Tauranga HELP Fund

Tauranga HELP was established in the early 1980’s when Police Medical Officer John Barr became increasingly frustrated at the lack of facilities available for victims of sexual abuse and rape. The idea was to have an independent place, where women could be seen by doctors and counsellors (not at the police station where the offenders often were).

Eventually enough public money was raised to set up Tauranga HELP in rooms on 14th Avenue. ACC accreditation and funding soon followed, and they were seeing hundreds of victims every year.

Fast forward more than 20 years, and Tauranga HELP had a difficult call to make. It simply wasn’t receiving enough funding to cover costs and retain counsellors. So the best possible decision was made – to close, sell the rooms and set up a charitable trust so that victims of sexual abuse could still benefit from Tauranga HELP’s financial support.

But the trustees soon realized that there would come a time when they would no longer be in a position to administer the trust. At this point they discussed with the Acorn Foundation the prospect of Acorn administering the trust funds on their behalf. This was readily agreed to, so the trust’s assets were wound up and transferred to the Acorn Foundation as the Tauranga HELP Fund. 

Now every year a distribution is made from the interest generated by this fund, to assist local organisations who work for victims of sexual abuse.