I often walk past the Heartland Service Centre in Martinborough but have never gone inside. Being curious about what goes on there, I attended their recent Community Lunch to find out.
I was greeted warmly by the manager, Hana Makin and offered a cup of soup by Pip Maynard, who looks after Adult and Community Education there. The large meeting room where the lunch was being held was already full of lively, chatting people. On the screen was a list of representatives of fourteen different groups operating from Heartland who were giving presentations about what they do. I was amazed at the wide range of services and activities that were held regularly here; from government agencies to health support and educational groups.
I was amazed at the wide range of services and activities that were held regularly here; from government agencies to health support and educational groups.
Hana began by explaining what Heartland does. They’re funded by the Ministry of Social Development to bring services closer for the rural community around Martinborough. So, it’s a bit like a satellite office for key government departments. We heard from Charles at Inland Revenue, who told us that we could come in for help with any tax matters. Then there was Doug from Pae Ora, who offer Māori health support and Kate, who advises on the Healthy Homes Initiative.
The Heartland Centre serves as a base for many support groups. We heard from Jillian about Yellow Brick Road, who provide support for families who have a loved one experiencing mental health challenges. Both InsideOUT and Rainbow Youth were represented and told us about the support they provide for the rainbow community. Renee was there from Hōkai Tahi, which is a charity that provides free support and counselling for mothers and their whānau from conception to postpartum.
The last speaker, Darren Kerr, CEO of REAP Wairarapa, summed it up well. REAP stands for Rural Education Activities Programme and their mission is to strengthen and grow rural communities. The Heartland Centre, run through REAP, certainly does this well. They offer several educational programmes such as the one Richard entertainingly told us about, the U3A current affairs group, which has monthly speakers on a wide variety of topics. There’s also the Digital Seniors group that offers free one-to-one coaching to help seniors to use their digital devices.
The speakers had a strict two-minute time limit which meant they had to rush through their presentations. Not really enough to learn fully what they offer, but there was time afterwards for them to answer any questions.
If you want to know more about what goes on at Heartland, just drop in at 39 Jellicoe Street. It’s a very friendly place.
