Dr Karleen Edward and John Fowke on MASH Trust 

This week we welcomed John Fowke, board chair of MASH Trust, and Dr Karleen Edward, the trust's chief executive, who between them gave us an excellent overview of an organisation many of us drive past every week without quite realising how big it has become.

MASH began in 1989, and the origin story is a good one. Three rather bossy ladies, as they were fondly described, decided something had to be done for vulnerable people being displaced from the old Railway Hostel, so they set about finding them housing. From that very modest beginning, MASH has grown into one of the major social support providers in the lower North Island, with around 600 staff and 1,900 clients.

John and Karleen traced the journey from the closure of the big institutions such as Lake Alice and Kimberley through to the modern, person centred model of support we have today. It is a shift from housing people in large facilities to supporting them as individuals, in homes and communities, with the help they actually need.

MASH now runs 28 disability homes and 23 mental health residential homes, alongside extensive community support services and day programmes. It also delivers the Monarch addiction recovery programme, which has been notably successful. When funders suggested the programme be shortened, MASH declined, because the ten week model is the thing that makes it work.

One of the most engaging parts of the talk was the description of Luck, a drop in centre tucked away in Berryman's Lane that many people in town would not know is there. It offers showers, donated clothing, meals and, just as importantly, somewhere to sit and be among others. It now has around 800 regular users, and serves roughly 40 to 50 free breakfasts every day.

Demand has surged, with a 31 percent increase in the number of people facing food or housing insecurity. Funding for Luck is limited, but MASH keeps it running because the need is simply too great to walk away from.

MASH also runs a child and youth respite service, the only one of its kind in the southern North Island. Alongside that is a growing shift towards supported independent living, where people stay in their own homes with support tailored around them rather than moving into a facility.

The relief this brings families is considerable. One group told MASH it was the first time in 40 years that they had been able to take a holiday without worrying.

Looking ahead, Karleen outlined an ambitious vision for a Health and Wellbeing Hub, a one stop community space where someone can tell their story once and receive coordinated support rather than being sent from door to door. With rising rents, overcrowding, and thousands of Palmerston North residents not enrolled with a GP, the case for it is easy to see.

The model has already been proven in Christchurch, where it has reduced duplication and lowered costs for providers, while giving vulnerable people dignified and straightforward access to help.

John and Karleen also shared some future housing ideas, including clusters of small self contained units laid out rather like the old motels. The appeal is that residents get their own front door and a real sense of independence and pride, while support staff can look after a group of people efficiently in one place.

Between them, John and Karleen painted a picture of an organisation quietly doing extraordinary work. It is practical, compassionate, and deeply embedded in our community. Their message was a simple one. The need is growing, but so is their determination to meet it.

Our thanks to John and Karleen for a genuinely eye opening morning. You can find out more at www.mashtrust.org.nz.