RISE: Respect Inspire Support Empower

06/10/2026

What happens when you ask a community to share a moment when they felt safe, cared for, connected or like they belonged?

You get stories. You get art. You get conversations. You get connection.
And sometimes, you get something much bigger than an exhibition.

That is what Ordinary Wonders became.

Hikitia! invited our community to share memories of ordinary moments that mattered. People responded with incredible generosity, trusting us with their stories. Artists transformed those memories into more than 90 artworks, which came together in an exhibition at Tāwera - Your Art Space.

This was never something Hikitia! wanted to create for our community. We wanted to create it with our community.

That spirit carried through our programme too. Across more than 20 free events and activities, people came together to make, watch, listen, reflect and talk.

Ordinary Wonders also created opportunities for people to meet, share experiences and form connections with others whose paths they might not otherwise have crossed.

Some of these spaces opened up conversations about subjects that can be difficult to talk about, including family violence and sexual violence, while others explored positive expressions of masculinity, care and vulnerability, and how we create spaces where people feel safe to connect and talk openly. Through Little Matters NZ and other interactive activities across the exhibition and programme, children, whānau and community members were invited to explore everyday messages about safety, respect, consent, connection and belonging through creativity and conversation.

This is primary prevention in action.

Primary prevention is about creating the conditions for safety and wellbeing before violence happens. Connection, belonging, care, respect and supportive relationships are protective factors that help strengthen those conditions.

Ordinary Wonders showed us that these things live in everyday moments: a memory shared, a child exploring what safety means, someone taking the time to listen, a new connection made, or people coming together to create.
Hikitia! brought the invitation. Our community brought the stories, creativity, generosity and heart.

Thank you to everyone who shared, created, participated, volunteered, supported and visited. Ordinary Wonders was shaped by every person who took part.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

Our team is lacing up their running shoes for The Spectacle 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

RISE staff will run in Nelson's running festival in early December raising money for our Back a Bro campaign.

Back a Bro supports men who voluntarily reach out to RISE for help with their use of violence. These are men who want to change their behaviour, build safe relationships, and keep their whānau and themselves safe. Right now, when a man asks for help, there's no system to back him up. Back a Bro helps keep that door open for the next man who knocks.

Our CEO Maud Molloy, who's running the 10km, says changing behaviour works the same way as training for a race:

"You get there one step at a time. Some days it's hard and what matters is that you keep lacing up your shoes and keep showing up."

Development Lead Aaron Agnew is taking on the 50km, with Victor, Liv, Joelene, Fran and Colleen and Angela, Maud, Marissa, and Jaron also running in the relay or 10km.

Back our runners here 👉 https://spectacle26.grassrootz.com/rise-living-safe

Running in The Spectacle yourself? You can choose to fundraise for RISE through Grassrootz too. We'd be stoked to have you on the team 🙏, raising money for our Back a Bro campaign.

For more info on Back a Bro: https://givealittle.co.nz/org/back-a-bro

29/09/2026

Wow, what a campaign from Police Scotland! 👏

Police Scotland has launched its latest That Guy campaign, calling violence against women and girls "a national emergency’’.

The six-week campaign asks men aged 18 to 35 to recognise the influence they have on boys and young men and “help them become decent men”.

The message to young men is simple: You are a role model, so be a decent one.

It's not about being perfect. It's about the everyday stuff: how you talk about women, what you share online, and whether you speak up when a mate crosses the line.

On average, more than 200 crimes involving violence against women and girls are reported in Scotland every day. The 2022 New Zealand Crime and Victims survey found that 24% of New Zealand women had experienced intimate partner violence.

At RISE, we know that preventing family violence also means changing the attitudes that come before it. We work with men, women and the whole whānau to break the cycle of intergenerational violence.

If you want to do something in Aotearoa, RISE has a campaign called Back a Bro - where you can back a man who wants to change. https://givealittle.co.nz/org/back-a-bro

Men speaking up about sexual harassment and abuse of women really m...

28/09/2026

Nau mai, haere mai ki RISE, Colleen. A big welcome to Colleen O'Driscoll, Family Violence Practitioner to RISE's team.

Colleen has extended expertise and experience in Family Violence and Child Protection. She has worked for Women’s Refuge, Oranga Tamariki and Barnados. At RISE she works to support and educate clients about family violence and the effects of this on individuals, whānau (family) and the community.

