Words + Photos: Ruth Swale, Anglican Advocacy

On 1 May 2014, I embarked on a journey.

Armed with a 6-month contract from Anglican Care South Canterbury, as their Social Justice Researcher/Enabler, I felt ready for the challenge to: "Identify two or three social justice issues relevant to South Canterbury now." Can you imagine the sense of spaciousness that job description offered me!

Talking with agencies and individuals during my research, I identified a gap in the services available in South Canterbury. My findings secured me a further 1-year contract and I was invited to "choose one of those issues" and start some social justice happening locally. So, in 2015 I created The Advocacy Group to fill that niche.

Jolyon White, manager of the former Social Justice Unit in Christchurch at the time, was an early mentor for me. His advice at that time was simple and effective, "Do something that they won't want to see end."

From the start, social justice has guided how we relate to our clients, and that hasn't changed. We're aware of the imbalance of power in society which can prevent people from flourishing. Social justice means doing things 'with' people, not 'for' them. Standing alongside them, and not taking over from them. We always make it clear to our Advocacy clients that we can't guarantee outcomes for them, and we don't offer any quick fixes either. Yet they know we won’t let them face the tough stuff alone.

What drew me to this work? Looking back over my life, I've always felt a strong pull towards vulnerable people. That's led me down some interesting paths – here in Timaru and during the 16 years I lived in Auckland. Working with the Blind Foundation, aged care and IHC, teaching English to new migrants, and mental health support all opened my eyes to the reality of people's lives when they have been disempowered in various ways. You can't 'unsee' that, and God nudged me to act.

In mid-2015 I began collaborating with counsellor, Bettina Mielenz. Bettina was offering small-group workshops on personal empowerment themes which complemented our 1-to-1 support.

Then in 2016, my Social Justice Advocacy role was made permanent giving me the scope I needed to expand the service and to begin planning for the long haul.

Our first Volunteer advocates joined us in 2015/16, and some of them are still part of our team today, along with more recent recruits. Volunteer advocates are now available in Waimate, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Geraldine and the Mackenzie area, as I couldn't cover the whole region without our wider team. They receive some training, but it's their natural empathy and life experience that really qualify them to do this role.

Alexia Bensemann took over the small-group aspect from Bettina in 2017. Alexia still creates and presents her 'Personal Insights' workshops, and she also runs the Oceans Grief and Loss peer support programme here.

At the end of 2018, funding became available to replicate our service in Mid Canterbury. Annie Bately was the first Social Justice Advocate appointed there, then Warren James stepped into the Ashburton role in 2020. Ashburton Anglican Advocacy follows the same ethos as South Canterbury while adding their own local flavour.

The members of Anglican Care South Canterbury Divisional Committee have changed over the decade, but they remained a source of encouragement and inspiration for me.

Now in 2024, Christchurch City Mission has entered the mix, and they have become our employer going forward.

10 years on, requests for our help just keep rolling in, and it’s still clear to us all that we're delivering a vital service here. It hasn't grown stale, as our style of 1-to-1 Advocacy just keeps on evolving naturally, in response to our clients’ needs.Since Advocacy began in South Canterbury, we've responded to 1,128 requests for 1-to-1 support. The types of requests have always been diverse, but some recurring themes that have emerged are employment issues, tenancy, and Work and Income.

What have I learnt over 10 years? Self-care is vital for sustaining yourself so you can keep doing what you do, year after year. Not being self-indulgent but giving yourself time out for those simple rituals that can really replenish your soul. I love to spend time in nature, either in my own garden or in wilder places. Modelling self-care practices to the people we work with is so valuable for their wellbeing – and I always enjoy sharing cuttings from my garden too.

Seeing people blossom, grow and change is one of the greatest pleasures of our work. We start out with a sense of hope for our clients, which sometimes turns into great joy as we watch them walk into their true potential and start flourishing.

Contact: Ruth Swale

Social Justice Advocate

Anglican Advocacy South Canterbury

021 134 0307

advocacy@anglicancare.org.nz

Facebook.com/advocatesouthcanty/