Hundreds of Tauranga people overwhelmed by dealing with bureaucracy are being helped by a free advocacy service mostly staffed by volunteers.

The Free Public Advocacy Service runs regular clinics in Greerton, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay and a new session is starting up in March at the central city library on a Saturday morning.

Carol Heena began the service to support people struggling to access services they needed. Advocates go with clients to appointments, talk on the phone to agencies and meet people in person to provide guidance and advice, as near to where they live as possible.

After raising a family of five children, working with Samaritans and then completing a degree in social science, Carol realised there was a big hole in providing services to people who needed to deal with agencies and couldn’t afford a lawyer or other support. She’d been left high and dry trying to find a job after she had been replaced in her charity job by a volunteer.

“There was a need there. I did try to work with a couple of people, but decided to go out on my own.”

She was one of the founders and first Chair of the Tauranga Housing Advocacy when homelessness became a big issue in the city, which became “an exercise in bureaucracy”. She wanted a free service, available to all people, including migrants, and close to where people lived.

In almost four years since it started, the service has helped a couple of hundred people with a variety of issues big and small - often dealing with WINZ, ACC, the Tenancy Tribunal or just helping fill in a form. They may need advice, a referral, guidance or just someone to listen to them.

“People are pushed from pillar to post, but people know that they can rely on us to go with them and while we’re not legal agents, we can help them navigate these agencies.”

The volunteers who help do a variety of jobs - administration, running the charity, or helping get much-needed funding from rapidly disappearing funders.

“I look for skills second to how they interact with people. I want people with good life skills who are empathetic.”

Gen Crossen and Binte Zainab have been volunteering for the service for about six months.Gen helps at the Welcome Bay clinic and Zainab helps at the Greerton Library clinic and does admin work for Carol.

“I like to hear people tell their stories and then work out how I can assist them,” Gen says. She enjoys being an advocate because it is practical, task focused and rewarding.

“We have empathy and we are non-judgemental. We just point people in the right direction and help them on their way.”

Zainab likes knowing she’s spending her time in a positive way, helping others. “Some people have no one else, and so it is nice to be able to support them.”

Anyone who feels they have the right skills to help advocate for others can register on the organisation’s website www.freepublicadvocacyservice.co.nz

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