Call to keep mentoring programme alive

June 13th, 2012

The Motueka Mentoring Programme is to close down over the coming eight months due to withdrawal of funding, and its coordinator has launched a passionate appeal to find a way to keep it going.

The mentoring programme has been a part of the Motueka community for 11 years, set up as a preventive type of scheme which children are referred to by either schools, police, social agencies or their parents.

Its aim is to encourage children to make positive choices about how they spend their time and who they spend their time with, and to assist in their development of life skills. Mentors help increase a child's self esteem by supporting them and encouraging them to set goals, showing that adults can be trustworthy, and giving memories of special times.

Leigh Briars set up the programme and after six years Alistair Munroe took it over. Since June 2008 Pamela Hedlund has been the co-ordinator of the programme working under the banner of Family Works. Over the past four years 53 children have been through the mentoring programme.

Now when times are tough for everyone, the programme is closing down due to lack of funding from the top down. Family Works plans to start exiting the programme this month.

From the end of June there will be no more matches made and no training of mentors. As the yearly anniversary comes round for each mentor and child, their official mentoring relationship will close. By February 28th 2013 the last mentoring relationship will have finished and the programme will no longer exist.

"Is this what we want for our children in this community, or are we going to do something different for them and their futures?" asks Pamela Hedlund. "Yes, times are tough for many of us, and it is harder for many of the children in the community who have no input into what happens around them.

"These children need our support and guidance to protect their future, it is also ours. We will have to watch them struggle if we do nothing now. This programme belongs to the community - are we going to let it go?

"In the past, mentoring has been an opportunity for the community to pull together and support our children. Is this community going to do this now?"

She says the Motueka Mentoring Programme needs the community support to continue, so if you have any ideas about helping this to happen, please call Pamela at .

Comment by Tania Jones:
[Posted 15 June 2012]

This may or may not fit, but it might be worth trying BP sponsorship: www.bp.com

Comment by Ron Sharp:
[Posted 17 June 2012]

What a pity for our Motueka Community, that this great programme has to go under the axe. So many young paople have benefited from this personal pal scheme and many have turned their lives around from negative anger to positive growth over its fifteen odd years here in Motueka.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]
[ Other news articles ]

We wish to thank these local community-minded businesses who generously sponsor our site. They recognise the value of supporting this community asset, and in return Motueka Online is pleased to use and recommend their services whenever appropriate.

Ray White Motueka, Motueka Floral Studio, Nelson Building Society, House of Travel