Why new night refuge in Masterton is breaking some rules to repair some hearts.
On a prime section on the edge of Masterton’s CBD sits a once-derelict hall that’s being rebuilt into a haven of hope.
The tradies are doing the physical work but this is essentially the house that Lyn has built, with a little help from a lot of friends and local businesses.
Lyn Tankersley, 68, is a driving force behind the transformation of the building that will soon accommodate up to 13 extreme homeless people a night in the Wairarapa town.
She estimates there are about 15-20 people in that category right now.
The new homeless shelter in Masterton, named Kim's Way.
The new night refuge - named Kim’s Way, after Lyn’s late friend Kim McKinley who was also dedicated to the homeless - is expected to open in the next few weeks, hopefully before Christmas.
Behind it has been a massive community fundraising and work campaign, with Tankersley, district councillor Stella Lennox and former mayor Bob Francis helping lead the charge. About $175,000 has been raised so far.
And the new facility will purposely break some traditional conventions to ensure the needy are helped.
Masterton already has a night shelter but it is restricted to men and it bans alcohol.
Masterton, says Tankersley, has a number of homeless women, and alcoholics.
The new haven, called a night refuge rather than night shelter, will allow for men, women, and alcohol - Tankersley believes this will be a New Zealand first.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how it goes,” says Tankersley. “A lot of people are going to be watching to see what happens. It’ll be a good learning curve.”
The former Masterton foodbank co-ordinator - Tankersley was there 20 years - came to know the town’s homeless community well, especially during the pandemic.
“When Covid came, it hit home to us that there were still quite a few on the street who refused to go into accommodation,” says Tankersley.
“I just felt that they were a part of our community that was really forgotten and I just felt nobody cared. I thought, right I’ll do something.”
Lyn Tankersley with her husband Hayden McGrail and their granddaughter Kensi.
She firmly believes alcoholic homeless people won’t use the new facility if alcohol is banned but that’s not to say there won’t be rules.
“We’re making it really strict. It’s only for Masterton’s extreme homeless. We’re working very closely with Masterton police to make sure that happens,” says Tankersley.
“We don’t want anybody coming from other areas because this is a free thing. They don’t have to pay. Once people in Palmy or Wellington start hearing about it, they’ll start coming over the hill ... we don’t want that to happen.
“It will be invitation only and they can have the same bed every night if they want to come.”
Inside the new shelter, which will be able to accommodate up to 13 people.
As well as a bed, individuals will also receive a hot meal, breakfast and basic sanitation needs.
Volunteers will staff the facility initially, before fulltime workers are employed.
I ask Tankersley where her sense of compassion comes from.
“My mum and dad were very compassionate to other people as we were growing up, they would always help people and took people in.
“My father was a Presbyterian minister. My mother was a Presbyterian minister’s daughter. The motto of my life is, ‘What would Jesus do?’”
She and her husband of almost 50 years, Hayden McGrail - who she praises as a huge support - have lived in Masterton for 45 years, after buying her great-grandfather’s former farmhouse while they were living in Levin.
“We just loving here ... and to live in your home that was your ancestors’ and has so many memories for people in our family.”
Tankersley is a beloved figure herself by many in her community,
In 2021, upon her retirement from the foodbank, Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty praised the woman he has known most of his life. He and her son David were at school together.
“You stood out as someone who was welcoming, embracing, completely caring and compassionate but selfless as well – and that’s the reflections of an 11-year-old,” McAnulty said, as reported by the Wairarapa Times Age.
“Since that time, you’ve taken those attributes and shared that love with the community.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor.
