YWCA Whanganui has partnered with the Corrections Department to deliver a personal development and life skills programme for female offenders that is a first for New Zealand.
The "Be Your Best" pilot programme was run over eight weeks at the YWCA in Wanganui and attended by women who were serving community-based sentences.
One participant said the course gave her a "whole new perspective" and described it as "life changing".
"It helped me to look at myself, my whanau and the way we interact with each other in a whole new light."
Acting district manager of Whanganui/Taranaki Community Corrections David Francis said the programme encouraged the women to make positive changes in their lives.
"Reducing re-offending is Corrections' top priority and programmes such as this one give offenders the opportunity to make positive changes and encourage them to lead offence-free lives.
"Not only have they learnt how to take care of themselves physically and emotionally, they also know how to make smart decisions with money, set goals for themselves and their families, as well as identify education and employment opportunities," he said.
"The women who attended the course are all quite young and they have children so they were limited in what types of community work they could do.
"The YWCA was able to assist with parenting education as well and the women were not mixing with hardened offenders."
YWCA manager and programme facilitator Debz Tongotea said the women felt they had gained a lot from the programme.
"They have developed new skills and techniques to look after themselves and their families. It's not magic, it's just information sharing and women empowering each other to be the best version of themselves.
The women have established their own support network and will use the YWCA as a meeting point so they can continue to support and encourage each other," she said.
The women attended the course under the Department of Corrections Work and Living Skills programme.
Topics covered included self care, building resilience, financial literacy, respectful relationships and communication skills, looking at education opportunities and pathways into employment.
The women also attended a workshop addressing their negative self beliefs and learned strategies to express emotions in a healthy way.
The programme is based on one delivered by the YWCA in Victoria, Australia to women serving community-based orders and has been adjusted to suit the needs of those who attended the course in Wanganui.
"The YWCA in Whangarei had been looking at starting a course up there and I'm not sure why it didn't happen - I think the fact that we have a good face-to-face relationship with corrections staff here led to the success of the programme" Ms Tongotea said.
Despite the success of the course, YWCA is facing a funding crisis which is likely to lead to closure of the Bell St service.
"We have tried every avenue to access funds to keep going but staff have been working on a voluntary basis for the past two weeks."
Ms Tongotea said the YWCA Board has spoken to Wanganui mayor Annette Main and Dame Tariana Turia, who is the patron of the local branch, about the funding crisis.
"Women who have been on the programme and other women who attend the centre regularly really need our service - they feel relaxed and comfortable here."
The Wanganui branch of YWCA was established 1939 and the organisation has provided support to women and girls with after school and holiday programmes, support for pregnant women and mothers with babies, exercise and support groups.