About the Hawke’s Bay Strands Trust

The Hawke’s Bay Strands Trust is committed to the principles of Enabling Good Lives and ensuring every young person has the opportunity to live an interesting and fulfilling life, with their peers, and as part of the community.

Our History

On returning to the Hawke’s Bay with Dylan as a new school leaver, Kristina did a whole lot of research into what he could do on leaving school, and found there wasn’t a lot of choice for young people his age who had a disability. And so the idea was to provide a meaningful programme that would support, encourage and provide a good life for school leavers aged 16 – 28.

The Present

The Hawke’s Bay Strands Trust was born in February 2022 and became a registered charitable trust the following April.

The Future

We plan to build on the current programme of providing purposeful activity during the day and expand to provide ongoing learning opportunities in a real world context and community participation. And then to expand skills based on the interests of the young people involved in the programme. This could include garden to table, sewing, animals/farm skills, natural bush regeneration and work experience opportunities. From 2023 we are hoping to offer a transition process to help young people to move from school to the Trust programme.

Our Trustees

  • Kristina Appleby

    Kristina Appleby

    This busy mum and gran founded the Hawke’s Bay Strands Trust after seeing a gap in services to support her autistic son.

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  • Angela Hames

    Angela Hames

    I joined the Board of the HB Strands Trust as I can see such huge potential in this programme and I feel I can add value to the young people. I am excited for the future of this new programme!

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  • Prue Marflitt

    Prue Marflitt

    As a Mum and as a registered Nurse I have learned how to be a fierce advocate as the inequities in our community drive my passion to support everyone who has a dream and wants to achieve it.

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Our Staff

  • Peter Hames

    Peter Hames

    From social skills to life skills my passion is to see our young people grow.

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  • Krystal Kerr

    Krystal Kerr

    I love supporting and helping our young people in life and I bring a positive, young, fresh perspective. They make me see the world in a different way and I love their outlook and it brings me joy.

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