Sponsorship: Male Support Services Offering Free Counseling to Waikato Farmers.

Sponsorship: Male Support Services Offering Free Counseling to Waikato Farmers.

We are extremely proud to continue our partnership with Male Support Services Waikato this year by supplying their team with a fleet of GWM and HAVAL vehicles at our discounted charity rate. 

Male Support Services are also launching a fantastic new 'Chat Box' initiative. The Chat Box is a mobile counseling room that will travel to people working in our wider communities like farmers, who are in need of a safe space to talk. We're proud to have gifted a GWM Ute for a year to tow this chat room around Waikato. 

Second picture: Steve Rickard (pictured on the right) from MSS Waikato, receiving the keys for the brand-new ute that will tow the mobile unit to provide support services to men in the wider Waikato region. 

At Keppler we firmly believe in the importance of actively focusing on your own mental wellbeing, and supporting that of those around you, so we are very proud to do our small bit to help Male Support Services with the incredible work they do.

If you or a friend need help or if you'd just like to find out more, visit: www.waikatosurvivors.org.nz

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Featured in the April issue of Family Violence Sexual Violence Update by the Ministry of Social Development. (Reference)

First established in 2008, Male Support Services Waikato (Awhina Tane Waikato), is one of the only services in the Waikato region that provides free dedicated support services for tama [boys] and tane [men] who experience or have experienced family violence and/or sexual violence (FVSV). Male Support Services Waikato (MSS Waikato) provide support in different ways including through counselling, social work, peer to peer support, crisis phoneline, and support with court hearings. MSS Waikato also run peer support groups for tane that cover sexual abuse and support them through related issues such as depression.

MSS Waikato is now embedding kaupapa Māori values and ways of working to create an environment that enables Māori tane and tama to heal and transform. The provider offers a bicultural service; this includes a general whare for all clients and another whare for mana whenua clients with mana whenua practitioners. MSS Waikato are also increasing their cultural capability to better serve Aotearoa’s Pacific communities.

MSS Waikato are based in Hamilton but are working on a mobile unit to take their services around the wider Waikato region including rural areas that may not have easy access to FVSV services. This would feature informal drop-in sessions to have a coffee and a chat and explore how the provider can best support individuals and whānau where needed.

The provider also works with a dedicated member to set up support groups in rural communities.

More about MSS Waikato The organisation is an ACC Accredited Supplier with access to over access to over 60 counsellors, social workers, psychologists.

They are also an affiliated provider with national body Male Survivors of Aotearoa and were part of the Royal Commission Inquiry into the state abuse of boys and men. MSS Waikato also take referrals for women and whānau as needed.