We pride ourselves on being a safe space for people in the Courtenay place precinct, we are out every weekend, on Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm to 3am, on the corner of Taranaki Street and Courtenay Place, next to Lucky Chicken. We provide a free, safe rest area, with games, phone charging, and water - focussing on reducing harm through purposeful connection. Our trained volunteers, guided by a team leader, connect with people who visit us to have a break from the bars and clubs or they feel unsafe, have been affected by harm in some way or need advice on how to get home. We also act as a safe meeting place in case someone gets lost or sidetracked and can’t find the group they are with.
We have been in operation since 2017. Over that time in addition to our consistent presence on Courtenay Place on Friday and Saturday nights, we have had the privilege of attending many events and festivals, providing support to anyone who needs it, and always promoting safety. We have also been lucky to have been able to work with many different organisations over the years such as WCC, Hospitality NZ, Police, Wellington Free Ambulance, Cyberdyne Group Ltd, Volunteer Wellington and many more. We have always felt so inspired by the commitment and passion of our volunteers, who come prepared each Friday and Saturday night and at all of the festivals or events we attend, making connecting with us a great experience for everyone.
On average we support 2000 people per weekend to have awesome experiences in central Pōneke. For some, we might only be a quick stop on their night but for others we are key in helping them access safe transport from the city to home, or else support them to feel safe, talk through what is happening for them and formulate a plan about what the best next steps may be to help them feel safe, and connect them with other organisations who can support them to address any harm that they may have experienced. We know our work makes a real difference in making Pōneke a safe city at night, and we feel grateful to be able to carry out the work we do.
We are always on the look out for more volunteers so if you would like to join our team, please contact us at hello@vsctrust.org.nz.