These are safe houses, bro

Rangitikei District Council youth development manager Toni Giddens, Bro leader Hawea Meihana and Te Kotuku Hauora social worker Mel McQuillin at the Friday launch of the Bro Safe House. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO

Bros are in, the bullies are out.

That's the message loud and clear from Te Kotuku Hauora (TKH) in Marton when the Ngati Apa iwi launched its Bro campaign last week and opened the first Bro Safe House for tamariki and rangatahi in the lower Rangitikei.

The Bro campaign was born out of a joint initiative between Ngati Apa Charitable Trust and the Rangitikei District Council.

Funded by Ministry of Social Development, under their Punanga Haumaru fund, both parties worked together to develop the community-driven action to reduce the number of bullying incidents within the lower Rangitikei region.

Te Kotuku Hauora social worker Mel McQuillin said the Bro Safe House on the High/Stewart St corner has been police vetted and is a place the youth can go to if they feel unsafe, threatened or unsure when travelling to or from school.

A Safe House poster on a letterbox or in a shop window means the premises have been thoroughly checked and designated as a safe place.

Ms McQuillin said they were hoping householders and businesses in Marton would join the campaign to be a Safe House.

Leading the campaign is Hawea Meihana who showed a Power Point presentation to the invited guests, locals and community organisations, on how the free mobile application worked.

"It's an app for tamariki through to kaumatua to download on to their phones."

Two emergency contacts will receive texts from the phone when their numbers are saved and the app is closed.

"These are the people you text if you feel scared, unsafe or at risk," Mr Meihana said.

In his address, Te Runanga o Ngati Apa chair Pahia Turia said that Ngati Apa was "giving mana to the kaupapa to bring an end to what has become normalised behaviour in whanau and the community".

The campaign enabled the rangatahi to be the architects of anti-bullying, he said.

If you would like your premises, household or business to be registered as a Bro Safe House, apply through the Bro Campaign team at 06 327 4243.