About Us

Kites does not aim to set up alternative or surrogate communities for people who experience mental health problems. Kites aims to work with the community we have, which is rich in resources.

Kites Trust works to a community development model, this means that we:

  • Encourage people to define their own problems and issues
  • Involve the skills, knowledge and experience of people with mental health problems
  • Promote people working together rather than as individuals
  • Develop local solutions to local problems
  • Create purposeful conversations and ways of working together to build new opportunities, ways of seeing and doing things
  • Facilitate processes toward resolution where there are conflicting interests
  • Engage in policy development at both community and government levels


In 2000, four Wellington based mental health services: Wellink, Pathways, MASH and Te Roopu Whakapakari Ora Trusts came together to look at ways of working together effectively.They had all been working on key areas of sector development in response to what the people who used their services were asking for. This included real jobs, real homes, the right to access services and to participate in their communities. It made sense to bring these roles together and Kites was formed.

Kites Trust became a registered charitable trust (Registration Number: CC10276) in 2004. It is governed by a board of Trustees made up of member organisations and individuals working in the mental health and addictions Non Government Organisation sector.

Trustees

Lyndsay Fortune (Chair), Pathways Trust (National provider of mental health support services)

Te Aranga Hakiwai Te Roopu Whakapakari Ora Trust (Kaupapa Mãori mental health support and accommodation provider)

Virginia MacEwan and Gary Platz from Wellink Trust (Provider of mental health support services)

Debbie Craig from Oasis Network Inc (Hutt Valley peer run support, network and advocacy service)

Taone O'Regan from Atariera (Family support, housing and consumer education provider)

• Kites Trust Annual Report 2009
 
Kites Trust Annual Report 2009 PDF