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The Family Home
Since 1991, St Andrews Family Trust has been working in partnership with The Open
Home Foundation. A Family Home offering short and medium term care for children
is owned and maintained by the Trust. The Open Home Foundation is responsible for
employing and supporting the Houseparents along with the placement and care of children.
The houseparents and their four children continue to do an excellent job parenting
and offering companionship to the children who stay. Their commitment to providing
a secure family environment with healthy guidelines and plenty of fun is outstanding.
Please pray for them and the four semi-permanent children in the home.
Current Projects
Funding was recently granted to Spring Creek Parish to help the local school with
the serious behavioural issues of several students. The Trust continues to enable
3 siblings to remain in the same foster home in Marlborough by contributing towards
the cost of a Nanny.
New Project!
St Andrews Trustees have just formed a partnership with Presbyterian Support Services
after hearing positive feedback about the support for Families they were offering
to families in schools in Nelson. Presbyterian Support Services were working in
two Nelson primary schools and needed funding to reach out more widely to families
of younger children. After prayer and fruitful discussions the Trustees decided
they would like to be involved and have committed to fund the Family Worker one
day a week, for a 12 month period, in a local kindergarten.
According to one of the kindergarten teachers, this service is already proving useful.
The teachers recognise the value of having a worker to support the Kindergarten
- “Within the first week of Sue working with us, she had already been appreciated
by parents for support.” So far parents and carers have been asking advice about
things like bedtime routines, healthy eating, dealing with tantrums etc. To ensure
things continue to work well and to keep St Andrews informed, an evaluation will
take place at the end of each school term.
A Potted History
St Andrew’s is a longstanding and effective entity. The Trust grew out of the St
Andrew’s Home Society, which was established by the Anglican Synod in 1887 to offer
help to children and families in need. In 1892 St Andrew’s was caring for thirty-four
children, nine being at the receiving home in Nelson, eight at Whakarewa and seventeen
in private foster homes. The receiving home moved from Nelson to Richmond in 1968.
In 1989 the focus of St Andrew’s shifted as a result of changing legislation. This
legislation set out how care was to be provided. The Society could no longer offer
help in the way it had been doing. Over a very difficult period, new direction was
decided upon. St Andrew’s entered into a contract with the Open Home Foundation,
which still continues. A new Trust was established, taking over the assets of the
St Andrew’s Home Society. The Trust now operates within a wider mandate to provide
the necessary help for families in many different circumstances.
Trustees
The current trustees are Anne Askin, Alice Burrough, Gillian Etherington, Marlene
Evans, John Ford, Lorraine Gardner, Susan Gill, Jen Lockwood, Marilyn McVicar and
Vicky Stocker.
How can you help?
- By prayer
- By becoming a member of the Trust. (Families/Whanau $10, Individuals $5, Organisations
$25)
Contact Details
St Andrews Family Trust
C/- Nelson Anglican Centre
PO Box 100, Nelson
Phone: 03 548 3124
Email: standrews@nelsonanglican.org.nz
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