The Coromandel Resource Centre is a busy ‘one stop shop’ for residents in the heart of Coromandel Town, providing information on health and disability services, funding to enable people to attend hospital appointments in Thames and Hamilton and rooms for agencies not located in the area to hold regular clinics.
CILT is a full member of the New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres and the Māori Disability Group, Te Roopu Tikai Hunga Hauaa. Specialist knowledge on health and disability services is provided at a number of CILT sites by several project coordinators. In 2016 the Resource Centre provided 4385 support contacts to people with a disability through face to face enquires, phone calls, emails, letters and faxes. Most requests are related to social housing, support groups, mobility aids and accessing physical and mental health services.
To empower residents to access their own information on services, the centre has two free computers, funded by the New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres. The WEKA computers are available on site and were used 885 times in 2016. In addition to accessing information on health and disability services, residents use the computers to gain information on government and council processes, make CVs and search for work and volunteering opportunities. The centre also provides fax, scanning, copying, laminating and binding services and a community notice board.
The Resource Centre at Tiki House
Community Transport Services
The Community Transport Service is a vital service that enables patients (who have a Community Services Card), from the isolated rural Upper Coromandel to access health care at Thames Hospital and Waikato Hospital. A dedicated team of volunteer drivers are available to transport patients who are unable to drive themselves. CILT receive funding from the Waikato District Health Board to provide this great service.
In May 2016 CILT conducted a survey in order to obtain patients feedback. Some of the comments from patients included:
“If it wasn’t available we would have to use money set aside for groceries and bills which would leave us in a bad way.”
“… absolutely amazing service, staff are always cheerful and extremely helpful!”
“It allowed me to keep appointments I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to keep.”
Mobility Van
In 2016 the Coromandel Community Services Trust (CCST) van completed 52 trips with 395 passengers from Coromandel Town to Thames for shopping. This fantastic service collects locals from their homes and drops them back at the end of the day. CILT organise all of the bookings for the weekly trips and the drivers are volunteers.
Coromandel Heartland Service Centre
Heartlands is a government funded interagency initiative that enables people in rural areas to access government services. The Centre is based at Tiki House in Coromandel Town and is accessed by local residents and those living in the isolated communities of Colville, Port Charles, Papa Aroha, Koputauaki, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua and Manaia. In addition to government agencies, other social services providers regularly book the rooms to see clients.
In the last twelve months, there were 1518 face to face appointments with a government or non-government representative at the centre. There were 2867 support calls, emails, faxes and face to face queries related to seeing visiting agencies. 23 government agencies and 16 non-government agencies visited the Centre during this period, 8 of these were new organisations. Agencies accessing the rooms included Probation, Māori Land Court, IRD, Community Mental Health, ACC, Workwise, as well as counsellors, computer tutors, speech and language therapists, an osteopath, masseus and acupuncturist.
Local residents appreciate the convenience of having so many agencies and services accessible in one location in the centre of the town. Comments are frequently received such as “this is the hub of Coromandel isn’t it! (September 2014) and “I had no idea you could get so many things done in one place” (February 2015).
Thank you!
We would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of SPAN Trust, the Waikato District Health Board, the Ministry of Social Development, Trust Waikato, COG’s and the Lottery Grants Board for enabling us to provide these great services for our community.
Visit us at:
Tiki House
45 Tiki Road
Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm
07 866 8358 (phone and fax)
cilt@cilt.org.nz