What We Do

The aim of The Helen Anderson Trust is to provide day service support to Christchurch adults with intellectual disabilities enabling them to live good lives by fostering a sense of independence, personal confidence and equipping them with life skills. Our service focus is providing community inclusion and participation for each individual from a range of clients with unique and differing needs aged from 16 years upwards. This is achieved through:

  • Participating in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary/Helen Anderson Trust Challenge Awards
  • Taking part in sport and recreation activities
  • Developing personal interests and hobbies
  • Encouraging social connections and friendships
  • Undertaking volunteer work, and
  • Obtaining work experience.

Our Awards Programmes

In 2004 the Trust introduced The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary/Helen Anderson Trust Challenge Awards programme to challenge, empower and expand our clients’ experiences through real-world skills. The programmes have been a tremendous success resulting in enhanced independence, work experience, an appreciation of the outdoors and interaction with a greater range of people than might otherwise happen with our clients.

While this programme is designed for persons under 25 years of age, we believe that many people over 25 years would enjoy and benefit by taking part, for this reason we have, with the approval of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award office extended the programme to all clients who wish to take part. As those over 25 are not eligible to receive the official Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award, the Trust has developed the Helen Anderson Trust Award based on the criteria of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award.

The concept is developed around individual abilities/disabilities, at whatever level, to provide an achievable challenge. This is discussed in conjunction with the participant, family/whanau and any other key individuals at an introduction meeting with the Award coordinator prior to commencing the challenge.

There are three levels of Award to this programme – Bronze, Silver and Gold and each Award has four sections (developed around the individual’s abilities/disabilities):

  • Service Aims to learn to give service to others, this can be anything as long as it is assisting others in some way
  • Skills Encourages the development of personal interests and practical skills. This could range from a collection/hobby to learning a new skill or enhancing an existing skill
  • Physical Recreation Designed to encourage participation in physical recreation and improved performance, this could range from supported walking, playing a team sport, etc and
  • Expedition Encouraging a spirit of adventure and discovery, this is a group venture with overnight stays away from home.

This is an exciting programme both for those taking part and for the Trust as we believe the outcomes are proof of the value of such a programme.

Find Out More

Download one of the following documents to find out more about what we do at The Helen Anderson Trust.

Visit The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award’s website here