Protecting families from domestic violence

Need Help?Want to help?

To Tatou Miihana

Our Mission

Our mission is to protect and empower New Zealanders suffering from domestic violence.

New Zealand is ranked the worst for Domestic Violence compared to other OECD countries, with 1 in 3 women estimated to have been a victim of Domestic Violence or sexual abuse in their lifetime.

The first phase of our mission will be to protect 500 victims who are leaving, or about to leave their abusive home or partner. We provide a proven technology and support platform where we watch over families at risk from domestic violence ensuring that they are safe, and help is at hand wherever they may be.

In collaboration with our partner organisations we make sure that families have access to safe accommodation and ongoing support so they can start to rebuild their lives.

The second phase of our mission is to raise awareness of domestic violence in New Zealand through an ongoing positive nationwide media campaign across all NZ media channels.

Together we can make New Zealand the best and safest place in the world to raise a family.

175K

domestic violence investigations were undertaken by NZ police in 2020. That’s a rise of 20,000 in 12 months.

80%

of domestic violence incidents go unreported. Suggesting we could be dealing with as many as 850,000 incidents per year.

50%

of Intimate Partner Violence deaths occur at the time of actual or intended separation. This is when victims of domestic violence need protecting the most.

What we do

Help@Hand is a collective of professional organisations and experts who help victims of domestic violence restart their lives safely with care and love. We protect families who are experiencing domestic violence by providing them with a personalised safety net to protect them against further abuse. In collaboration with our partner organisations we support their transition into safe houses tailored for their family needs. Help @Hand believes that every New Zealand mother, father and child has the right to a life free from Domestic Violence. Our Mission is to turn Domestic Violence victims into hero’s and make New Zealand the best place in the world to raise a family.

hiahia awhina

Need help?

If you are suffering from domestic violence and in immediate danger then Dial 111 and ask for the police. Call 0800 456 450 for information about services that can help you if you are experiencing or witnessing violence, or want to change your own behaviour. It is OK to ask for help. We work with NZ domestic violence groups and other agencies to provide families at risk with personal safety measures and technologies to ensure that they are safe when exiting an abusive relationship.

hiahia ki te awhina

Want to help?

New Zealand leads the world with respect to domestic violence abuse. Together we can change this and you can help by being part of the Help@Hand team. You can help by being a sponsor, making a donation, providing mentorship and counselling, or simply by connecting someone who needs help with our team. If you have any ideas on how to help families suffering from domestic violence abuse we would love to hear from you.

Sponsor

Safety Watch

Safety Watch

Learn More

Cyber Safety Review

Cyber Safety Review

Learn More

Ko wai tatou

Who are we

Help@Hand is a collective of organisations and individuals who work together to reduce domestic violence in New Zealand. We do this by combining better awareness of domestic violence with technology solutions to protect families, allowing them to live safe and healthy lives, free from abuse.

About our Founder Help@Hand was Founded by Sir Ray Avery, who as a young child was taken into care after being beaten and abused by his parents.

“New Zealand leads the developed world in terms of domestic violence” says Ray. “There are many underlying reasons for this violent abuse in New Zealand: poverty, alcohol, gambling and drugs to name a few. But there’s one foolproof solution that keep families safe from domestic violence – and that is to separate the family from the abuser. Someone reached out to me and gave me an opportunity to be all that I could be, and I want to give as many families as I can the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life free from abuse.”

ta matou tiima

Our Team

Alan Brannigan

Alan Brannigan

Head of Operations

Alan has over 20 years’ experience of bringing technology products and operational models to market. For the last 2 years, he has overseen the implementation of protective solutions for domestic abuse sufferers in Australia. Alan looks after all client management activities ensuring that our clients have optimal, personal protection while in our care.

Sir Ray Avery

Sir Ray Avery

Founder of Help@Hand

From personal experience I know that being a victim of domestic violence should not define who you are.

It is not a badge of shame.

The first step is to remove yourself from the abusive relationship and this will empower you to get on with your life and if I can help you on your journey just reach out. Help really is at Hand and we will help you to be all that you can be. Sir Ray Avery.

Angela Watson

Angela Watson

CEO Colenso BBDO

It’s clear that we need real action to help support domestic violence victims and their families.

Coming up with innovative solutions to solve problems is what we’re passionate about, and Colenso are committed to do whatever we can to help.

Stephen Wilson

Stephen Wilson

Head of Assessments and Investigations

Stephen is passionate about protecting Domestic Violence victim-survivors and their families. With a combined 37 years’ experience as a criminal investigator he is a leading International expert in risk management and safety of Domestic Violence victims.

