Antara Association
Chairs Report
June 2019
The Antara Free Natural Health Clinic and the Antara Youth Retreat for young adults have had a busy twelve months. Thank you all for supporting these two projects.
All services have been provided free of charge and made possible by the amazing people that give their time freely without expectation. We continue to encourage and celebrate those that stand up and say yes to positively contributing to the fabric of the community we live in. Antara really is a fine example of what can be done when people come together with a shared energy toward helping others.
Antara Free Natural Health Clinic
During the Christmas break the Antara Clinic bathroom area had a much needed re-design and make-over. This had the added bonus of making the area much easier for those on walkers or in wheelchairs to access the toilet.
Just after the Clinic re-opened, Josephine one of our Co-ordinating Members was on reception duty, a regular client arrived at the clinic with her walker. Josephine suggested that she go to the bathroom. The client looked at Josephine strangely, as this was something she was unable to manage. She smiled and she trusted Josephine to carry on to the bathroom area. As she opened the door, she gasped. She went in, looked around and said with a huge smile on her face, “I can come here now. It is wonderful.”
As we keep reiterating to all, we have a wonderful team of helpers at the Clinic – all working together to create this wonderful place of love and caring. And we have facility to match.
The Clinic is such a healing space – and all who work and come feel this very strongly.
Antara Retreat for Young Adults
Our monthly Nurture Weekends throughout the year have attracted many who have appreciated and loved the support given at the Retreat. It gives space for helping, sharing and healing.
YouthLine, Equal Justice Project and Kidsline have bought their groups to the Retreat for strategic planning, training and relaxation. All very inspirational people.
We have really appreciated having Nadja Mateos as a live in co-ordinator for the past year who has now returned to Brazil. She has been amazing.
We are really pleased to have completed the chalet for live in staff and the individual stay programme remains the core focus beyond the current weekend retreats and workshops. We are incredibly excited to now have a 12 week development programme being offered to all live in stays. This is a huge step and part of taking the retreat to the next level.
Funding
We are very grateful to COGS, which is part of the Internal Affairs Department, for, once again, assisting with a grant for a portion of the running costs of the Clinic.
We held “The Enchanted Garden Charity Auction” on 2nd November. We ran this in conjunction with the Helping Hands Group at the Bluestone Room Auckland CBD. It was a beautiful setting with plenty of greenery, raising over $14,000 for the Clinic & Retreat. A great evening.
Thanks to Our Volunteers
And, finally, I would like to thank our dedicated and hard working Antara team and volunteers. We can all be very proud of the services provided and the large number of people touched by Antara’s projects in so many different ways. You are truly amazing!
Craig Parker
Chairperson
Antara Association Inc.