News and Publications
Construction underway for MASH Trust's new community space in Levin
Construction has started for a new community space in Levin that has been gifted the name Te Puna Rau Aroha by Muaūpoko. Te Puna Rau Aroha will be a fun, accessible, and inclusive space where disabled people feel a sense of belonging, empowerment, and engagement with their community. It will include a bookable private indoor spa and sensory room. The name Te Puna Rau Aroha refers to the place where love, respect, courage, safety, and sharing is what really matters. A place and space where the essential vitality and life force of individuals, whānau and the community is nurtured, cared for, cared about. Where we can work and play together to reach for our dreams and our potential, and where everyone can thrive. Te Puna Rau Aroha will open in early 2025.
We recently ran our second feedback survey for the year for people we support and their whānau/families. These surveys will continue to run every six months to help us promote the voice of the people we support and their whānau, learn, and make improvements. The Leadership Team reviewed the findings and as a result have committed to: Continuing the rollout of The MASH Way. This is the way that we do things at MASH. Continuing the rollout of My Life My Plan. Our process for setting and supporting the achievement of goals and dreams with the people we support. A major clean-up of the key contacts we hold in our database. Ensuring they are relevant and hold all the required and correct information. Further engagement with staff prior to the next survey opening to support the people we support and their whānau to have a voice and share their experiences. These surveys are always a valuable learning opportunity for MASH. A huge thank you to everyone who took part.
Survey results are in
Canine Friends Visit MASH
Our Addictions Recovery Monarch group had a special visit from Canine Friends recently; they call it a Pat & Chat the whaiora loved it. Canine Friends Pet Therapy is a New Zealand-wide network of people who share their friendly well behaved dogs usually with people in hospitals and residents in rest homes/hospices. Whaiora were chatting and laughing and showed real interest in the ladies work with their dogs and how they started doing this. Health research in New Zealand and overseas shows clearly that many people show great improvement in their health and attitude through interaction with visiting animals. Canine Friends say that their own experience and anecdotal evidence shows that the people they visit are often energised and comforted by the visiting dog teams.
Intern Spotlight
We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on our extraordinary intern, Ardyn Stokes (Studying a Bachelor Of Business, majoring in Accounting), who joined us as part of the Massey Business School Internships program. Ardyn has truly become a valued member of our team here at MASH Trust. Learning to navigate complex cost centre budgeting, Ardyn has contributed to the work we do here by drilling down into our expenses and really trying to understand the cost drivers behind our ongoing expenses. We have been continuously impressed with Ardyn’s work supporting our month end close and reporting processes, where she has demonstrated a real knack for financial analysis. Beyond her financial acumen, Ardyn has showcased an impressive dedication to continuous learning and team growth. She has enthusiastically taken on the task of upskilling our team members with her formidable Excel skills and has produced incredibly well-written process documentation, setting a new standard in our team. Her hard work, dedication, and eagerness to learn have significantly impacted our charity, and we're so grateful to have her on board! We're excited to see where this journey will take her, and we're honoured to be part of it. Ngā mihi nui Ardyn!