The 111 Files: Don't suffer alone in silence

(From left) Sergeant Pauline Jones, Senior Sergeant Courtney Brunt and Leigh Richards-Ward, Mokoia Community Association, at the "Celebrate Family" day. Photo / Mark Gould

Over the past few months, I have been writing about how important it is that we work together to strengthen our community.

Achieving positive social change is hard work, but if you take the time to look around you will find there are plenty of examples around the world of people who have overcome significant challenges to change their communities for the better.

Great leadership is always in the mix.

Last week, I mentioned the positive impact the "roots of empathy" programme is having in a number of Rotorua schools - another example of local leaders stepping up to create positive change.

A week or so back, a group of people in the eastern suburbs, including the Mokoia Community Association, organised a "Celebrate Family" event to promote a safer community for our families. Hundreds of families attended this event and, by all accounts, had a great time.

Although there were a lot of fun activities for the children to enjoy, the event was used to promote three key messages. The first was that families are precious and need to be supported, nurtured and celebrated. The second was that we need to unite to stop family violence - as that is the single most significant threat to the well-being of our children in this community.

The third is "hope". Unfortunately some people in our community have lost hope and can't imagine a life different to the cycle of violence they have been exposed to for many years. In some cases, for generations.

The good news is your future does not have to be your past. There is hope and there are always options, it is just that sometimes we need help finding them. When your mind has been numbed by daily exposure to bullying and violence in your own home, it does become really difficult to imagine that life might be different. But it can be. It requires effort, patience and a bit of old-fashioned grit and finding some good support. That is where the police and a host of other agencies can provide help.

Rotorua Police family violence team is one option (call the station and ask for George Staunton, Casey James or Jude Hatful). Or call Kiti Ransfield-King, Rotorua Family Violence network at 3485051.