Heartland Services will soon be available in Martinborough as the government initiative puts roots down in Wairarapa.
Heartland Services are based in regional or rural locations across Aotearoa and provide a space for local communities to connect with government and non-government services.
There are currently 40 Heartland Services centres across Aotearoa, funded by the Ministry of Social Development [MSD].
Heartland Services Martinborough is scheduled to open its doors in early November on Jellicoe St and will “serve as a comprehensive support hub providing a range of services to address the diverse needs of the local community,” a statement said.
Heartland Services Martinborough is currently taking community suggestions for services that they believe would be best suited to join the site through their social media page on Facebook.
Most of Heartland Service Centres are in rural communities that don’t have easy access to government and community services.
REAP Wairarapa will be supporting the centre with Adult and Community Education, Building Financial Capabilities and Youth2Work Wairarapa.
REAP chief executive Wairarapa Darren Kerr said he was pleased to help bring the service centre to South Wairarapa communities and that they would work with mana whenua to support them in blessing the building prior to opening.
Kerr said they would also seek local iwi advice around how best to connect with the South Wairarapa Māori communities to provide the best support they can.
Agencies you can see in other Heartland Service centres include ACC, DOC, Kāinga Ora, MSD, and Māori Land Court.
