Changes among Family Service Centre trustees

November 18th
[by David Armstrong]

Long-time stalwart of the Family Service Centre, Muriel Moran, has decided it's time to hand over the reins as chairperson and trustee and is one of two trustees who need replacing on one of Motueka's key family/whanau service agencies.

Muriel, who in the Centre's early days was a staff member and for the past six years has chaired the board, joins Tara Forde who was the Community Board's representative in leaving the board. Peter Norman, minister at St Andrews Uniting Church, will be the new chairman, and the trustees are looking for two people to join them.

Wednesday's well-attended annual general meeting heard that the agency has performed well this year, having introduced several new services through pro-active staff initiatives and holding the finances within the planned budget.

Motueka Family Service Centre is the operational name of the older-named Motueka and Districts Preschool and Whanau Trust. This year has been its 16th year, and it has managed services on a budget this year topping $400,000. It has over 20 full- and part-time staff and provides a range of services including:

Budget advice
Family support for those needing help via social workers
The HIPPY programme for parents with active children
Acorn parenting education and support
Mum4Mum breastfeeding peer support
Family planning and sexual health
Get Cooking for adults
Wellbeing health and lifestyle

Some programmes have seen increased demand, notably the budget advice service which has become very busy as the economy struggles in recession. Family Service Centre is also aiming to have a regular presence in the Work & Income office, which is morphing into a Community Link Centre, to provide a face-to-face contact for WINZ clients and easy access to services.

Two service developments in 2010 were an Incredible Years course (with a goal of building further ones next year), and a two-day-a-week presence at the High School supporting teenagers and their families.

Centre manager Liz McPherson reported an operational loss of just over $5000, which was less than the loss which had been budgeted due to the decision last year to spend some of the earlier surplus. The total income was about $406,000, over 90% of which is from government and other service contact grants. The Ministry of Social Development is the largest funder with contracts totalling $323,519. Obviously most of the Centre's expenses - about 75% - was on wages and salaries.

Click here to view the full Manager's Report to the AGM. (PDF, 150KB)

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