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After the challenges of COVID we finally managed to host our annual fundraiser 'Colour Me Purple'. Close to 100 people attended and it was a great night with Ali Mau as MC, The Fan Brigade comedy duo and Jan Hellrieger, singer and writer. Special thanks goes to our sponsors and auction suppliers Gilmours Mt Roskill, Jo Thompson our marvelous volunteer caterer, Ripe Deli, Farrah’s and Countdown Mt Eden. Wine and craft beer from Tantalus Estate Vineyard, Craggy Range, Soho wines, Planet Wine, Constellation Brands and The Garage Project. The flowers were done by Mt Eden Roses Florist. The Cottage at 108 the Pah and Mazda Auckland who supplied the main raffle prizes. If you get most of your information about sex crimes from watching international television, you might have been shocked to hear that a 26-year-old Christchurch man just had his rape conviction squashed on the basis of warm and friendly text messages from the 13-year-old girl he was originally convicted of raping. Many of us would expect New Zealand to have a statutory rape law, meaning that consent could not be argued if the victim was under 16 years of age. But no such law exists here. The brutal reality of our current justice system is that the consequences for raping a child are much less than for raping an adult. While there are particular laws against sexual connection with a person under 16 or under 12, these carry much shorter sentences than a conviction for sexual violation such as rape. Click on image below for the full story   Kathryn McPhillips, Executive Director and Clinical Psychologist, addresses about how talking with a specialist counsellor who can guide you through the process of addressing the impacts of sexual abuse or assault, can assist you to moderate strong feelings, understand yourself, and re-process memories of the experience.
To watch the video click here. 12/6/2020
ASB Marathon...join the HELPathon Team Thanks to our 21 runners and walkers at the Auckland Marathon we raised over $10,000. This is amazing and we are so grateful. Special thanks to Grace Kukutai and her team who raised $5,000. If you would like to help us with events like this contact supporthelp!helpauckland.org.nz   Two more videos on how to keep our children safe. Feel free to send these onto your communities. These are the last two videos of this series and all well worth watching. Click on photographs to view these videos.
 HELP's Kathryn McPhillips continues this series on keeping young children safer, with 3 skills to teach them. They are never responsible for keeping themselves safe from abuse, but no matter what you do, risk still exists. These skills can help.
Click here to view video.  Kathryn McPhillips, Executive Director and Clinical Pysychologist, talks about how to keep our children safer when blending familes. She talks to the reasons why children can be at risk in blended families and what you can do to prevent sexual abuse in this situation. Click here to view the video.
Any talk of sexual abuse can be distressing, so if you need support, phone us on 0800 6231700, 24/7.  Kathryn McPhillips, Executive Director and Clinical Psychologist, talks about how to keep our children safer by building their resilience, giving them the skills from as young as 3 years to keep safer, and how to create a safer home environment.
Click here to view video.  Do you shop online? Help us raise funds for free!
We’re on Rewardhub, a website where 100’s of leading brands Reward us with free donations, at no extra cost to you, when you shop online and are signed up to support us It’s an easy place to shop with discounts on big brands in fashion, beauty, entertainment, travel, utilities, money, homeware, food, drink and more. To learn more and sign up to our page, please visit https://rewardhub.co.nz/help-auckland  Understanding grooming is critical to stopping sexual abuse before it starts. Kathryn outlines how it happens, what you might see, and how you can disrupt it. Any talk of sexual abuse can be distressing, so if you need support, phone us on 0800 6231700 24/7
Click here to watch the video  Singer songwriter Sonny Southon releases her second single ‘No Means No’ from her soon to be released EP Movin On. She has kindly given us this song to raise vital funds. We will send you a link to the song once you donate $10 or more.
Her first new studio recording in more than two decades, it touches on rock, electronica and RnB while infused with a Balearic vibe that’s hard to pigeonhole. Sonny has created an alternative record with a strong, underlying pop sensibility. 'No Means No' is a clarion call to respect sexual boundaries. Sonny is a woman with a past as colourful and engaging as her music. From a childhood steeped in sound, she sang alongside her band-leading father before leaving for Sydney to become a professional songwriter. This was only the first step on an odyssey that would see her settle in London, sign to Warner Chappell Music Publishing UK and Virgin Records offshoot Siren as a successful solo recording artist. She sold over 100,000 records as well as sing alongside luminaries as varied as Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry and Bob Geldof. Sonny finally decided to return home to NZ shores in 2008, after a sojourn in Los Angeles and a final return to London. She has successfully found a path alongside music, teaching yoga before once again feeling the lure of the recording studio. From this has spawned her EP Movin On, the fruits of a co-production collaboration with producer Lake South. 2020 is the year to discover this re-emerging talent: both as a compelling recording artist and a naturally charismatic live performer with one of the most unique voices in New Zealand music. 23/4/2020
If you are interested If you are interested.........................why do so many survivors blame themselves following sexual abuse or assault. Katherine McPhillips, Executive Director and Clinical Psychologist, gives another excellent talk on why people should not buy into victim blaming, why childhood abuse makes people more prone to self blame, why survivors often get confused or feel shame. Only YES means YES and only adults can give consent. Click here to view the video.
