Have a Heart: Ko tōu manawa ki tōku manawa
A Vision for Community Connection
Community outreach has reached a whole new level in Whakatāne. Thanks to the initiative of one church minister, thousands of people are now connecting through large-scale events and a range of social services in the city and beyond.
It all began in 2010 when the Rev Chris Barnard (great nephew of the famous South African heart surgeon) arrived from South Africa to become minister at Whakatāne’s Knox Presbyterian Church. His ministry also included parishes in Ōhope, Waimana and later Edgecombe. The following year, encouraged by his congregation, he enrolled in a two-year course, Love Your Neighbour, run by Howard and Lynette Webb in Auckland.
“This was a brilliant course,” said Chris. “Having been a traditional ‘Sunday’ minister in South Africa, I was now inspired to become much more outward-looking.”
Building Awareness and Community Events
Chris was impressed at the large number of social service and health providers in the town and surrounding areas – close to 100 in all. However, many people in the churches and community were unaware of these providers. Helping grow this awareness and build connections between the providers and the wider community led to the church’s first significant initiative – the Have a Heart Expo and Family Festival.
“Our aim was to strengthen whānau and foster meaningful relationships across the community. We created a fun park, with games, free hāngī meals, sausage sizzles, a treasure hunt and some valuable prizes. That year, 19 social service providers took part. Some were suspicious that our motives were about getting bums on church seats. But every year the festival has grown. Soon we had to move from the park to the War Memorial Hall and last year nearly 4000 people came.
“The festival is now on people’s social calendar, and awareness of what services are out there has grown enormously. All 10 churches in Whakatāne support it.”
Have a Heart (Ko tōu manawa ki tōku manawa) began as a church project but is now run as an independent trust. This enables it to source funding from a variety of organisations, including the Lotteries Commission, Pub Charity and Whakatāne District Council.
“Some were suspicious that our motives were about getting bums on church seats. But every year the festival has grown. Soon we had to move from the park to the War Memorial Hall, and last year nearly 4000 people came. ”
Expanding Initiatives and Community Impact
Over the years, Have a Heart has helped start many initiatives — an anti-bullying and domestic violence programme in schools, and another working with men released from prison. Earlier on, four people were employed part-time to run this, working with both men and women.
PETRA grew from the vision of one rangatahi who had almost lost a loved one through suicide. The youth mental health programme is now run by the Wāhi Charitable Trust.
Mahi-Kai teaches young people how to gather their own food from the sea and the land.
The annual Light Party, a combined church event and an alternative to Halloween, attracts around 5000 people each year. Again, it’s all about kids having fun, with free food, spot prizes and amusement rides.
The Community Christmas Lunch, run jointly with Whakatāne’s Echo Church, attracted close to 360 people last Christmas Day. Its theme is “Christmas for all”.
In the early days, Have a Heart would give clothing away for free, said Chris. However, when organisers realised people were taking advantage of the charity, it was decided to open a community shop instead, selling good-quality clothing and household goods. This shop provides Have a Heart with a small annual income and is an important social centre in the town.
The trust receives further funding from a studio Airbnb and from four ear clinics (Healthy Ears EBOP) now running in Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau and Mount Maunganui.
“To establish our first ear clinic, we borrowed $40,000 from the trust – this is almost all paid back now,” said Chris.
Girls taking part in the AON Surf Lifesaving Championships in Ōhōpe enjoy the community store
Leadership, Legacy and the Future
In 2019, Chris moved to St Columba in Botany Downs, Auckland. During the three years he was away, he had a massive heart attack. This led to his decision to retire and move back to his Whakatāne home. The work of the trust continued during his absence and new projects have developed since his return.
Chris describes Have a Heart as the highlight of his ministry, as it has been for many other church people.
“I would say 90 per cent of our congregations are behind the projects, with many serving on the trust board. We have all been energised and our faith uplifted by our involvement in these outreach programmes.”
Chris is delighted the Have a Heart Charitable Trust is managing to break even and is close to becoming self-supporting.
“As awareness of our service grows, so will our customer base. We want to reduce our reliance on external funding and make the programme truly viable and self-sustaining. Enriching the community and working together to make lasting change happen is what Have a Heart is all about.”
Resources:
Have a Heart Website: haveaheart.org.nz
Have a Heart Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HaveAHeartCT