Community Trust South grant helps us reach Southland communities where people are
CCS Disability Action is delighted to acknowledge a generous grant of $25,000 from Community Trust South, supporting the operational costs of our Southland office and the everyday mahi that keeps our team out in the community.
Our Southland branch supports disabled people and whānau of all ages, from Invercargill to the smaller towns and rural pockets across the region. Much of our best work happens face to face, in people's homes, workplaces and communities. Operational funding like this is what makes that possible. It helps our team travel to where people are, sit alongside disabled people and their whānau, and work one-on-one to break down the barriers that get in the way of a good life.
That close, in-person support changes lives. Take Drew Nielsen, a lifeguard at Splash Palace in Invercargill, who has been supported by our Southland team for several years. With behind-the-scenes advocacy and steady encouragement from his Service Coordinator, June Barclay, Drew landed the longest-held job of his life and has since completed five rescues. He lives independently, coaches tamariki in surf lifesaving, and is a familiar, friendly face around town, often greeted with a hug or a high five from kids who know him.
Drew and June
The support behind that success has been there for the long haul: regular check-ins, advocacy with employers, and steady emotional guidance through the ups and downs. "When he has the right support around him, he's top notch – fabulous at his job," says June, who has worked with Drew through thick and thin. It is the kind of patient, relationship-based mahi that operational funding makes possible. Drew sums up his own outlook simply: "Kindness always has a way of coming back. If a person has shown kindness, someone will always be prepared to help out."
"This grant means our team can keep doing what we do best – getting out into the community and walking alongside people like Drew," says Rachael Kooman, Branch Service Manager, CCS Disability Action Southland. "Whether it's travelling to a rural family, advocating with an employer, or simply being there over the long haul, this support from Community Trust South helps us deliver high-quality, one-on-one work where it matters most."
Community Trust South's commitment to enabling thriving communities, and to supporting people and places so that everyone can lead a fulfilling life, aligns closely with our mission to see every disabled person woven into the lives of their whānau and community.
Chief Executive Jackie Flutey says Community Trust South is committed to fostering inclusive wellbeing across the region, recognising the vital role of organisations like CCS Disability Action.
“Our funding supports more than services – it supports belonging. Through the work of CCS Disability Action, we’re helping to create communities where people with disabilities are supported to live well, stay connected, contributing to healthy, happy communities for all.”
With this funding behind us, our Southland team can keep reaching disabled people and whānau of all ages across the region, delivering the kind of practical, person-centred support that helps people like Drew build the lives they want.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Community Trust South for backing our mahi in the south. If your organisation would like to partner with us or find out more about our work in Southland, we would love to hear from you.
CCS Disability Action Southland – one of 17 branches supporting disabled people and their whānau across Aotearoa.