A critical maternal health service that has supported thousands of mothers across Auckland and North Waikato is on the brink of shutting down.
Well Women Trust is a charity that has been providing free, life-saving peer support to women experiencing antenatal and postnatal distress since 2009. It may be forced to significantly reduce or even suspend services during July and August unless urgent financial support is secured.
“This is a crisis,” said Karen Bowden, Operations Lead at Well Women Trust.
“Our services are a lifeline for many women who are struggling with the transition to motherhood, postnatal anxiety or depression, or simply feeling overwhelmed. We walk alongside women in their toughest moments, and without our support, many would simply go without any help at all.”
After 15 years of helping women through one of life’s most vulnerable stages, the Trust can no longer rely on grant funding to sustain its vital work.
While short-term funding is expected to arrive in late August or early September, the gap in July and August puts essential services, including peer support groups, home visits, and 24/7 crisis response, in immediate jeopardy.
With demand for services soaring, the charity is calling on funders, businesses, and everyday New Zealanders to step up before it’s too late.
“We are being overwhelmed by need and underfunded to meet it.”
According to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, as many as one in five mothers will experience postnatal depression. This statistic highlights the growing demand for specialised, community-based support services. Well Women Trust fills a vital gap in the healthcare system, providing community-based care to women who often cannot access mainstream services.
Well Women continues to support other social services working with vulnerable children. However, recent Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funding cuts to a range of community services, combined with the government’s shift toward a social investment model, are placing increasing strain on charities.
These cuts have reduced the capacity of frontline services, leaving organisations like Well Women to shoulder greater responsibility with fewer resources, all while demand for support continues to grow.
Well Women Trust needs to raise NZD 100,000 within 100 days to maintain its services.
“This is not just about funding a service, it’s about saving lives, families, and futures.”
