2021 Annual Report

When the CMM Board approved the three-year Strategic Plan in 2019, we committed ourselves to being ‘radical and brave in our work for social transformation’.  

This approach was evident again this past year as people who had been long-term homeless were housed, struggling whānau were supported through our pre-school, work in schools and home visits, and people nearing the end of their life were cared for compassionately at Wesley Care. 

A highlight for me personally was the opening of the new housing community in Guild Street, Christchurch. As a former District Nurse, I have witnessed the impact that living in a cold, damp house has on children. To see 15 families, move into their new, warm, dry, permanent homes set in a park-like environment was a great cause for celebration. The addition of a community house with a dedicated community worker provides additional opportunities for families to thrive. With over 24,000 households on the social housing register, this may be a ‘small drop in the ocean of need’ but it does provide a model of housing that is about building communities, not just houses. This development was possible only because of the generosity of Anglican Care who have leased the land to CMM. If the housing crises is going to be solved, such creative partnerships are essential.  

CMM had a positive financial result for the year overall. The COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown in the autumn of 2020 had a negative impact on Wesley Care, with slightly lower admissions and higher overall costs due to requirements of additional staff and the huge increase in the cost of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Despite these challenges, Wesley Care has continued the provision of high-quality care for which it has a strong reputation.  

CMM continues to be governed by a strong and stable Board with a diverse set of knowledge and skills. This year we farewelled Ngaere Dawson from the Board and I would like to thank Ngaere for her contributions over the past five years.  

CMM now has 230 staff and I am grateful for their hard work and commitment over the past year. As you will see from this report, CMM has a broad range of services and a staff team with many and varied qualifications and skills that are drawn on to make a significant difference in peoples’ lives.  

Finally, I want to thank the many supporters of CMM’s work; whether that be a Government organisation, a philanthropic trust, a parish or an individual. This work would not be possible without your commitment to building a better world. 

In his address to the Methodist Conference in 2020, the incoming President Rev Andrew Doubleday implored the Church to look into our own hands to see what we have to offer the world. This challenge underlies all of the work that is undertaken every day by the Christchurch Methodist Mission. 

One of the greatest resources we have is our highly committed and skilled workforce; whether it be the teachers at Aratupu who every day are building the confidence of both tamariki and their whānau or the nurses, carers and service workers who work hard to ensure high quality and individualised care for all residents at Wesley Care. Our social workers, psychologists, kaimahi in schools have amazing skills and knowledge which they use to support children and their families who are struggling. Sharing these skills with their colleagues has also helped to build the expertise in the overall workforce. The appointment of a Cultural Lead this year helps to build the cultural competency of all staff, provides support to Māori staff and ensures that all staff are enhancing the mana of Māori whānau they work with.  

This past year saw a number of new services being developed in response to specific needs in the wider community including supporting young people leaving State care, the provision of intensive support to whānau who are struggling in the East of Christchurch who are at risk of losing their tenancies. CMM’s expertise has also been recognised with the granting of new contracts for the expansion of our housing services to Nelson and the West Coast.  

Other initiatives have continued to grow throughout the year.  The Housing First programme has now housed over 200 people who were long term homeless and continues to provide ongoing support to them. With the housing crisis showing no signs of abating, CMM has increased its response through the provision of support to people living in motels and its transitional housing service. Most crucially, we have been able to provide permanent, warm homes for 15 families in a beautiful setting in Richmond, Christchurch and four further one bedroom accessible units for older people are nearing completion in Matsons Ave.  The building of new, affordable homes is the only way out of the current housing crisis and CMM will continue to play its part as funds allow.  

All of this work has been possible because of people looking into their own hands or into their own kete (basket) to see what resources can be shared with others. As highlighted in this whakataukī:  

Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou ka ora ai te iwi - With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive.

Thank you to the Board, staff and volunteers at CMM, to all of our supporters and those organisations who share their food baskets with us.