I Have A Dream Charitable Trust

I Have a Dream, Term 2, 2023

When it comes to driving a conversation for change around social & economic inequality, you need to be able to amplify your message to the widest possible audience. Media coverage can play a significant role in shaping public discourse, but on the flipside the media itself can often contribute to the perpetuation of social inequality, simply through underrepresentation. 

Much of what we see covered rarely tends to focus on the real challenges facing some of our most at need communities. It's not really surprising, however, because when you start to dig under the surface you quickly realise it's a vast topic with complex interconnections. This is something our Navigators experience first-hand every single day. 

I was thrilled, then, when the highly respected investigative journalist, Rebecca Macfie, accepted my challenge to go out and independently examine some of the complex issues facing these communities, AND their strengths. Here are the first two articles in a series of four by Rebecca called "Hardship & Hope" that were published in The Listener over the last two weeks - article one and article two. Please also see the accompanying Editorial

My wife Mary and I provided research funding to support this work.  Rebecca worked with complete journalistic independence, and spent many months talking to people before deciding where to focus her attention.  As you will see, her stories reveal both the underlying systems causing harm in many high-deprivation communities, and some of the inspiring local responses that are attempting to shift the dial on poverty.  Her recent article on the Productivity Commission's 

 Fair Chance for All Enquiry was a good introduction to the series, focusing on the commission's finding that siloed, fragmented and short-term government responses sit at the heart of our failure to address the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage that denies too many children a fair chance in life.

 Of course, the non-profit sector can also be siloed, piecemeal and short-term in its approach!  But the bottom line is that both the Govt and non-profit sectors have been spending many millions of dollars over many decades, and we're simply not moving the dial on most measures of inequality, poverty, etc.  It is our sincere hope that by getting Becky's excellent research andwriting even more widely read, we can help drive both public and political debate… andultimately drive systemic change!

Nga mihi, 

Scott Gilmour

Chairperson, Board of Trustees,

I Have A Dream Charitable Trust

Dream Week

This month we are launching Dream Week our new annual awareness initiative promoting IHAD and the work our team is doing everyday to support our Dreamers and bring their dreams to life.

Dream Week is centred around the idea that every child has the right to dream but recognising that not every child grows up with the capacity and means to achieve their dreams. Throughout Dream Week we are encouraging people to help share the IHAD message with others and asking them to think about how they can make someone's dreams come true, either as an individual or as a company through our Dream Partners programme. We're also encouraging our dreamers to share their dreams, big or small, so their Navigators can maybe help them find a way to start working towards their goals.

Dream Week officially runs from the 17th-23rd July to coincide with the start of Matariki and New Year being a time that people focus on their goals and dreams. 

Connecting through Music - Dwayne Tainui, Year 7 Navigator

Music is well known as a powerful medium for connecting people. For the past few terms our year 7 Navigator Dwayne Tainui has been bringing together a group of Dreamers to connect through their music.

The idea behind his Pukenga Puoro After School Programme was to bring together musicians who are already competent at their instruments in an attempt to form a cohesive unit, strengthening their abilities and giving them a safe space to improve their musical proficiency by playing with others. 

This is a mixed year group After School Programme that is enabling relationships andfriendships to form with year groups outside of their own. Music offers these Dreamers many additional skills including math, literacy and increased vocabulary through song writing andlearning new terminology. But one of the most important benefits for the group has been the increase in wellbeing that being part of a positive group has provided. 

 "We are currently taking it slow" says Dwayne, "but the hope is that this group will continue to grow and we will be able to play a small selection of songs going forward." Great work team, we look forward to hearing your songs and maybe a small performance in the future.

Volunteering & Mentoring, Kirsty Pillay-Hansen, 

 Term two was a busy one for our I Have a Dream Mentors and Volunteers.  Our Mentors andMentees were recently matched up and we held whanau hui with each Mentee, Mentor andparents/whanau to build relationships and understanding of the mentoring process. 

 There are natural challenges building trust, getting to know each other and finding the best ways to communicate and organise catch-ups and a number of our matches have been overcoming these and doing really well. Kirsty Pillay-Hansen I Have a Dream Volunteering and Mentoring Manager says "It has been lovely to see bonds progress and hear some of the activities Mentors and Mentees have been enjoying together - walks up local maunga and at the beach, visits to waterfalls, fishing, trips to the library, learning crafts and how to knit and help with school homework."

 Our After School Programme Volunteers are full swing into their role and many stepped up during term two and developed their leadership skills by facilitating and running activities andgames during programmes. "Many of our ASP Volunteers are senior high school students andwe are thrilled to have them with us and want to provide meaningful opportunities for them to learn and grow their own confidence and leadership skills whilst volunteering with us", says Kirsty.

National Volunteering Week took place in June during Term two and Kirsty took the opportunity to catch up with many of our I Have a Dream Volunteers and Mentors, acknowledge their contribution and pass on a small gift of thanks from all of us. Thank you to all our wonderful Volunteers and Mentors. Without you, we could not do what we do. If you or anyone you know is interested in Volunteering or Mentoring for I Have a Dream please contact Kirsty at kirsty@ihaveadream.org.nz. 

Annual Report

 Incase you missed our email at the end of May our Annual Report for 2022 is now available here

The Annual Report titled this report "Navigating Change",  is just a taster of the programmes andhard work this team is delivering every single day. 

There is, as always, more work for us to do and many challenges to overcome, but it is reflective of our changing environment and how we are adapting to be able to embrace new challenges now and in the future.