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. 

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. 

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

​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

"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 

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

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