#Yesmeansyes #notovictimblaming #sexualabusesurvivors  If you're interested............................ Kathryn McPhillips, Executive Director and Clinical Psychologist, talks about a common question asked by people and the survivor "Why didn't she fight back?'. There are many factors that contribute here. Kathryn gives a very insightful response. Well worth listening to. #sexualabuse #sexualassault #survivorblaming More questions for Kathryn email supporthelp@helpauckland.org.nz  Kathryn McPhillips, Clinical Psychologist and Executive Director of HELP Auckland, answers your questions. Today's question is "Why does it cut so deep?". As this is complex and different for each person we have given contact details and links to two poems which may help.
Send your questions to k.mcphillips@helpauckland.org.nz If you need to talk to someone, phone 0800 623 1700, 24/7. Poetry https://peonymoon.wordpress.com/tag/marge-piercy-rape-poem/ https://www.dearem.nz/empathise-archive/2020/ji6hj81jl5qi2thf0rz6vb11ftxdpf?fbclid=IwAR1ouy2ZFM9pWE_dy_lewYCp5Z-uvgFCBryof5_5KDcd9h9weaGCFcfg1V8 15/4/2020
Ask Kathryn each Wednesday"If you are Interested" starting on Wednesday 8th April Kathryn McPhillips, Help Auckland's Executive Director and Clinical Psychologist, will be answering any questions that you may have about our services or just general advice on sexual abuse and sexual assault. It is helpful for survivors and to end sexual violence, if people know more about it. But not everyone wants to know right now, so, just if you’re interested, we are going to be answering some common questions, and letting you know some things that survivors want you to know. Recovery from the impacts of sexual violence are harmed or helped by the actions and attitudes of the people around you. So even if its happened, you can still make a difference. #justask #questionsanswered #ifyouareinterested #advice #sexualabuseawareness Please send us your questions to supporthelp@helpauckland.org.nz before Midnight each Monday.  Last updated 27th March 2020
The health of our HELP Auckland Clients, Staff, Contractors, Volunteers and their extended families and the community are our focus at present with the current COVID-19 Level 4 situation. We place immense value on the trust the community gives us to not only support of women and children who are at risk or survivors of sexual abuse, but also to support the wider community who are at greater risk of sexual abuse during lockdown. In light of the recent COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown, we have closed our offices however we continue to provide our Crisis phone line 0800 623 1700 24 hours a day. All current clients are being contacted by their therapist and provided with phone consultations. Online consultations are to be implemented. We are still accepting referrals for new clients. To help keep you informed of how we are responding to COVID-19, we have implemented a communication strategy providing support on how to keep safe and well. This is being done through email direct mail; social media through @HelpAuckland and @DearEm; and through our blog on www.helpauckland.org.nz. You can also subscribe to our EDM through our website. HELP Auckland’s team is meeting frequently to ensure our policies, procedures and communications are delivering the very best information on any emerging health advice and action required. Kathryn McPhillips Executive Director 27/3/2020
COVID-19 Helpful Tips
During the next four weeks you may feel a lot of different emotions. We want to support you as much as possible with tips on mental health and keeping positive. Plan your day We are all adjusting to a new, rather strange, way of life. This can be a risk to our mental well being. As tempting as it might be to stay in pyjamas all day, regular routines are essential for our identity, self-confidence and purpose. Try to start your day at roughly the same time you usually would and aim to set aside time each day for movement, relaxation, connection and reflection. Move more every day Being active reduces stress, increases energy levels, can make us more alert and help us sleep better. Explore different ways of adding physical movement and activity to your day and find some that work best for you. Even at home, there will be lots of ways to exercise and keep your body moving. TV One has Les Mills doing an exercise class Monday to Friday at 9am and TV Two has a class for children at 3pm. 'Walk, walk, walk, walk' if you can. Keep in your bubble, 2 meters from everyone. Try a relaxation technique Relaxing and focusing on the present can help improve your mental health and lighten negative feelings. Try some different meditation or breathing exercises to see what helps. For example, sometimes we can be so tense that we do not even remember what being relaxed feels like. