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Eastern Refuge Society Incorporated

Wahine and tane working together to cultivate violence-free families, communities and society, by enhancing the mana of all peoples and upholding our commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi.

The person / people in this photograph are models, and are, in no way, clients or people associated with Eastern

About us

At a Glance

• We were established in 1987
• We employ 12 staff and have an extended voluntary team
  of 10
• We have a national reputation of excellence in delivery
• We are proactive and innovative in developing programmes to combat the
  epidemic that is family violence in Aotearoa, New Zealand
• We have a proven history in building and maintaining relationships within all spheres of the social service sector
• We successfully manage national contracts and partnerships with statutory agencies and bodies
• We developed and implemented the first Men’s Caucus group attached to Womens Refuge within Aotearoa, New Zealand in September 2008.
• We hold the contract for the Counties Manukau Family Safety Team, in partnership with New Zealand Police and have done since 2006.  We have  employed a further six qualified social workers and/or community workers

Affecting change

Working for women & children

Eastern Refuge has a reputation of being accessible, approachable and dedicated in ensuring the safety of women and children.

Family or domestic violence in New Zealand society is at epidemic proportions and knows no cultural, racial, religious or social boundaries.

We apply a gendered analysis to all our work because statistics tell us that the vast majority of Family Violence within our society is perpetrated by men and that most often, women and children are the direct victims of this violence.

We also understand that we have a responsibility to ensure our women and children are afforded the right to a safe and secure family unit.  We also recognize the importance and significance of family or whanau throughout Aotearoa society.  As such, Eastern Refuge also umbrella  Hikoi te Korero – Men’s Caucus and are actively investigating the development of services that support men to achieve a violence free life, in parallel to refuge services.  This is a division of Eastern that is directed by Hikoi te Korero, with overarching governance of the Eastern Refuge collective.

As a general refuge, Eastern Refuge provides care and support to women and children who need our services. Demand for this supports continues to grow, particularly in the current economic climate.

Who we are

We are an affiliated member of the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, ensuring quality services at all levels.

Eastern Refuge is well regarded nationally for our impeccable levels of service delivery, experienced and dedicated staff, and our commitment to training, support, education and prevention of family violence.

How you can help?

By choosing to support our organisation you are choosing more than just a service – you are supporting the safety of women and children and an end goal of eliminating violence in homes throughout New Zealand.

Effective service provision for those affected by family violence is paramount to achieving better life outcomes for victims and perpetrators of family violence.

Over the previous eight years, Eastern Refuge has increased from a paid staff of two to a complementary team of 14 paid staff. As an organisation, we believe that to be able to provide appropriate social work interventions, our team needs to be as skilled as possible and as diverse as those people to whom we provide services.

To find out how you can become an Eastern Refuge Sponsor, how to donate, or are interested in volunteering email: info@ewr.org.nz