Mates4Life

What does a Safety Aider look like?

A manager.
A workmate.
A volunteer firefighter.
A coach.
A parent.
A friend.

One of the things we love most about our Safety Aider programme is that there isn't a "type" of person who steps forward.

They come from all walks of life, industries, workplaces, and communities.
What they have in common is a willingness to learn how to recognise distress, start a conversation, and support someone who might be struggling.

Over 1,300 people across Hawke's Bay have completed Safety Aider training with Mates4Life.

That's over 1,300 people helping build a stronger, more connected community.

And that's something worth celebrating. 💚

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Safety Aider or bringing the programme to your workplace or organisation, we'd love to kōrero.

A huge thank you to the incredible team at Health Hawke's Bay who welcomed us to meet their team and to present our SCOPETalk Workshop recently.

The Health Hawke’s Bay Health Coaches, Health Improvement Practitioners, and Talking Based Therapists all form the backbone of support for our Hawke's Bay community, so it was great to see them taking time to look after their own mental health too.

That's what SCOPETalk is all about. While most of our Mates4Life workshops focus on learning how to help others who might be struggling, SCOPETalk turns that lens inward and gives people the tools to look after their own mental health first. Like the airlines say, ‘put your own oxygen mask on first’.

We know right now that a lot of people and businesses across Hawke's Bay are doing it tough. If you'd like to explore what a SCOPETalk workshop could look like for your team, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

And check out Health Hawke’s Bay to see all the great services they offer.

Supporting the people who support our community

Recently, the Mates4Life team delivered a Safety Aider workshop with Hato Hone St John - equipping frontline and community responders with practical tools to recognise and respond to signs of distress.

The engagement and kōrero throughout the session reinforced just how important these conversations are, especially for the people supporting our communities every day. But these skills don’t stop in the workplace - they also help people better support one another within their teams, whānau, and homes.

We’re incredibly grateful to work alongside organisations like Hato Hone St John who continue to prioritise the wellbeing of their people while carrying out such important mahi across Hawke’s Bay. 💚

As shared by their Area Operations Manager:
“Suicide is sadly a daily reminder for our St John Ambulance Officers on the frontline in our community. However, we have also had su***de impact on a personal level. So, having the awesome Mates4Life team come and engage with our people at our Ambulance Stations and work with us to increase our awareness amongst each other, has been well received and invaluable.”

Ngā mihi to the Hato Hone St John team for having us. 💚