Success, Solidarity, and Aroha at Turning The Tide 2022
On the morning of Sunday 20th November, more than 220 people from all over North-West Rodney came together to walk, run and play, at the annual Turning The Tide Event at Muriwai to raise funds and awareness for the wellbeing of our children & young people.
Together, we raised an impressive $26,051.60, which gives us the ability to provide nearly 300 counselling sessions for young people who would otherwise be unable to access this kind of support. This will make a massive difference to the wellbeing of many local tamariki & rangatahi in our community.
Special thanks to The Muriwai Surf Club for donating their magical venue
The people who showed up on Sunday were expecting rain, but still they came. From ultra-marathon runners in training to families with young children, grandparents with pooches to university students in face paint, participants enjoyed and persevered along the 5km & 17km forest and beach trails. The willingness of so many community members to participate in this event sends a clear message to young people that we see their struggle, and we, as a community, are here to support them and their families.
Gathered before the big walk. Archway donated by Muriwai Surf School
“We see first-hand the high demand on our counselling and therapeutic supports. We reached out to our community to support this increased demand and have been blown away by the response.” States Ana Christmas, Executive Director of Kindred Family Services. “We want to make sure, that we actively reduce limitations for people in our community to access the support they need to be safe, to build resilience and to flourish.” Kim Wills – Clinical Manager for Kindred states, “Taking on feedback from a recent review of our counselling services, we will be continuing to develop best practice as informed by our therapists and research, which will provide better outcomes for families in the work we do.”
“With support from the money raised through this event and other funding sources, we can offer up to 10 sessions with children, plus two with their whānau. From January, families can choose to contribute directly to Kindred on a sliding scale they can afford, which will enable other families who can’t contribute, to also be able to access the counselling service. All other services Kindred offers are free; family violence safety plans, refuge, family support and group support such as our Pathfinders programme in schools.”
The Kindred Family Services team, with support from Helensville Community Police.
A new addition to Turning The Tide this year was the Whānau Trail & Treasure Hunt. Children were guided by a treasure map to find painted rocks, which they were then able to swap for a prize. It was designed by our Kindred team, with support from our local police, to create a warm and welcoming space for families to enjoy the beautiful whenua, connect with others and support other family members to partake in the bigger walks. From MP’s to locals, friends and family reflected that this was a real highlight of the event..
The Whānau Trail was a big success. Huge thanks to Parakai Springs, & Paper Plus Helensville for providing awesome gifts.
We owe a special thanks to our event partners, including Lions Waimauku, Generation Homes, Ninja Kiwi, , and Rollercoaster, who each made a significant contribution to the cause. We also owe a special thanks to the other local businesses, volunteers, and participants who turned up to this event in the spirit of solidarity and generosity.
We thank you for your support.
If you would like to be more involved in the work we do supporting families & whānau in our local communities, become a Kindred Spirit. If we can get 100 locals to donate just $25 per month, we can raise $30,000 per year. This money will change lives.
