Addressing child poverty and family violence.
Nearly 14.3 % of New Zealand children live in material hardship, going without essentials and in a country that has the highest rate of family violence in OECD countries.
At the May meeting of Ponsonby U3A, members were treated to the vibrant, inspiring, and authentic presence of someone who addresses these issues, Dame Julie Chapman. Founder of the charities, KidsCan in 2005 and Pet Refuge in 2017, Dame Julie comes across as the girl-next-door who can turn her hand to anything and for whom nothing is impossible.
Appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children and the community in 2024, she has a string of other prestigious awards to her name such as ‘Woman of the Year’, and the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award.
Dame Julie was inspired to start her work after learning of children staying away from school because they were without raincoats or shoes. As a child, she had none of the stress of being hungry or cold like many children in 80% of low decile schools today.
From her garage, Dame Julie was soon supporting 40 schools, providing food, clothing, and shoes. Today, from a purpose-built facility, KidsCan supports children aged two to 18 years in 994 schools and more than 500 early childhood centres. Yet now the need is greater than ever. 28% of New Zealand children live in food-insecure households, families are under more pressure than ever, and family violence is rife.
In a bid for coercive control, abusive partners commonly target pets. When Dame Julie became aware of pet violence, she learned that 53% of women delay leaving violent relationships out of fear for their pets. Founding Pet Refuge, she developed a purpose-built facility to keep cats, dogs, goats, cows, horses and birds safe for up to 4 months, including veterinary care. Incredibly, 92% of pets are reunited with their families or rehomed.
A further pet shelter is planned which will treble the capacity and Dame Julie is about to launch a dental hygiene programme in early childhood centres.
Meanwhile, in 2025 KidsCan provided 55,000 rain jackets and over 45,000 pairs of shoes for children. What stellar achievements!
On another level, Ponsonby U3A member, Roz Young, gave a fascinating ten-minute presentation on Cohaus, where she lives in a community in Grey Lynn.
Cohausing is a concept developed in Denmark in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s where people live in their own houses and share common facilities to sustain land use, develop community and minimise resource use.
In 2019, Roz and her husband became involved in the Gey Lynn Cohaus project dealing with the challenges of finding funds, allaying community resistance, developing legal and financial structures, and the Council.
Completed in 2021, the complex now houses 30 adults, 20 children, four cats and one dog. There are 12 apartments, seven terraced houses, one villa, a garden house, a bike stable housing multiple bikes, a 20-metre ensuite guest room, a 700 square metre garden, a shared laundry and three stackers housing four electric cars and two hybrids for sharing.
As a testament to its success, no one has left Cohaus since its inception five years ago.
Ponsonby U3A welcomes new members and visitors. There is a meeting every month which features outstanding speakers from all walks of life. Additionally, there is a ten-minute talk from a member. Members can join over thirty special interest groups where new knowledge and friendships are forged. If you are interested in attending, please call President Bronwen Hughes on M:021 549 093 [CHRISTINE HART]
NEXT MEETING: Friday 12 June 2026 at 9.30am
GUEST SPEAKER: Jack Tame, TV and radio journalist and presenter
VENUE: Herne Bay Pétanque Club, Salisbury Reserve, Salisbury Street, Herne Bay
ENQUIRIES: Bronwen Hughes, President, Ponsonby U3A. M:021 549 093, www.u3a.nz
Pictured: Dame Juie Chapman
