For 20 years they've done it their way. Believing they're on the spot and know what works in their community, South Auckland's Family Violence Prevention Network has co-ordinated groups from Otahuhu to Franklin helping victims of domestic violence.
It has raised awareness of family violence and domestic abuse through training
and seminars as well as monthly meetings of Maori, Pasifika, Indian and mainstream groups.
But it says the Government's decision last year to shift funding from prevention work to delivering frontline services means the network may have to quit its education role and reinvent itself. Under its rules, frontline service agencies are those helping families who have experienced violence. These agencies work with the whanau one-on-one, interviewing and assisting them in their homes.
The South Auckland network has been funded to improve education and awareness. "If they take that away, then we're going to have to look at providing domestic violence services in competition to our own membership. It isn't something I want to do," says network manager Raewyn Bhana. For example, the network was heavily involved in organising a regional hui on preventing family and sexual violence. "If you take away the funding, who's going to co-ordinate that?"
The Government's Family and Community Services head, Murray Eldridge, says the new $10.5 million Family-Centred Services Fund supports "innovative and collaborative community responses" to family violence. Another $2.8 million was provided for co-ordination services but that runs out in June. "The South Auckland Family Violence Prevention Network was made aware, as were all networks, at the time they received $100,000 from this fund, that the longer-term funding priority would be for frontline services. Providing services to families to ensure that families are safe and violence-free must be our first priority."
