Raumati Beach’s Te Ara Korowai faces funding crisis but new prospect of council assistance

Te Ara Korowai members Rumki Majumdar (back left), Jonathan Taal, Alexandra Lines and Monique Schipper, with Ara Kennedy (front left), Sarah Yuile and Shane Ford. Photo / Grace Odlum

Raumati Beach’s mental wellness centre is set to lose its funding next month but there is hope for a council lifeline.

Te Ara Korowai, which is based in Weka Rd, was the subject of seven submissions to Kāpiti Coast District Council’s recent long-term plan consultation asking for funding.

For the past three years the centre, which has been open for about 10 years, has been funded by the Government, but that funding was brought in as a response to Covid and will soon end.

The funding came from Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and was introduced to recognise the importance of creative spaces and the need for them post-Covid.

“It was targeted three-year funding so that we could attract more members, be open for longer and offer more classes. Nothing had ever been offered like that in the creative sector,” Te Ara Korowai manager Sarah Yuile said.

Yuile said while the funding did not cover everything, and she needed to apply for grants to fill the gaps, it was a “really good base”.

She said the funding had been successful and had allowed the centre to offer more classes and extend its hours into evenings and weekends to suit people who worked fulltime.

“Not everyone who struggles with mental health is unemployed.”

Without the Government funding, the centre would be faced with potentially having to reduce the number of classes it offers and cut its services, which Yuile said would affect its members.

Currently, it offers creative classes, such as art, music, dance and writing, and complements them with wellbeing classes including yoga, meditation and cooking.

Te Ara Korowai manager Sarah Yuile. Photo / Grace Odlum

Yuile said the centre was very recovery-focused, and the main goal was to transition members into the community – and it had quite a high success rate.

“We see ourselves as the pathway and not the destination.”

She said Te Ara Korowai was looking for sustainable funding from the council as part of its long-term plan so the centre would not be constantly “chasing our tail looking for funding”.

“We are hoping they recognise the need and see the value of a community mental health service. We see ourselves as a vital community resource, not as a nice to have.”

Without the centre, Yuile said lots of people would struggle as they would not be able to find another service that suited them.

“There are a lot of disability services out there but there’s no one that focuses on mental health. We are the lifeline for a lot of our members.

“I often think with these types of services it’s not until you do lose them that you realise the impact of the service.”

At Thursday’s council meeting, Kāpiti Coast District Council voted to fund Te Ara Korowai $30,000 for the first year - and this was largely due to Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford who pushed for it.

“I moved the amendment to make this happen, with the original recommendation being to not fund,” Handford said.

She said this funding was not to the extent that Te Ara Korowai requested “but at least it’s something”.

“It is important to recognise that mental health is an integral part of our community’s overall health. By supporting Te Ara Korowai, we demonstrate our commitment to the holistic wellbeing of those in Kāpiti. This funding is not just about maintaining an organisation; it is about investing in the people of our community, ensuring they have the support they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.”

The vote on funding being allocated to Te Ara Korowai was 5-4 in favour, and there could still be changes to the long-term plan before it is adopted on June 27.

Te Ara Korowai will host an exhibition on June 6 to showcase everything it has achieved with the Government’s funding over the past three years.

It will also run a fundraiser on June 22 and 23 which will consist of a series of classes and workshops such as yoga, art therapy, meditation, writing and more.