Voyagers –
providing mental health
support for children and
young people 0-18 years
Glenda Gillgren, Clinical Team Leader, Voyagers, Te
Kaumoana o Ruamano, Whakatāne.
I am proud to be the Team Leader of such a
caring and supportive team who are passionate
about every single thing that they do and this
has shown in their mahi with the community of
Edgecumbe during the past few weeks.
The Voyagers team including admin staff supported one another
to be able to spend time in the community supporting in every way
they could. Team members put up their hands to work weekend
shifts initially at the Whakatāne Memorial Hall, Awakeri and also
Rautahi Marae in Kawerau and more recently Edgecumbe Hall.
Some staff also offered to work through the Easter break. There
was never any question that this is what they wanted to do to
support the people of Edgecumbe, and they did this with passion,
empathy and lots of aroha.
Going forward the team will be providing ongoing support in the
community. We will have staff at Edgecumbe College twice a week
for students there and the neighbouring primary school. We realise
as a team that this will mean that we will be busy but the team are
keen to do what they can to assist the Children and Youth of this
community to move through this flooding event and aftermath in a
positive and healthy manner.
A big Tino Pai o Mahi for you guys.
Sam Notman, Registered Nurse, Voyagers.
On the morning of the floods we were at work and all saw a
video of the river bank in Edgecumbe. It looked very high but we
all thought surely it would be fine. We later heard that the river
bank had broken and later saw the devastation the flood had
caused on the news. I think we all under estimated the damage at
Edgecumbe and thought it would be fine once the water had gone
down and that there wouldn’t be too much damage. Some of my
own family had been evacuated and stayed with me for a night, I
was so relieved that they were okay and safe. It really made me
realise what is important in life, and that is family.
We were asked to go and support the Edgecumbe community,
first from a base at nearby Awakeri then in Edgecumbe. We
were overwhelmed by how strong the people of the community
were and how brave the children had been. When we went to
Edgecumbe we were shocked at just how bad the damage was
and how many people had lost everything. Lifelong possessions
that were irreplaceable, gone just like that. Houses that were
completely destroyed, and even moved from the floodwaters. Mud
and water still present.
While based at the Edgecumbe Hall we talked with people and
played with children. I tried to become a balloon animal making
expert (I did n ot get far at this one). I just wanted to help wherever
I could, however I could. We also visited some of our current and
old clients to make sure they were okay and let them know we
were there for them.
I could not believe the strength of the community, they were
stronger than the floods and would not let this ruin their community
spirit, the spirit of Edgecumbe.
When I got home, I looked at all my valuable possessions and
thought of the people in Edgecumbe who had lost all their precious
things and wished that I could have done more to help them.