RENOVATIONS COMPLETE AT TARANAKI RETREAT

Taranaki Retreat offers holistic care and support for whānau who are at risk of suicide.

“Our Retreat is a beautiful, trauma-informed environment. We support many whānau each year in the most difficult time of their lives. As the name says, we provide a space to breathe, to look for solutions and for hope moving forward,” said Jamie Allen, co-founder and pou tiaki. 

In 2014, the Taranaki Retreat Trust moved a 100-year-old house onto a farm near New Plymouth. It became their communal kitchen, dining and recreation area and home to the Retreat’s host family. After many hours of work to make the place habitable, it opened in 2017.

However, the Trust still lacked the money to tackle fundamental problems.

“We were always having to run repairs on it. The dream of getting it fully watertight and painted seemed beyond us. Then, we were offered the chance to install solar panels, but couldn’t because the roof was a disaster,” said Jamie.

Toi Foundation funding of $79k, along with very generous support from local tradies and businesses, finally saw the work completed in 2023. Over two years, the Trust installed a new roof, solar panels and a functional wastewater system. They improved the kitchen, sorted out leaky windows and repainted the whole house.

“This has all had a major impact on reducing the operational costs of running the Retreat and on our environmental footprint,” said Jamie.

“We finally have a building that’s fit for purpose and serves the needs of the thousands of whānau that we’ll support in the years to come. It’s an asset for the whole community and is there for people when they need it.

"Investment in this building and all that is offered through it to those at risk of suicide is more valuable than words can express.”