The year 2023 marks 50 years since we were founded as Christchurch Women's Refuge, changing Aotearoa New Zealand's social landscape permanently.
To celebrate half a century of life-saving work, all year we will be shedding a light on the thousands of lives we have impacted, the vital mahi we continue to do, and thanking the partners who are on this journey with us.
To mark this milestone, reflect on our evolution and celebrate the thousands of lives saved or changed for the better, on 31 March 2022 we held a night of performances, kai and storytelling at Te Pae Convention Centre.
Attended by over 300 people, including staff past and present, clients, supporters, dignitaries and some of our founding members, it was a night to remember. MC’d by the lovely and warm Hilary Muir of The Breeze, highlights of the evening included a journey through the ages (1973-now) by Playspace Productions, performances from local musician Elly Rydge and St. Bedes Polyfest Ggroup and a moving keynote speech from a former client.
It is not often that we have an opportunity to come together and recognise the incredible contribution that thousands of people have made towards an Aotearoa free from violence. To be able to do so and share the celebration with those on the journey with us was an absolute privilege.
We would like to take a moment now to say a huge THANK YOU to our 50th Sponsors and event sponsors, without whom none of this would have been possible.
Elly Ridge
Champion Supporter
Supporters
We would like to extend a huge thank you to the generous supporters, who have decided to step up their support for our 50th year. We are so grateful to them for their generosity and bold choice to partner with us. Not everyone wants to. Partnering with us means facing a reality that most people don’t want to think about: that family and sexual violence remains a huge issue in our society.
Violence is ruthlessly democratic: it affects people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and economic status. It lives rent free in the lives, relationships and homes of tens of thousands of people in Aotearoa. It’s not the “new hot topic” and, if we know one thing after 50 years, it's that we won’t fix it overnight.
Are things getting better overall? We think so. But progress will only continue if we keep doing the work. And the thousands of adults and tamariki still living with violence and trauma need us to keep doing the work. That's why our sponsors make such a difference.
“We need to get beyond the stigma and really look at the impact and what will happen if we don’t do something about it. Talking about it doesn’t normalise it, but it does humanise it.”
- Brett Anderson, Christchurch Casino (Champion Sponsor)