Demand for Christchurch's Cholmondeley Children's Centre up 150 per cent in nine years
Solo dad Raymond was shaking when he first took his two children to stay at Cholmondeley Children's Centre in Christchurch.
But with no family support, he needed help.
It has been more than two years and his two children – Renee, 9, and Dray, 8 – stay at the respite centre for five nights every six weeks.
More than 500 children stay at the largely community-funded Governors Bay centre each year, an unprecedented increase from less than 200 in 2011, which chief executive said could be indicative of the "increasing gap between the rich and the poor".
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.3% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.5% ... It is complicated
Addictive Eaters Anonymous
After ten years of depression, my life had hit rock bottom
I remember being ‘different’ around food for most of my life. This included things such as being the person who had two cream buns at morning tea when everyone else had one; eating icing sugar by the spoonful directly from the packet; and being the family member who went into the kitchen after dinner to eat the leftovers. There are numerous other examples – too many to list. I could overeat anything. If I couldn’t get my preferred favourites (e.g. chocolate), I’d be eating the vegetables.
Poll: Do you have a go-to adverse-weather checklist for your family? ☔⚠️
As reported in the Press, the same low-pressure system that lashed the North Island over the weekend is now making its way south, bringing heavy rain and strong winds with it. It’s a soggy start to the week for many of us.
With more wild weather on the cards, we’re curious: do you have a go-to adverse-weather checklist for your family? Or are you more of a “grab the torches and hope for the best” household?
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46.7% Yes - we like to be prepared
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43.3% Nah
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10% This is on my to-do list!
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