June 2024 Upper South Caregiver News

Kia ora koutou/Greetings to all our Upper South whānau. We have entered the colder months and already there has been plenty of snow in Te Waipounamu (the South Island).

We had a magnificent pamper day in Westport recently and it was heartwarming to share some relaxation in the form of fun yoga, massages, pampering and colour enhancement. Thanks to our wonderful therapist, Rob Surtees, for joining us on the Coast for this day, and a BIG thank you to all the wonderful people who were part of treating our caregivers to some time away from the daily grind.  The importance of self-care is often lost on us until we lose the joy of caregiving, or our wellbeing becomes impacted and the journey to recovery becomes more and more uphill. I encourage you to look outside of the square for self-care and measure it in “moments” or glimmers. Take time for reflection at some point every day and gradually it will become integrated into your routine.

I look forward to the next event with caregivers in BLENHEIM (keep scrolling for details), and I encourage everyone to join our trainings wherever possible to make those all-important connections with like-minded individuals who also travel this journey.

Training

Please take a peek at the training calendar for online options and where you can join us for some face-to-face opportunities. I will be in Blenheim on 14 June delivering our new module HeArt of Healing Care. This module will help you understand developmental trauma and how it can impact so many developmental areas for your child, and by understanding this you can respond in a therapeutic way. It would be great to see some new and not so new faces, as it has been some time since we had a training session over there. I will also deliver this session in Nelson on 18 June. You can use the calendar above to register or txt me on 027 369 3333.

Event

Yes Blenheim/Marlborough, it’s your turn. Save the date of Saturday 22 June for a lunch for families! “Let’s Eat” will be a fabulous opportunity to reconnect and engage with other caregiving whānau in the area. I am just getting a venue confirmed so please watch your inbox and the Facebook page for details.

In the meantime, here are some photos from our wonderful “It’s all about you” pamper day in Westport.

Support

Nelson Coffee Group
Unfortunately, this month I’m away on our usual day so will catch you at our training on Tuesday 18 June.

Please contact me if you would also like information about the Motueka and Nelson Grandparents Raising Grandchildren groups as they meet regularly.

Please join our closed Facebook page as there is also reminders of events, trainings, and coffee groups on the page. Caring Families Aotearoa Upper South Support | Facebook

Take care and keep warm!

Denise