Presbyterian Support Southland

About

Presbyterian Support Southland is a Charitable Trust that provides a range of health and social services through Family Works and Enliven. Our vision is a community where all people can make the most of their strengths and feel included, valued and safe.

Story

The unmet needs of children in Invercargill led to Presbyterian Support Otago opening Cameron Children’s Home in 1917. The Southland association of Presbyterian Support was formed in 1919 and took over the operation of this home. From this, residential childcare continued as the main area of work over the next 40 years.

Although the care needs of older people had been apparent since the mid 1930’s, it wasn’t until May 1938 that Cameron Home (now redundant as a children’s home) was reopened as a Home for “elderly ladies”. Since then, our first purpose-built rest home/hospital at Peacehaven opened early in 1954, and the range of services offered to older people has substantially expanded to multiple homes across the region.

The introduction of the domestic purposes benefit reduced the number of children needing residential care and our last children’s home closed in 1989. There was still a desperate need for social services to support children, young people and their families and in 1991 we were approved as a CFSS & Community Service. Since then, Family Works has expanded to offer a wide range of services for Southland families.

Read more on our website: https://pss.org.nz/about/history/