NEW HOME: Pictured at the new premises of Hear4U are, from left, Chris Fraser (trustee), Rebecca Halbert (consultant), David Parker (trustee), Jess O’Dwyer (admin and personal assistant), Annie Cousins (trust chair) and Krissy Mackintosh (general manager).Picture by Paul Rickard
In just five years the men’s mental health and suicide prevention service Hear4U has gone from strength to strength, thanks to the dedication of a few, and a “precious treasure of goodwill”. Gillian Cowperthwaite went to the opening of the organisation’s new headquarters.
Over 80 invited guests were at the official opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new, custom-designed Hear4U headquarters late last month.
The new premises off Awapuni Road are opposite the original home and building of Hear4U. That building has been demolished.
Co-founder and general manager of Hear4U Krissy Mackintosh (Krissy Mack) and her team watched the refurbishment of their new premises take shape over three months. The building is on land owned by McCannics and managing director Robbie McCann and project manager Brett Parker were instrumental and accommodating in the repurposing of the building. McCannics also donated office furniture to support the kaupapa of Hear4U.
The new headquarters include a meeting room, therapy room, reception and an administrative office area. Jess O’Dwyer, administrator and personal assistant at Hear4U, also worked as project manager for the renovation.
Hear4U is a charitable trust dedicated to creating awareness in the area of tāne/men’s mental health, suicide prevention measures, and to break the stigma around mental health by sharing lived experiences, providing healing pathways, and creating community connection. Wāhine / women’s mental health and wellbeing is also embraced and supported within the organisation.
The concept of creating awareness around men’s mental health, with wellness and suicide prevention in mind, came about in 2019. Krissy Mack, after overcoming her own mental health challenges and having the lived experience of the huge impact male suicide has on family and friends, knew there was a need for a preventative service to support the mental health and wellbeing of males in Tairāwhiti.
Krissy shared this vision with like-minded women and worked alongside co-founders Renee Grant and Joanna Higgins-Ware to plant, nurture and grow Hear4U.
From humble beginnings, the advocacy service has developed to create change and increase awareness in regard to men’s mental health and suicide prevention. After the challenges of Covid, and the ensuing lockdown periods, Hear4U became a registered, charitable trust in 2023. The mission statement of Hear4U is “to reduce male suicide statistics within our region and New Zealand, through mental health promotion, intervention, and post-prevention practices”.
The Hear4U charity work is dedicated to Toby Fraser, who took his own life when he was 21. Toby’s mum Chris Fraser has been involved with Hear4U from the start. “The importance of group support is paramount and so as part of my journey I have become a trustee for Hear4U.”
In Toby’s memory, the principles of Hear4U were created and the team use them in their practice every day. They are:
Hearing
Engagement
Acceptance
Respect
4 Seriously it’s all going to be just fine
Unity
Hear4U
The demand for the advocacy service has grown steadily over the past five years, with the community stepping up to support its kaupapa. A supportive, proactive board of trustees, a team of dedicated volunteers, and the generosity of other organisations in the community has seen Hear4U becoming a lighthouse and a sanctuary for those in need of support.
The impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle saw a surge in the need for mental health support and people continue to process the emotional, mental, geographic and economic effects of that devastating weather event.
Hear4U clients are provided with free mindfulness mentoring sessions, connections to holistic practices, clinical and non-clinical services and support.
As a not-for-profit organisation with a steadily growing number of clients, funding, sponsorship, donation and community support are fundamental for this service.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Krissy Mack said: “We have been blown away by the level of support and generosity shown from the community over the past few years.
“With the high demand for our services, I was determined to make it work and saw the need for bigger and purpose-built premises. I had noticed the broken down, derelict building opposite our old premises and that’s where my vision began. Conversations were started and it snowballed from there.
“We were overwhelmed with the offers to help and the donations pouring in from the community. Tradies from different businesses worked together, donating their time and skills. Relationships evolved over this journey and added to the Hear4U story, full of love and energy.
“The community has come together to make this sacred space and we want to express that gratitude. Goodwill is a precious treasure.”
That precious treasure was in abundance at the opening, with supporters and donors among the guests.
The team at Hear4U expressed their heartfelt gratitude to individuals and organisations for gifting their donations, time, energy, skills and people power to the new headquarters so they can keep providing their mental health advocacy service to Tairāwhiti.
The patron of Hear4U, former All Black captain Ian Kirkpatrick (Kirky), is a strong advocate of the service. In November last year Wellingtonian Ian Klinac organised a charity golf tournament in Kirky’s name to raise funds for Hear4U. The tournament was held at Boulcott’s Farm Heritage Golf Club in Lower Hutt and raised nearly $15,000.
“I will sing the praises of Hear4U forever,” Mr Kirkpatrick said at the Friday opening. “Gisborne has had one of the highest suicide rates in New Zealand. Over the past four years, with 3000 clients through the doors of Hear4U, not one of those lives has been lost, which is outstanding.”
The Hear4U team and board of trustees acknowledged and expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the individuals, community organisations and local businesses who have contributed and supported their kaupapa to keep the mental health and wellbeing service running over the past few challenging years, and to all of those who donated their time, energy, skills, materials and equipment to the opening of their new base.
“Our team is committed to navigating healing pathways, and uplifting spirits through community events and projects. We are all impacted by mental health challenges, whether it be personally or within our whānau, workplaces or beyond.
“Community heals community – celebrating the best in people, taking notice, and staying positive can do wonders, and is life saving ,” said Krissy Mack. “Always Hear4U.”