Connect 15

Wow! It certainly feels like 2022 has gone in a flash. Despite this, as Lauren and I reflect on ‘the year that was’, we can certainly say it has been full and fruitful.​ There are some wonderful articles in this newsletter, and we'd like to thank Emma in particular for sharing her story.  Happy festive reading.

This year a total of 219 tamariki and their whānau joined us at The Champion Centre. We farewelled 60 children and families, as they took the next steps in their exciting journey to school, and we supported 64 children at their early childhood centre.

We know that for some, parenting can be lonely and isolating. That’s why this year we intentionally sought to increase opportunities for parents and caregivers to connect with one another. In addition to providing more scope for connection with other families in programmes, we now have regular afternoon teas for parents, providing a place to gather, share a cuppa and get to know each other further. We have also offered a Circle of Security Parenting Group. Meanwhile, two wonderful Mums have set up a Champion Centre Facebook page for parents and caregivers, that now has over 70 families connecting, communicating and supporting one another and even meeting up in person.

Consisting of families past and present, staff and supporters, our Champion Centre community is certainly strong, supportive and in good heart. We would like to thank everyone for your unique contributions: to our families; to our dedicated, skilled and hard-working staff; and to our generous supporters who help make sure we have the funds to continue to do what we need to do.

THANK YOU!

Wishing you and your whā​nau a safe and relaxing holiday.

​We look forward to seeing you next year.

Meri Kirihimete.

Wendy and Lauren

CENTRE HAPPENINGS

Here comes Christmas! 

​Our Family Christmas Party this year was once again a hit with children, families and staff. Santa was in attendance, and many children got to meet the man himself and have a photo taken. Melanie Poppins put on a magic show, and our very own Champion Centre Music Specialists ran a group music session complete with the rainbow ring and parachute. The weather was kind to us, and there was an abundance of festive food, kindly catered and donated by the Airport Commodore Hotel. The Christmas Party is a wonderful example of our community once again coming together to support one another. Thank you to all involved.

MOLLY'S STORY

‘Thank you so much to The Champion Centre for all your help for Mum and me…. You grew

me into a champion!’

It’s always wonderful to hear what our Champion Centre graduates are up to. Molly, now 20,

kindly agreed to be the guest speaker at our Annual General Meeting this year, where she eloquently spoke of her life journey, what she gets up to and what’s important to her. Molly attended The Champion Centre from a baby up until when she went to primary school. She shared highlights of her school career, including year 11 Academic Excellence in the supported learning programme, her school formal, her love for animals, a recent trip to Sydney, her love of Christmas, and her rich array of friends and family. Molly recently graduated from Ara with a New Zealand Certificate in Skills for Living and Skills for Working. We are so very proud.

Molly’s Mum, Charlotte also shared her recollections of those early days with Molly at The Champion Centre and the vital support she received from all staff as well as the wonderful sense of community.

Thank you to both Molly and Charlotte. 

We also wish to thank everyone who attended the AGM and got to hear Molly's story first hand.

EMMA AND HARPER'S STORY

With her twinkling eyes and her broad, infectious smile, Harper greets us with a great big ‘Hi’. Everyone at the Centre knows when Harper has entered the building as she rushes through reception to start her programme, and she never forgets to say ‘Goodbye’ as she leaves on her next adventure. 

When Harper was diagnosed with a heart condition at 28 weeks old, Emma recalls the rollercoaster of emotions she endured while waiting for answers at an Auckland hospital. During this long process Emma’s family members needed to return to work and other commitments, so she was left feeling vulnerable and frustrated, with very little additional support. She reached out to the other mothers on the ward, but with the prognoses of some of their children being critical, it often instilled more concerns instead of reassurances. 

After 3 months in hospital and countless professional opinions later, Harper’s heart condition was stabilised, but Emma was still convinced something wasn’t right. Harper wasn’t thriving, she was routinely ‘projectile vomiting’ and began to present with a feeding aversion because of the pain and discomfort she endured. 

Allergy testing began, along with visits to the feeding clinic at the hospital, and issues with Harper’s eyesight were now being investigated but often were not a priority. After 8 months with a change of doctor and a barium swallow administered, they finally detected a twisted bowel. Harper was operated on within 48 hours of being notified. Harper continued to endure a feeding aversion after the operation and Emma’s frustration with delays in the health system since Harper’s birth, led her to contact The Champion Centre when Harper was 15 months old. 

With a referral process in place Emma was embraced by The Champion Centre. “Words can’t express how grateful I am, I didn’t want to be here, no one really wants to be here, but we are very grateful you are here for us!”. She continues “The Champion Centre has been imperative to Harper’s progress; they are all genuinely interested in both Harper and me." She goes on to explain the benefits of building relationships with other families at the Centre, and the true value of those connections. “The bonds that are formed with the other caregivers are invaluable. They get you, and you can let go of all those conversations you have to restrict yourself with, around other mums and dads, and family”. Emma adds, “These are the ‘relatable chats’ the ones that allow you to mourn and evolve”, and then confesses, “but there is still a place for those ‘normal’ friendships with people, they give you the opportunity to relax and forget for a moment”. 

Emma put aside her plans to return to work as a Recruiter at St John’s, for the time being, so she could give total focus to Harper’s continued development at the Centre, through her early years. 

“Harper is so excited to come to The Champion Centre, she just loves the music to bits! She enjoys being involved with dancing and singing, and is passionate about books. We have a whole lot more hope for Harper’s future through the support of our intervention team, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more from any of them”.

Impact Lab report highlights quality of Champion Centre services

The significant impact of the Champion Centre’s work was recently highlighted by Impact Lab. Commissioned by the Champion Foundation Trust, Impact Lab set out to measure the quality of our service and its impact on the lives of children and families both now and into the future. The approach was rigorous and included the gathering of data and evidence to demonstrate and test the value and effectiveness of the Champion Centre model.  We were delighted by the results which testify to the strength and value of our programmes.

Impact Lab’s CEO, Maria English, presenting their findings, described the Champion Centre as a ‘remarkable translation of evidence to practice that improves lives’. She praised the focus on the ‘whole family and the ​relationships around the child’, noting that ‘the Champion Centre seeks to achieve a shift towards aspiration and a view of the positive potential of children and their lives. She also noted how the stable nurturing relationships around children enable them to achieve their potential’.

In short, the Champion Centre’s focus on flexible and individualised support to meet the individual needs and aspirations of children and their parents was deemed foundational to our success. More information on Impact Lab’s report is available on our website and we hope that donors and supporters will continue to feel confident that their generous donations really are making a difference.

Please have a further look at the Impact Lab results via this link: Research - Champion Foundation Trust

Thank you for your support ❤ See you in 2023