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The Mum’s Clique, a charitable organisation designed to provide many different kinds of support for mothers, has been forced to close its operation after just three years. It closed on April 1.
The organisation initially grew rapidly, moving its base from small premises in Ōrewa Community House to Stoney Homestead in Millwater, before transforming Rotary House in Silverdale into its headquarters, The Haven, in 2020.
Volunteers worked hard on The Haven, refitting the interior with a $10,000 grant from the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board. It was designed as a hub for mothers, providing a base for playgroups, information, education, and counselling services.
Founder Abbey Fouche says after helping thousands of families over the three-year period, closure was an incredibly difficult decision to make. She says that Covid-19 dealt the fatal blow, causing demand for services to skyrocket while funding and sponsorship dried up.
“Our volunteers were working extremely hard trying to meet the demand and it was simply not sustainable,” she says. “We needed at least three more paid staff and a bigger warehouse and did not have the funds to meet the needs we required to operate.”
She says no one could have predicted a pandemic and the consequences on the non-profit sector.
“We struggled to maintain adequate funding, volunteers and the core aspects of our charity through the pandemic as we worked hard to be inclusive to every mum with the restrictions in place.”
“Having to close is incredibly sad, not just for us, but for the community. However, the council and government should have backed us over a year ago. We’ve done the best we could and couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved.”
She says Covid-19 has put the non-profit sector, as a whole, “under the pump”.
Fouche says as per the charities’ register requirements, any remaining items and funds will be donated to the many other non profits that The Mum’s Clique worked with, such as Love Soup, Grandparents parenting Grandchildren, and Women’s Refuge.
Backstories November 4 and 18, 2020
