Vision

To support young parents to have, keep and parent their children.

Philosophy

To support young parents to live a life of confident hope and create a positive future for their children.

As long as it takes....

Our Staff

Kathy Linton
Manager
I relocated from Wellington to Rangiora with my husband.  Between us we have 5 young men and 2 grand-daughters.  My background is in corporate but I have spent many years doing voluntary work which has included leading and facilitating groups through addiction, hurts and hang ups, setting boundaries and support work. 
I was a young mum myself so have an understanding of some of the fears and anxieties that come with that.  I absolutely love children and there is a big part of me that is passionate about supporting mums and dads to be the best they can for their kids.    
It is great to be part of a charity that does some awesome and transformational work with mothers and families in the community.  

Pamela Black
Support Worker
I have recently moved to North Canterbury from Christchurch. I was a single parent for some time so understand the challenges parenting alone can present. 
I wanted to support other mums who were parenting alone so I started working as a volunteer supporting young mums and their baby’s. I loved the work so much I became a Support Worker in the community. I am passionate about young parents having the opportunity to parent the best they can and become the best people that they want to be.
Rachel’s House Trust is an organisation that offers opportunities that are life changing for young parents and I am proud to be a part of their amazing journeys.


Tara Lubbers
Funding Administrator 
I live in North Canterbury.  I am married with four children.  As a trained primary teacher and a mother I know the importance of support for young families. I am passionate about seeing families having the opportunity to thrive, belong and contribute to our local community.

Volunteers

The Trust’s greatest resource is our volunteer base of well-trained individuals from the community who give their time, experience and skill to young families.  Rachel’s House Trust currently has a pool of 18 volunteers who are counsellors, preschool teachers, primary teachers, nurses, social services graduates and midwives.
The volunteers support clients, provide one on one mentoring and participate in bringing a fortnightly playgroup and connect group and help with sorting, cleaning and storing baby items. Our volunteers hours of their own time each month. That is 1428 hours volunteered this year! Our paid staff also volunteer their time above their paid hours, as the agency is growing.

Board

The Rachel's House Trust Board is made up of skilled individuals who have backgrounds in social justice, teaching, training, local council involvement and the NGO sector.

Sandra Heerink
Chair Person
Hi my name is Sandra and I am the chair person on the Rachels House Trust Board. I have lived in Rangiora for the last fifteen years with my husband Mike and our now 4 adult child.
My passion and heart is for social justice, social change and to support people in their own personal growth. This is a role that I am able to complete along side my role with the community development work I do for the Hope Community Trust. 
I truly believe all children deserve the very best start in life despite their circumstances and that there is always hope.
God Bless,
Sandra

Julie Cloughley
Trustee
​My name is Julie Cloughley, I’m married to Peter and we have three sons: Richard, David and Jonathan. For many years, I was a high school maths and English teacher but now teach English language part-time at Ara Institute of Canterbury and on Saturdays in Rangiora.
It is my fifth year on the Board of Trustees at Rangiora New Life school which has given me some understanding of strategic planning and policy writing. I have been working as a volunteer at the Rachel’s House play group on Fridays and love mingling with the young mums and toddlers. I feel privileged to be involved with the Rachel’s House Trust whanau.

Rachel Thornton
Trustee
Hi I'm Rachel, a local North Canterbury mum who has a heart for social justice. I have a wide breadth of experience in the NGO sector. Through study and experience specifically around NGO management I play a key role in developing many areas of the organisation. I have been a Trustee for 5 years now.
I have a diverse background in community development and aid work. This has been gained in New Zealand and through work in ten countries covering most of the continents. 
I am driven by a core belief that we must not be people who just watch, but rather act on injustice's in our communities. Children are the key to our future and Rachels House Trust plays a huge part in supporting young parents here in North Canterbury.​
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