Originally from the UK, Colleen shifted to New Zealand in 2005 and has lived in Nelson with her partner and two children since 2007.

She completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences, Social Work in 2012 at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

She is a trained yoga teacher and enjoys practising yoga outside of work. “I love supporting people to be able to understand how they can use yoga to support their life on and off the mat.”

27/09/2026

What does it mean to be a good man today? And what are we teaching our sons about masculinity?

In a world where boys are being handed some pretty loud answers online, this is a conversation worth having.

Tīhema Baker and Lawrence Patchett discuss their latest books, One Day a Taniwha and Have This Heart, and reflect on aspects of fatherhood and masculinity that aren’t often talked about, let alone explored in literature.

This deep dive into stories about men who strive for more will open up a conversation about the kind of men we want to be and the kind of men we want our sons to become.

A particularly good one to bring your sons along to.

Chaired by Matty Anderson.

Supported by: Hikitia! RISE: Respect Inspire Support Empower

27/09/2026

And here’s one for the readers, writers and word-lovers out there!

Did you know you can save 25% when you bundle three or more tickets to selected Pukapuka Talks events?

Pick your talks, bring your curiosity and make a day (or two!) of it. There’s plenty to get stuck into across this year’s literary programme.

Offer applies to individuals purchasing three or more tickets to different eligible events. Multiple tickets to a single event aren’t included. For group bookings, please use our Group Discount.

Check out more here:
https://nelsonartsfestival.nz/events/?_event_category=korero

Thanks to our Pukapuka sponsors Go Media and Plus Nelson
Kapa Hapa Through a Lens Supported by Innit Creative
Pāpā vs the Partriarchy supported by Hikitia Te Tai Tokerau RISE: Respect Inspire Support Empower

23/09/2026

We are hiring: Regional Strategic Lead Family and Sexual Violence.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone passionate about making a difference in the lives of whānau (families) affected by violence.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Regional Strategic Lead to join our team and drive positive change across Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, Kaikōura and the West Coast.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position through to 30 September 2027, with the potential to extend to 30 June 2028. It offers a unique opportunity to support Te Ohu Whangia-a-Maui Collective to develop and implement strategies that reduce family and sexual violence across our region.

To request a position description and application details, contact [email protected].

For more information see: https://lnkd.in/e3Ekp_Zg

Key responsibilities of the role

▪ Support the implementation of action plans based on the strategy developed.

▪ Recommend and implement programmes, and track progress and outcomes.

▪ Report on regional readiness and capability in responding to family and sexual violence.

▪ Engage and develop key relationships locally and nationally.

The person we are looking for

▪ Understands Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.

▪ Gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the way they work.

▪ Demonstrates strong leadership and relationship-building skills.

▪ Excels in data analysis and strategic reporting including outcome measures.

▪ Is self-motivated and shows initiative.

22/09/2026

RISE has a donations page 💜

Most of our work is funded to support specific referrals, but individual donations help us say yes to self-referrals, people who reach out for help on their own but don't always meet the criteria for funded support. Those donations are often what lets us catch the people who'd otherwise fall through the cracks. They also help us reach people faster.

If you've ever wondered how to support what we do, you can donate by internet banking, automatic payment, or credit card — however suits you best: rise.net.nz/cash-donations

Donations help our clients work through complex trauma, improve family relationships & go through relapse and recovery on their way to living violence free for life. Thank you for your donation.

16/09/2026

Thanks to the Rātā Foundation for an uplifting event in Whakatū/Nelson, for the chance to connect with others in the not for profit space and celebrate the amazing mahi happening in the top of the south.

It was wonderful to meet others who also benefit from a long term relationship with Rātā Foundation, the kind of sustained backing that lets us plan ahead and keep our services running for the people who need them.

It was genuinely moving to hear from the speakers and talk to other not for profits about the important work they are doing to support our community.
RISE is proud to be supported by the Rātā Foundation and grateful for the partnership.

Pictured at the event, The Nelson Tasman Grants Function, is RISE's Operations Lead Angela, with Rātā Trustee Josiah Tualamali'i and Women's Support Motueka Manager Maluz Moreno. Ngā mihi ki a Maluz for her inspiring speech about their work they do to empower wāhine and keep them safe.

Events like this are a great chance to strenghten connections to other organisations and reflect on the amazing work being done in the not-for-profit sector in the top of the south.

Ngā mihi nui ki a Rātā Foundation for all your support and for a great celebration.