“That’s one of the lessons we saw during the first Covid-19 lockdown,” says Waimakariri District Council community development facilitator Rachel Thornton.

“There were a lot of people out there hurting and it was a unique period because the lockdowns caused hardship for people who had never needed to seek support from social services before.

“This un-guided demand was coupled with a social services sector that was geared up and perfectly placed to help North Cantabrians in need, but there was a reluctance from the community to utilise this help.”

This was the nexus for Next Steps - a website that houses all North Canterbury social services information in one place. The site also poses questions to direct people to the provider best suited for their situation – all online and anonymous.

“The reality is that you must be a strong person to ask for help,” says Rachel. “But we know there is a stigma there and we wanted to remove any barriers in the way to people getting the support they need.”

“Things like this website, that are innovative ways to break down barriers that empower our communities to self-help, are really useful and I hope will help more people come forward when they need to.”

Speaking at the launch event on March 29 Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said the website is a great resource for the community.

“While the initial shock of Covid-19 is gone we know this will not be the last event our country faces and it’s important we learn from previous events.

“Having all this information in one place, with support specific to North Canterbury, is a fantastic resource and I applaud all our communities’ providers for working together to make this happen.”

“The information is non-threatening, accessible and provides this information in an empowering way that will connect with a lot of our residents when they need support.”

To find out more, or test drive the website yourself, visit nextsteps.org.nz