Services charity TE KIWI MAIA (the Courageous KIWI)

We have been planning for the past year our first wellness retreat where we take away some of our First Responders and NZDF personnel. With lots of help and advice from specialists, support from the organisations and fundraising we were able to take a group of 12 away last week to a gorgeous location for some much needed support and time out.

We are so thankful and blessed to these amazing people who look after us daily, and to be able to look after them is why we set up in the first place. Thank you St John, Fire and Emergency and the Royal New Zealand Navy for trusting us with your people.

Thank you also to our Give-a-Little supporters for your kind donations. We were able to put your funds towards this retreat, and we hope to be able to run another one before the end of the year.

To our Te Kiwi Māia Pioneers - thank you for leading the way, embracing the week and helping shape the support and services we will provide into the future. It is an honour to have you as part of our Te Kiwi Māia Family.

"For me this week was a godsend. I have been struggling like many others with maintaining positive mental wellbeing due to work stressors and have more recently been suffering the effects of burnout. This got me to a point where a month ago I couldn’t see how I could continue to be any part of this organisation without it destroying me or my family and was resigned to the fact that I would have to leave the organisation.

Attending the Te Kiwi Māia programme has had a truly profound effect on my physical and mental wellbeing that is hard to put into words.

I am now more positive towards change, feel more in control of my emotions and actions, more connected to loved ones, more resilient to trauma, more accepting of differences, a greater sense of self worth, and have had a huge improvement in my overall wellbeing.

I feel the happiest and healthiest I have been in a long time which has definitely been noticed by workmates and more importantly my whanau.

But best of all the week has taught me the warning signs when my wellbeing is regressing and effective tools and processes that with practice will help keep me well for years to come. " - TKM PIONEER