It helps thousands of new parents every year, but Rotorua Plunket's building is not fit for purpose, and the charity needs another $100,000 to build a new premises.
Plunket's Regional Operations Manager Viv Edwards said the nurses, kaiāwhina, managers and admin staff were currently in separate offices to the communityservices, which was not whānau friendly. The current building, while having been a source of pride for many years, had not been fit for purpose for some time.
Currently, Plunket works across two buildings - one is used mainly for administration and meetings.
"For several years we've been planning to bring the community services and clinical services in with the nurses to create a welcoming hub for the community so that we can have all our services in one building.
"We've received very generous funding from different charities and what we have is a $100,000 shortfall for internal fit-out."
The new building would be on the same Pukuatua St location. Image / Supplied
The annual Plunket fundraiser Dunk It For Plunket will go a small ways towards plugging the shortfall, but they are looking at other local initiatives to help raise money before October, when the demolition and rebuild are scheduled.
In the Te Whatu Ora - Lakes area, formerly the Lakes District Health Board, more than 1000 new babies enrol with Plunket annually.
Edwards estimated about 5000 pēpi were currently enrolled in the area, with 3115 in Rotorua alone. That includes 505 newborns per year, and 40 per cent of enrolments are Māori.
Plunket is a registered charity. Its clinical work is funded via the Wellchild government contract, but its other community services such as courses and groups rely on donations, philanthropy, grants and fundraising.
Plans for the new Plunket building. Image / Supplied
Edwards said Plunket was "committed to giving every Rotorua child the best possible start".
"Getting things right for 0 to 5-year-olds ensures better outcomes later in life."
Edwards said Covid and the rising cost of living had hugely impacted local families, who needed a greater level of support when dealing with the impacts of Covid.
"The struggle is real for families we see every day.
"The cost of living has really had a massive impact on whānau health.
"There has been a big increase in reports of family violence across our area. Child protection, maternal mental health and social needs are becoming more prevalent in our community."
Plans for the new Plunket building. Image / Supplied
There are also an increasing number of families in emergency motel accommodation.
Dunk It For Plunket is an annual fundraiser which asks hosts to hold a morning-tea and then invite friends and family to pay a kohā to attend.
It is happening throughout August and is also part of a national drive to improve Plunket's ICT services and technology. Edwards said every nurse, health worker and social worker that worked with whānau in the community needed an equipment upgrade.
Before 2016, Whānau Āwhina Plunket's record-keeping was via pen and paper.
Tablets have since been introduced for frontline staff, and whānau can now receive virtual breastfeeding support through the PlunketLine team, which averages more than 100 consultations a month.
"We've had a very big shift in how we document here and work with other organisations and stakeholders with pathways of care, but are really in need of having that update to something more modern," Edwards said.
Covid had also impacted Plunket's service delivery to include more virtual contact, meaning a technology upgrade was needed.
"We're beginning to respond in a more virtual way. We have nurses available to undertake care with their tablets if Covid or illness prevents a visit face-to-face.
"We reach every part of the country. Even our most rural areas receive a Plunket service and PlunketLine is available 24/7."
During Covid-19 Plunket Rotorua had an increase in Parenting Education course attendees, believed to be caused by the stress and pressure felt by whānau in regards to the virus.
"We reach every part of the country. Even our most rural areas receive a Plunket service."
Edwards hoped Dunk It For Plunket would receive 500 registrations this year, up on the 300 last year.
It aims to raise more than $500,000 nationwide to upgrade the charity's technology, which would include monitors, headsets, laptops, and mobile phones.
Whānau Āwhina Plunket's head of funding, partnerships and brand Kevin Broome said "delivering a digitally supported service has improved child health outcomes through access to in-depth, accurate and timely information".
To host a Dunk It For Plunket event go to the website.
