Who we have Helped

Te Huka Tai Trust

​Te Huka Tai Trust holds the Hakatere Multicultural Festival in the Ashburton Event Centre in August each year.  This incredible event provides a performance opportunity for multicultural groups from schools throughout the Mid Canterbury region.  In 2023, there were 18 performances from 12 schools which featured over 300 children ranging from preschoolers to College pupils.  Performances included Kapa haka, Pasifika, Filipino, and multicultural groups, highlighting the diversity of cultures within our community.  
The wider community is invited to attend the festival and there is no admission charge.  As such, the wider whānau of the performers take the opportunity to support their tamariki throughout the day. 
A key aim of the organising committee is create interest and exposure to Māori culture and language, but it also provides the opportunity to celebrate diversity in our multicultural community.  As the festival is not a competition but a celebration, the atmosphere is positive and supportive to all.  Rangatahi get to share what they have learnt, as well as learn from and enjoy watching others.

Mid Canterbury Emergency Relief Charitable Trust

​The Mid Canterbury Emergency Relief Charitable Trust, in partnership with Safer Mid Canterbury, works to address isolation in rural communities and delivers a range of services and programmes to people across the district.  One such programme is the Rural Driver Licensing Scheme which aims to assist newcomers to rural Mid Canterbury to attain a New Zealand driver’s licence.  This leads to reduced isolation, better community integration and social interaction, and results in more settled newcomers and lower staff turnover in rural Mid Canterbury.
The Rural Driver Licensing Scheme assists participants through their learner and restricted licences and provides support to gain a full licence or convert an international licence.  Participants take part in classroom-based road code lessons with language support, practical driving lessons with qualified instructors and volunteer driving mentors, as well as developing social networks through the supportive group environment.

Hakatere Multi-Cultural Council

​The Hakatere Multi-Cultural Council aims to maintain and develop a culture of understanding and acceptance in our district so that people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds feel welcomed and valued for the contributions they make to our community. 
The Council manages 3 programmes within our community:

• The Mid Canterbury Newcomers Network is a free service available to anyone who is new to Mid Canterbury.  They offer social gatherings and events to create opportunities for newcomers to meet and make connections with others.
• The Migrant Centre supports migrants living in Mid Canterbury to help them navigate essential systems such as Education, Healthcare, Banking, Taxation. Immigration, and the Legal system.
• The Ethnic Leaders Forum, involving leaders from different ethnic groups across the community, aims to promote cooperation between ethnic communities, to celebrate cultures, and to represent the voice of the migrant community in the district.

The Mid Canterbury population is growing and migrants make up an increasingly significant proportion of our community.  Many migrants in our district are also part of our large rural community which brings additional challenges such as access to information and services, social isolation, geographic isolation, and access to language support.