Pāpāmoa family service gifted $90,000

Manager of Beachaven Family Services Gale Gordon. Photo/Supplied

An additional $90,000 has been given to a community organisation which has welcomed and supported newcomers to Pāpāmoa for the last 17 years.

Beachaven Family Services will be gifted three $30,000 annual payments from BayTrust to help cover operating costs and provide social worker support.

Manager of Beachaven Gale Gordon said an influx of Aucklanders who have cashed up and bought new homes in Pāpāmoa had resulted in a growing number of people feeling isolated and lonely.

"New residents often leave behind family and friends and come down here from Auckland to find they're completely isolated, particularly older people," Gordon said.

"They don't know anyone, and they don't know the geography of the Bay so it's difficult to get out and about."

Gordon said the multi-year funding grant was a huge help to the community organisation which was a service of Anglican Care Waiapu.

"It gives us room to breathe knowing that we've got a sum that big for three years," she said. "We have no Government-funded contracts so we rely on philanthropic donations."

Beachaven offers a playgroup for mums with young children, Rummikub sessions and a walking group which meets each week at its Palm Springs Boulevard premise.

A seniors' lunch outing was also held once a month where people can collectively try cafes and restaurants in Pāpāmoa, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke and Tauranga.

"It's all about the friends you make, not the specific group you're joining. That's what we do best," Gordon said. "People can also just pop in anytime for a chat and a coffee."

Gordon said it was "astounding" how much the region had grown.

"The houses are like mushrooms – popping up everywhere. A lot of the new arrivals are retirees, so our focus is on helping older people in our community and providing opportunities for them to connect with one another."

BayTrust chief executive Alastair Rhodes said Beachaven Family Services was successfully fulfilling an important need in the Pāpāmoa community.

"We are impressed by their proactive approach. They've clearly seen a need develop in recent years among new and older members of their community and they're doing a great job of welcoming and connecting those residents," he said.