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches you to recognise when you are starting to get tense and how to relax. Connect with others Staying at home, especially if you live on your own, can feel lonely. Find creative ways to keep in touch with co-workers, friends, family, and others to help you (and them) feel more connected and supported. Explore ways of connecting that work for you, whether that’s by post, over the phone, social media, or video-chat. This could be anything, from sharing a cup of tea over video, playing an online game together, or simply sending a supportive text-message. Facetime has group messaging options with video. Have a family get together online. Click here for a video link on how to group facetime. Take time to reflect and practice self-compassion Make time every day to reflect on what went well. It's important to recognise your successes and the things you are grateful for, no matter how small. Consider keeping a gratitude journal each day where you could write two or three of these things every night before you go to bed. Give others three compliments a day in your household as well, then ask them for three compliments back. Kindness techniques may also help you focus on the present rather than dwelling on unhelpful thoughts. #actsofkindness are highlighted on our #act2HELP page. Improve your sleep Feelings of uncertainty and changes to daily life may mean you have more difficulty sleeping. There is a lot you can do to improve your sleep. Aim to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even at the weekend if you can, and try to get some natural sunlight (by opening your curtains and windows) where possible. This helps to regulate your body clock which can help you sleep better. Wind down before bed by avoiding using your phone, tablet, computer or TV for an hour before bedtime. Mental Health Foundation NZ click here for more information on coping with COVID-19 HELP Auckland's services Our crisis service remains open 24/7 0800 623 1700 Therapy services will continue online or by phone. Your therapist will be in touch. For information about coping with sexual abuse you can find useful resources on our website here If you are concerned you might have COVID-19, call the Healthline team (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or +64 9 358 5453 for international SIMS Ministry of Health information here 19/2/2020
Nopesister's help raise funds for HELP NOPE Sisters Brittany and Johanna Cosgrove are collaborating with HELP Auckland on a Property of ME t-shirt. "There was a lot we wanted to say NOPE to - and we found a way to do that - by creating walking billboards of our clothes." explains Johanna. "It's time to empower people to understand the ownership they have over their own bodies. We want everyone to have complete freedom to make their own choices about relationships and sex," shares Brittany.
www.nopesisters.com to order 'Property of Me' Tshirts 19/2/2020
#act2HELP #act2HELP | April 1st to 8th, 2020
#act2HELP is HELP Auckland’ annual fundraising campaign, encouraging people to perform an act to help, raising the awareness of sexual abuse and raise vital funds to help sexual abuse survivors to heal and live life to the full. Complete an #act2HELP challenge to help us raise $50,000 Take Action to help and ask people to donate when you:
http://everydayhero.co.nz/event/act2HELP to create your own fundraising peer to peer individual or team page INCENTIVES:
19/2/2020
Colour Me Purple Colour Me Purple is now the 28th October. Tickets are still for sale and those bought for April's event will be honoured.
It will be a fun and entertaining night with The Fan Brigade's very entertaining and sometimes raunchy act as well as a charity auction with something for everyone. Tasty canapes and refreshments will be provided. Wear purple with the craziest 'purple of purple' outfits winning a prize. $65 plus fees pp $120 plus fees for two people Tickets will sell fast so don't delay. Book now 16/1/2020
Round the Bays is on March 8th Round the Bays 2020 - will you join us?
We'd love you to join us on 8th March, as part of our Round the Bays team. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by sexual violence. That’s why we are walking, running and standing alongside each other to bring about an end to sexual violence. Want to join our Run for HELP team? Here's how... 1. Visit our Round the Bays Team EveryDay Hero website here 2. Click 'Join Team' bottom right 3. Register yourself with EveryDay Hero or login if you have a registration already 4. You can run as a member of our team 5. Or click here if you want to start your own team for HELP (remember to choose HELP Auckland as your charity) 6. Register yourself with Round the Bays here Once you've registered, we’ll be in touch to let you know what to do next – how to fundraise, what to share on Facebook, how to get people involved. We'll also organise some fab team bonding opportunities! Just want to donate this time? You can donate directly to the campaign through here. Any questions email us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. |
AuthorRuth Davy-Fundraising Manager, HELP Auckland Archives
November 2020
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4/11/2020