Specialist Sexual & Family Violence Support Services

Welcome to S.O.S

Our History

Support of Sexually Abused Dargaville & Districts Incorporated operating as S.O.S Kaipara, is a grass roots organisation that formed in 1984 after having a series of community meetings out of concern for the high number of domestic violence and sexual abuse cases reported in the district.

S.O.S was set up in the form of a collective structure by a group of dedicated women to provide free services to women and children who were survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Their vision was to empower women and children to heal, to strengthen the community. There was no road map in place just a group of willing community people committed to participating in and affecting community to address disadvantage.

These services initially included support, counselling and education; the service was purely run by volunteers. In 1986 S.O.S was registered as an Incorporated Society and affiliated to National Rape Crisis. Services were partially funded by the Ministry of Social Development in the 1990’s, enabling paid part time staff to be employed.

The service has grown throughout the years now providing Refuge Housing, Counselling, Support and Advocacy and Education programmes to the whole Kaipara District that has a population of 18,500. S.O.S currently employs 6 paid staff and still retains a small amount of volunteer’s who offer their time to assist with collective business, fundraisers and other various activities throughout the year. S.O.S is heavily reliant on philanthropic funding in order to continue to provide free services to meet the need of the local community.

S.O.S has registration with the charities commission and continues to work through an inter-agency collaboration, to ensure an effective response that will reduce and prevent family violence and sexual violence.

Our Commitment to Community Development Principles

We work with clients and the wider whānau, local kuia and kaumatua, iwi and hapu, neighbours and close friends to empower individuals and groups by providing them with skills they need to effect change and engage in action for community.

We work in partnership with other agencies working for the common goal to ensure an effective response that will reduce and prevent family violence and sexual violence by providing therapeutic and educational services to women and children. Addressing these issues directly or indirectly impacts on social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing.

S.O.S is driven by community members promoting non violence and inclusiveness to build a strong and safe community, employing local staff rather than people from outside the district; this ensures that local people receive professional training increasing their value, participation and skills in the community.

S.O.S is affiliated to local, regional and national sector networks through National Rape Crisis, Te Ohaakiia Hine National Network for Ending Sexual Violence (TOAH NNEST) and the National Tripartite Police Reference Group and has had involvement in creating the Draft Relationship Agreement between the Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Government of New Zealand.

Services