10 DEC 2024

Contact spreads Christmas cheer for children at Women’s Refuges in Otago

Contact Energy (Contact) has bolstered its ongoing partnership with Women’s Refuge by bringing children at the Ōtepoti-Dunedin Whānau and Gore & Clutha Whānau refuges a little extra Christmas magic this year. 

The teams at Contact’s hydroelectricity sites in Clyde and Roxburgh and contact centre in Dunedin have been collecting gifts for young people who will be staying at Women’s Refuges across the Otago region over the Christmas period.  

Contact targeted gift donations for older children who often get overlooked when people donate gifts to the refuge. 

“It’s so wonderful that Contact is helping us to make Christmas a bit better for the women and children in our refuge,” says Talia McConnell, Manager at the Gore & Clutha Whānau Refuge.

“Christmas can be a hard time for a lot of people, so this is a great initiative to help those who need it most. We usually get lots of gift donations for the younger children, so it’s fantastic that the older children staying with us will get to feel some extra love too.”

Women’s Refuge sees an uptake in women needing its services at this time of the year. It is expected that more than 6,000 women and children across New Zealand will seek refuge to stay safe from family violence over the summer holidays during December and January. 

“We’re really proud of our partnership with Women’s Refuge and that we can provide them with support over the Christmas period,” says Boyd Brinsdon, Head of Generation Hydro at Contact.

“Our people at the Clyde, Dunedin and Roxburgh sites were humbled to organise gifts for children spending Christmas at the Ōtepoti-Dunedin Whānau and Gore & Clutha Whanau refuges, including toys, books, arts and sports equipment.” 

Contact has also donated $10,000 in support of Women’s Refuge Summer Appeal. Since Contact’s partnership with Women’s Refuge began in July 2022, the energy provider has been gifting free electricity and broadband to the social service organisation’s 70 safe houses and refuges across the country.

ENDS

Image: Contact’s hydroelectric team are humbled to collect gifts for older children spending Christmas at the Gore & Clutha Whānau Refuge

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Lotty Hird 
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