McKenzie Centre Hamilton reflects on 40 years of caring for children with disabilities

Trisha Benge welcomes guests to McKenzie Centre’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Hamilton.

Long-serving McKenzie Centre director Trisha Benge teared up as she reflected on the 27 years she had worked at the Waikato early intervention facility.

Speaking at the centre’s 40th anniversary celebrations at Hamilton West School in Hamilton on Saturday, Benge said it had always been a place for family.

“We have always involved families and parents and thought of the whānau as experts on their children. Our jobs have been to add what we know to the family, so they have the skills and the support necessary to realise their child’s potential.”

Benge, who recently retired, was one of four speakers who talked of the impact McKenzie Centre had made on families since it opened in 1984 for children with developmental delays and disabilities within a 50km radius of Hamilton.

Ken Williamson, a trustee for 30 years, and recently appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal, said of all the organisations he had been involved with, McKenzie Centre was the closest to his heart.

“I’ve witnessed the profound impact we’ve had on countless children and their families and together we’ve built this very special place where lives are transformed and futures reimagined.”

Rae Hooper, who was the Ministry of Education official who issued the centre’s first licence, said Waikato was fortunate to have such a wonderful service.

“None of this would happen without good governance and management.”

Claire van der Most, the newest trustee, talked about why McKenzie Centre merged in 2018 with Te Awamutu-based Enrich Group, a family of organisations that supports people with disabilities and those living with autism and neurodiversities.

“[It was] in line with the person-centred approach and they complemented each other.”

Long time trustee Ken Williamson speaking at the McKenzie Centre’s anniversary celebrations.

McKenzie Centre supports children in the early years and Enrich Group supports people from their late teens until old age.

The group was able to provide more back room expertise in finance, information technology and give McKenzie Centre access to more sophisticated systems and processes allowing it to add value and provide greater workplace effectiveness and efficiencies.

“We recognise that there is a gap supporting children and their teenage years and we are currently exploring that,” she said.

“The aspiration is to grow the organisation to meet the demand for [wraparound] services,” she said, to support all children with disabilities.

About 200 people attended the celebrations with families from today, mingling with those from yesterday including Ewen Lee from Cambridge who first attended the centre in 1985 and is now 40 himself.

McKenzie Centre Trust was established in 1982 with donations from the McKenzie Education Foundation and the Telethon Trust.

Philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie was patron for many years until his death in 2007.