Supergrans first started in Lower Hutt in 1994 under the umbrella of the Mature Employment Service. The service came to Christchurch late in 1995. It was officially launched in June 1996 and incorporated as a Registered Charitable Trust in 1997.

In 1997 Supergrans moved to Aranui, as this was perceived to be the area of greatest need in Christchurch.

In the in-home programme clients are supported by trained volunteers (women and men) on a one-to-one basis in the client's home.  Volunteers work alongside clients in a mentoring role, passing on skills in areas such as cooking, budgeting, and other home management life skills.

VOLUNTEERS

Our volunteers come from all walks of life, though we find in general that the most empathetic and successful ones are those people who have survived their own hard times and have developed a true understanding of some of the numerous issues many of our clients face.

TRAINING

We offer a comprehensive training programme which covers topics such as report writing, The Privacy Act, OSH, confidentiality, professional ethics and how to look after themselves and not get caught up in the client’s woes to the extent that they become unable to be of help. We also provide a selection of speakers from other community and government groups such as tenancy services, drug and alcohol services, domestic violence, Women’s Refuge programmes, IRD, Work and Income, Human Rights Commission and Network Waitangi.

THE PROGRAMME

When a client is referred to us, they are visited by the home services coordinator for an initial assessment. Once the client's needs have been identified, the coordinator matches them with a volunteer who regularly works with the client on a programme of achievable goals for a specified period of time.

Most work is done one to one in the client’s own home using whatever equipment is available in that environment. We are most often asked for help with budgeting and economic meal preparation.

Although we are based in Aranui on the east side of Christchurch where the majority of our clients live, we do support clients from other areas in Christchurch.