It was a real privilege recently to welcome Hon Paul Goldsmith, newly appointed Minister for Pacific Peoples and Minister of Justice, alongside Ōtaki MP Tim Costley, to the Porirua Whānau Centre.

We’re proud to share that Porirua Whānau Centre has been named a finalist in the Wellington Airport Community Awards.

We've just locked in a new three-year contract with the Ministry of Social Development, and it means twice as many of our rangatahi will get the chance to build a real future, every single year.

A years-long gap in family harm coordination in Porirua has been filled, with Porirua Whānau Centre appointing a Kaituitui Hapori | Community Connector to work across agencies in the family harm space.

For the third year running, Porirua Whānau Centre will bring free ice cream and t-shirts to every student and teacher at Windley School on Pink Shirt Day.

Recently, one of our Budget Facilitators, Christine, helped support a local mum of four through a situation that had become incredibly stressful.

Family violence leaves deep harm in homes and across communities, and Wellington Mayor Andrew Little says the response cannot be left to one service alone.

Porirua Whānau Centre has received resource consent to build 22 new social housing units on its Tremewan Street site, expanding access to warm, modern homes for local whānau.

Nearly $14,000 in debt has been wiped for a Porirua mother of four, ending months of financial strain and pressure from debt collectors. The turnaround follows sustained advocacy from Porirua Whānau Centre Budgeting Facilitator Christine.

When a local mother was told her Kāinga Ora home was being sold, she had just 90 days to leave the place her whānau had lived in for nearly 22 years. What followed was a stressful and uncertain period. Working part time, she suddenly had to navigate complex systems involving Kāinga Ora and MSD, while also gathering medical information and meeting strict requirements.

Over the past few months, I’ve had many kōrero with parents who are doing everything they can to keep things steady for their tamariki.

Prevention remains at the heart of building strong, resilient communities, and we’re pleased that our mahi will continue under the Resilience and Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) funding.

On 15 February, many of us felt the force of nature in a way we won’t soon forget.

The severe winds and heavy rainfall that swept across the Greater Wellington Region (described as the strongest winds in a decade) left trees down, roofs rattling, and thousands of homes without power.

When he first walked into Te Huringa ō Te Ao, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. A mate had invited him along, so that made it easier.

Keeping investment in Porirua was not an afterthought in the renovation of Porirua Whānau Centre’s social houses, it was the starting point.

I hope the summer break gave you the chance to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and spend time with the people and places that matter most.

Porirua Whānau Centre is stepping in with early, targeted support to help tamariki who are beginning to struggle at school or feel disconnected from their community.

In recent months, kaimahi at Porirua Whānau Centre have been taking part in de-escalation training with Lance Burdett – a facilitator who works at the intersection of wellbeing, neuroscience, and human connection.

As we head toward the end of the year, it’s a good chance to pause and look back at everything our Whānau Centre has been part of over the past few months..

When Anne Percival lost her best friend Vicky in June 2024, her world suddenly felt unsteady.

“We’d known each other since we were little,” Anne says.