Steven is passionate about protecting the welfare of all family violence victims and we are proud to have him as one of our team so we may provide the best possible support to those we watch over.

Oonagh McGirr

Oonagh McGirr

Education and Development Advisor

Compassion and education provides the pathway to enable healing of Domestic Violence Victims to begin a life free from abuse. I want to support families to flourish by providing much needed solutions for those affected by domestic abuse.

Kerryn Thrupp

Kerryn Thrupp

Founder and CEO of Woven Earth

We are proud to be part of the Help@Hand team and provide families who are exiting abusive relationships with essential support to rebuild their lives and create furnished homes for their family. We can turn victims into hero’s by simply showing that we care.

Mark Cochrane

Mark Cochrane

CEO Saatchi & Saatchi

At Saatchi & Saatchi we believe Nothing is Impossible. It’s why we want to help this important initiative.

At Saatchi we deeply believe in culturally inspired creativity. Starting with humans, how we live, what inspires us, and what we can achieve. As New Zealanders that’s why we believe in this initiative, connecting to moral values of New Zealand, helping our most vulnerable. Achieving what at times, may seem like an impossible situation.

Gavin Healy

Gavin Healy

Independent Advisor

Gavin has over 20 years of experience working in communications, social movement campaigns and social services. He provides pathways for the provision of healing programs for the perpetrators of DV, who often are the product of DV themselves. There are significant benefits for families when the perpetrators are also given the support to heal their trauma.

Rob Veal MNZM

Rob Veal MNZM

Expert Advisor

Rob is an ex police officer specialising in family violence victims safety. He advises government agencies, social service providers, healthcare professionals and community groups on a range of violence reduction issues.

He is committed to inter-agency partnerships and the development of best practices to support Domestic Violence victims.

Danielle Bergin

Danielle Bergin

Founder & CEO of Island Child Charitable Trust NZ

Island Child provides shelter, care, support and opportunities for at-risk whānau in their most desperate time of need. HelpAtHand brings a valued resource to enable improved safety to whanau, guided with aroha , respect, compassion, generosity and courage.

Robyn Roberts

Robyn Roberts

General Manager, Client Services, WAYSS

Robyn has brought a people-focused, entrepreneurial spirit to a range of executive leadership positions in the community services sector and she has also led community and private sector partnerships to deliver ground breaking initiatives in microfinance and family violence prevention. Robyn’s driving motivation is to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable people and her work at WAYSS provides her with that opportunity as she leads key changes to disrupt people’s experience of homelessness and family violence.

Robyn is thrilled to help shape the Help@Hand movement by sharing her knowledge gained through the Australian experience.

Matthew Steans

Matthew Steans

Founder & CEO, Stigma Statistics

Matthew has a background in corporate treasury consulting. After he witnessed a suicide he founded Stigma Statistics and developed a Suicide Tracking Analysis & Reporting (‘STAR’) platform for sharing, analysis and reporting of information about suicides and suicide risk. Domestic violence is a major contributor to suicides and we want to collaborate with Help@Hand to reduce family and sexual Violence related suicides.

Leainne Nathan

Leainne Nathan

Operations Manager at Family Success Matters

FSM offers long-term family social services for the entire whānau – catering for vulnerable and traumatised mums, dads and tamaraki. Our focus is on improving the impact of intergenerational parenting and building certainty in whānau ora.

Leainne can offer insights from 32 years of social work experience facilitating change for at-risk families in South Auckland. She has a BA in Political Studies, Master's in Social Work and Dip in Business, but most importantly, Leainne brings a Māori Worldview to the table.

 

tatou hoa

Our Partners

Help@Hand is supported by an awesome team of New Zealand and International partner organisations.

We are thankful to have the generous support of a wonderful team of partner organisations ranging from local and International Domestic Violence support organisations, advertising ,media communication companies and technology companies.

The combined skills and talents of our partners means we can raise awareness of domestic violence in a positive way and provide proven solutions to protect and nurture families as they transition from victims to heroes.

 

tatou kaitautoko

Our Sponsors

Help@Hand is supported by a wonderful group of sponsors from the New Zealand business community. Thanks to their generosity we can help families to start new lives free from fear of abuse.

If you are interested in supporting Help@Hand then we would love to hear from you.

Become a sponsor

Major Sponsor

The Ted Manson Foundation

 

kei o tatou ringa te awhina inaianei

Help is in our hands now.