"Celebrating over 30 years of service in the community"
Our History
Over thirty years ago, a small group of women from west Auckland saw an unmet need in their community. They opened the Titirangi Care Centre in 1980, as a meeting place for people who have been through crisis, whether caused by health, marriage or family breakdown. People from all walks of life began coming to the Centre to find friendship and support.
The Centre, based in a local community house, was open for one day each week. Soon doctors, public health nurses and social workers were sending their clients to see us. We began to be recognised by other agencies too.
By 1984, our numbers had increased greatly. Mayor Tim Shadbolt and the Waitemata Councillors gave us a rent-free new home at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall - still for just one day each week.
To raise funds, we ran a catering service which was very much in demand. This helped purchase our first van.
In 1989 we formed Dayspring Trust. That year we opened our first residential home, welcoming five women and their children. Some visits are short, others long, but providing this kind of respite and rehabilitation has been at the heart of Dayspring ever since.
In 2005 our mental health service was reconfigered to a Mental Health Community Support Work Service and a Supported Landlord Service.
Women and their children are referred to us by:
- Maternal Mental Health Team
- Team West 1 and 2
- Can be self referred
- plus GPs and other local agencies.
New Lynn, Old School
Rather than just one day a week, we always wanted our Care Centre to be open every weekday. This happened for the first time back in 1994, when we moved and opened the Dayspring Care Centre right in the centre of busy New Lynn.
Our first fulltime home was on the first floor of the Don Oliver building. After a year there our current home became available. We moved into the old New Lynn Primary School in 1995.
Today, and every day of the week, people are taking part in the wide range of Life Skill programmes available at Dayspring Care Centre:
- specialist parenting programmes
- Four-stage Clearing Anger Recovery Programme: Restore, Resolve, Reconnect and Release
- budgeting workshops;
- cooking on a budget;
- meal planning;
- nutrition;
- sewing;
- handicrafts;
- art;
- women's health.
- pilates and cardio boxing
Hands Up
Dayspring's philosophy hasn't changed. It is all about accepting people just as they are, with a "hand up" rather than a "hand out".
That is still our strength. Dayspring has been recognised by health authorities for our community work with mothers and their babies who are living with mental illness.
So rather than provide what we think people need, we keep listening. As the needs of the community change, we are committed to keep changing and growing too.
Our vision for the future is a permanent home for Dayspring. It will be a place where we can keep doing our work - and much more. Always giving a hand up to those who want to take it.
