Aviva (formerly Christchurch Women's Refuge)

Aviva is a Canterbury-based, specialist family and sexual violence agency, which is dedicated to making New Zealand Aotearoa a violence-free home for all who live here. Grounded within a spirit of positivity and potential, Aviva offers an extensive range of integrated, specialist services that support all individuals and family members to overcome family and sexual violence and achieve wellbeing – together or apart.

Aviva has a long history of driving societal and social change, having been the founding refuge in New Zealand in 1973 (as Christchurch Women’s refuge). The commitment to keep improving New Zealand’s response to family violence and, ultimately to see New Zealand Aotearoa become violence-free, has driven Aviva to create a wide range of innovative services, all of which are offered in the belief that everyone has the potential to overcome the effects of inter-personal violence, with the right support. These include:

* Safety planning, advocacy and support for women, children and young people experiencing family violence

* Education programmes

* ReachOut early intervention support for men and young people causing family violence harm;

* safe@home home security upgrades;

* Specialist Peer Support;

* 24-hour Sexual Assault Support Services; and

* No and Low Interest Loans.