Support For Migrants Prompts New Initiative by New Zealand Ethnic Communities and Community Mentors

Community Mentors and the Office of Ethnic Communities, Te Tari Matawaka, (OEC) have announced a new initiative to provide mentoring support to organisations which work to help migrants and refugees settle throughout New Zealand.

Ray Schofield, Community Mentors CEO says the organisation is delighted to be able to offer this vital initiative in partnership with OEC: 

`The Community Mentors service has been developed by the Business in the Community Charitable Trust in order to represent its increasing activity in providing mentoring services throughout New Zealand to the wider not-for-profit sector. Our organisation has more than 500 experienced community mentors who volunteer their time to guide, support and develop the fibre of thriving communities.'

The Director of OEC, Berlinda Chin, believes that community mentoring will be an invaluable support to the process of settling in. She says:

'We want to contribute to a New Zealand that welcomes and celebrates diversity, where refugees and migrants settle well and are able to contribute to our nation in all aspects of life - social, economic, civic and cultural.'

A community mentor provides one-to-one, confidential and in depth experience about the challenges of running a social enterprise. Ray explains:

'One of the key issues facing community organisations is the difficulty of separating good governance from operational management. A community mentor helps develop strategies to do that and provides a sounding board to take the organisation to the next level.'

In 2014, Community Mentors launched a pilot for the community sector with four partners, collaborating in the development of a dedicated pilot for the Taranaki Region. 

The Community Mentors programme is now being rolled out across New Zealand as well as in partnership with a number of key organisations.

The Office of Ethnic Communities (OEC) works to promote the benefits of ethnic diversity for every New Zealander and to provide the highest quality advice on ethnic diversity issues.