The Trust staff officially opened Ka¯ Whetu ¯ Ora, a new Adult Mental Health Activity Day Base located at 21 Earnslaw St, Invercargill.
Kā Whetū Ora offers a welcoming and empowering space for adults to build wellbeing through a diverse range of peer-led, culturally grounded activities.
Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust (NKMP) chief executive Tracey Wright-Tawha said they wanted to create a space where people felt they were really invited and a place where they felt they belonged.
"Mental health is still very marginalised . . . this is just an added layer of support and enablement for people to be self-resilient and to embrace their own capacity and capabilities," Mrs Wright-Tawha said.
The Kā Whetū Ora kaupapa draws inspiration from the Māori tradition of celestial navigation, where stars (whetū) serve as guides.
The service has taken the concept and used it in the way they support individuals, to navigate towards wellbeing in ways that work uniquely for them.
Kā Whetū Ora centre co-ordinator Ky McLachlan-More said she was stoked and excited about the impact the facility would have on the community.
"I really wanted to be able to awhi (help) them into our space and make them feel really welcomed," Ms McLachlan-More said.
"A lot more organisations can now refer people to us, or people can refer themselves and see themselves thriving in this space."
The programme is shaped by the voices and needs of its participants, supported by a dedicated team with lived experience and a shared commitment to uplifting mental wellbeing.
Te Whatu Ora mental health activity centre Southland team leader Joe Oxley said the mental health space would have a very positive impact on the community.
"It’s about people who suffer from mental health distress taking ownership but also being part of the community.
"It’s about removing the stigma around mental health and Kā Whetū Ora will certainly be a part of that."
