Little Things Making Some Big Changes for Families
It is often said the little things can make the biggest differences in people’s lives. This is especially true for Presbyterian Support and its Family Works programme where social workers support children and whānau facing serious material hardship.
A Small Grant with a Big Impact
In 2023, Presbyterian Support Central applied for a regional Tindall Foundation grant to support a new initiative investing in the welfare of children and their whānau. The grant of $15,000 was used to purchase “little things” for Family Works clients, such as school uniform items, an extra heater for the bedroom, school camp fees or sneakers so a child could join a sports activity. Most grants averaged $200, with a cap set at $500.
It might seem like a drop in the ocean, but impacts were seen almost immediately with reports of children being able to participate in school activities, and improvements in self-esteem and confidence. Longer lasting effects were also evident. Support with “little things” improved levels of trust between social workers and their clients. This meant that more positive outcomes could be reached faster in the programmes being offered to these whānau.
Expanding the Programme Nationwide
Presbyterian Support Central would have applied for its second-year entitlement of $10,000 from the Tindall Foundation early in 2024. Then came the news that Presbyterian Women Aotearoa NZ (PWANZ) would be ceasing its operations and wanted to donate its remaining funds of $75,000 to an organisation that served women and children most in need. Presbyterian Support’s Family Works services for children, young people and their whānau seemed a natural choice.
The PWANZ committee then heard about Little Things and its achievements over the past year. What better way to use their remaining funds than to enable all seven Presbyterian Support regions to adopt the programme? Each of the seven regions received $10,000 in 2024, enough to benefit around 50 children and their families in each region.
Reports from the seven regions for the 2024/2025 year make inspiring reading:
Family Works director Judith McInerney said the funding had been gratefully received from all the whānau Family Works had assisted.
“Sometimes it can be the small issues that create the greatest stress, things like not being able to fill the car with petrol that week, pay a medical bill or buy hygiene products. They may not seem big to us, but they are to the families we work with.
“ With these ‘little things’, some children have managed to stay at school, to participate in sport, maintain a relationship with a separated parent, or overcome their learning difficulties. Our social workers report improvements both in physical and mental wellbeing of tamariki, as well as better educational outcomes.”
Together Making a Difference
Following the overwhelming success of the national Little Things programme, the Tindall Foundation has decided to extend the grant for 2025/2026.
“We are so grateful to the Tindall Foundation and to PWANZ for their support of Little Things,” said Judith McInerney. “As our Family Works whakataukī says: Takihua takimano – together we can make a difference.”