Otago Financial Management financial adviser Lynley Hayes (left) presents Plunket Otago and Southland area manager Barb Long with a cheque for $14,498.40 to put towards the running of a Plunket programme for women suffering from postnatal depression. Photo by James Boucher.

A Plunket Society service supporting women in Dunedin suffering from postnatal depression has been given a financial boost courtesy of the Australian exchange rate.

The service, which will start next week at Plunket's family centre on Macandrew Rd, was made possible by an AMP Foundation community grant which matched money raised from the Zonta Club of Metropolitan Dunedin springsummer fashion show, up to a predetermined amount.

The $18,000 raised by the fashion show last September meant AMP would contribute the maximum capped limit of $12,000, although Plunket had thought the cap was to be $10,000. However, when the cheque arrived from Australia it was nearly $4500 more than the expected total thanks to the higher cap than expected and the exchange rate.

The resulting $32,498.40 raised last year was enough to fund the service, one day a week, for nearly two years.

Plunket operations manager for Otago and Southland Barb Long said she was pleasantly surprised to see the additional funds and was glad the service would now get under way.

‘‘There is a significant risk that there will be more demand for this service than we can accommodate,'' Ms Long said.

‘‘Hopefully it will be an eyeopener and demonstrate to people that this service is necessary and facilitate further funding to broaden the programme.''

Ms Long said she had already received a lot of positive feedback about starting the service and although Plunket had not officially run a service of this type, it had done a lot of work in the field.

Initially, the new service could only be offered to Plunket clients on a referral basis from Plunket nurses and midwives, she said.

It was hoped by the end of the two-year service, funding would be found so the programme could be extended to the greater community.

The service would include a goal-setting and education programme for mothers, care plans for women outlining what is needed to become well, baby massage sessions to strengthen the mother/child bond, and intensive support for women experiencing difficulties breastfeeding.

‘‘Postnatal depression is something that affects everyone differently and it's something that can affect the whole family,'' Ms Long said.


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