Our Stories  Issue 58 Taranaki Retreat
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Retreat Bridging the Gap

Our Stories: Issue 58 

Taranaki Retreat is a suicide prevention initiative that provides a 'Space to Breathe' for individuals or whānau going through tough times. 

Jamie Allen, Executive Officer, said that New Zealand continues to have one of the highest rates of suicide in the OECD - and there is particular concern for young people or rangatahi. “The retreat came into existence because there’s a real gap between where clinical services assist people and other support options. We think of the retreat as a connector. I think there has been a need for something like the retreat for a very long time.”

Through its outreach programmes, residential programmes and day visits, Taranaki Retreat provides support to people. They either get in touch themselves or are referred by a friend or family member. “What makes the difference is that the retreat operates through a peer supported model. The majority of the carers are volunteers. Taranaki has many people with lived experience who want to be there and give back. They aren’t paid to be there.” 

“We are providing a whole range or kete of different support services including the opportunity to stay residentially for a time and making it sustainably funded is the biggest challenge,” Jamie said. A grant of $30k from TSB Community Trust enabled the initiative to continue to operate in the last year, including funding volunteer costs. 

“The grant is particularly focused on that extraordinary group of well over 100 volunteers from Taranaki. It has enabled us to focus on their needs of training, development, supervision and transport costs to get throughout the region and help people in their homes.”

“Our team has been fantastically resourced and it would have not been possible without the TSB Community Trust. We haven’t had the fundraising opportunities in 2020, but the services have been more needed than ever,” Jamie said. “It’s one of those ripple effect things. We have helped over 1200 whānau in this terribly tough year. But it is not only about those people we help, it also affects their families.”

Anyone seeking support either for themselves or on behalf of someone else - or simply to find out more, is warmly invited to contact the Retreat on (06) 215 0993, through Facebook, or via taranakiretreat.org.nz 

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