened the first emergency house at 25 Mair Street. This continues to be run on ship shape lines by Audrey Bays. Families stay for up to 21 days. During that time they receive support including counseling, parenting training, budgeting and housekeeping skills. They are encouraged and supported to start seeking permanent accommodation immediately.

An assessment of homelessness in Whangarei was undertaken by One Double Five during the year and this established the need for at least 50 extra emergency bed nights per month in Whangarei. A feasibility study undertaken on the basis of this need suggested a link place was needed and a link service for homeless people. Many services are needed for those who are homeless – counseling, budgeting, legal support, a soup kitchen, and other forms of support – and these could be coordinated by the link place. Since the completion of this report the situation has worsened with the closure of the backpackers to emergency needs and the closure of two caravan parks.

A trust is being formed to oversee the Emergency Housing Project with representatives from the United Churches, Catholic Parish, Salvation Army, Baptists, Equip Church and Francis Freeman as a community representative. Their role will be to implement a plan to respond to the identified urgent need for those most at risk in our Whangarei society.

Audrey and the swings funded by Bunnings for the emergency house

Te Kakano o Taniwharau – One Double Five School
The school has 25 students 3 full time and 2 part time workers. Isopo Samu, Dallas Campbell and Rowena Moselen are trained teachers and back up support is given by Crete Phillips.

A relationship is being developed with Ruarangi Trust who have agreed to let the school locate on the Ruarangi Education site. ASB has donated $115,000 towards the refurbishment of an old hall on the site for the school. This work will be completed in time for the school to move in the third term. There is still no power to the site, so we have had to purchase a generator.

The programme is moving from strength to strength with the students achieving eighty to the high ninety percent attendance rate for the first three terms in the school year. This compared to the non attendance previously at mainstream schools. We continue to see improvements in their behaviour with better social interactions as they apply new tools to resolving conflict.

Te Kakano o Taniwharau – teachers and studentsè

The waka-ama has been used by a wide range of Whangarei groups and schools during the year, in team building, training and outdoor experience. The waka ama are stored at Kissing Point and Samu heads this project.

Young people with waka ama

Te Puawaitanga o Otangarei Healthcare Centre
One Double Five continues to offer community development support to the Health Centre in Otangarei. The clinic currently has 1200 members. Services are free to anyone under 17 years of age or over 100, and is $10 a visit for adults. The register is open to anyone. Sue Baines is the new interim manager, Anne Peters is the receptionist, Petrus Marě and Diane Hopper the doctors, Catherine Perez is the nurse, Miriama Reihari is the Health Promotion Worker. Two more nurses are being appointed. TPO has a swimming group, a walking group, a gardening project, and a local gym.

Warm Housing Whangarei
One Double Five is a party to this project which is headed by Northland Urban Rural Mission. 80 homes of elderly people and families with sick children were insulated in 2005. Interviewing is underway currently for the insulation of 40 homes.

Community Development and Marae Support
One Double Five continues to offer community development support to groups and marae in the wider Whangarei area. During the year we have worked with Tau Henare Marae in Pipiwai to develop their facilities and with locals to run a holiday programme; with Mokau Marae to build their dining room; with marae in the Maungakahia valley to develop health and cyber whare facilities; and with Te Kotahitanga Marae in Otangarei to develop services in that area.

Film Unit
The unit has produced a number of community films during the year. A special focus has been the support and training of young people. The Northland Amateur Film Makers Festival (NAFF) will be screening films make by locals at 7 pm on the 12th and 13th October at Kamo Intermediate school. Join them to walk down the green carpet and celebrate our local talent.

Northland TV Charitable Trust
One Double Five has joined with Manaia View school and North Tec Polytechnic in the development of a local community television station in Whangarei. The Ministry of Education have contributed two classrooms in Manaia View school which are fairly close to set up as a TV station. North Tec are running multimedia courses and intend to run courses in TV production that will support the station with personnel. One Double Five and local creative community people are contributing equipment and expertise. The station now has approval to apply for spectrum 42. This venture is intended to provide education and employment opportunities for our young people in Whangarei.

Alex Mason and John Gwillim

Best wishes

Ben Wihongi-Matthews
Chairperson

Finances
Thanks to those who have granted us money which is the feathers for our project to fly during this year. We have received the following grants, and donations during this year.

St Johns Raumanga Cooperating Parish $6000

Methodist Mission Northland $22218

ASB Charitable Trusts $88157

J R McKenzie $2500

AK Franks Charitable Trust $500

Tindall Foundation $11750

CLANZ $2222

Lottery $30222

Whangarei District Council $7000

Ministry of Social Development $14094

Ministry of Education $176900

Child Youth and Family $222373

COGS $4800

Housisng New Zealand $12000

Manaia PHO $229

L W Nelson $5000

We wish to thank those who have donated time and effort to our project during this year. We are especially appreciative of the hours of voluntary time given by members of our community.