Brave Hearts opens doors in Wellington

New Wellington group reflects growing demand for family and whānau support in Brave Hearts’ tenth year

Turning 10 in the capital

This year, Brave Hearts turns ten. As we mark that milestone, we are also opening our first Wellington meeting, which feels like the right way to begin our next chapter.

To be honest, I never imagined we would reach this point. When Brave Hearts began, the focus was simple. We wanted to create support for families and whānau affected by addiction. Ten years later, that need is still there, and if anything, it is becoming more visible.

Today, Brave Hearts predominantly operates across the North Island, while also maintaining a meeting in Christchurch. Our monthly meetings bring together small and medium-sized groups of people seeking support, understanding and practical guidance as they navigate the challenges addiction can create within families. Over the last few months, I have noticed a shift. More people are asking whether we offer face-to-face meetings in their own communities. If we do not, they are asking whether we can help start one. That is part of the story behind Wellington.

A Wellington Story

The first Wellington hui is on the 6th July 2026, at Lane Park, 22 Lane Street, Upper Hutt. For more details email support@bravehearts.nz

Wellington has always been somewhere I hoped Brave Hearts could establish a presence. It is the capital of the country, a place where a lot happens, and a place where connection and networks matter.

The opportunity became real when I met three Wellington women who were already supporting one another informally. Two of them had already been meeting for coffee and inviting others facing similar challenges to join them.
When I met them, I could see straight away that they had something.
I remember thinking, yes, these women could do this. They were clearly facilitators in the making.

Lived experience matters

That matters because Brave Hearts relies on people with lived experience who understand the realities families face. It is one thing to want to start a meeting. It is another thing to have the steadiness, empathy and commitment needed to hold that space for others.
These women already had the foundations. They were supporting each other. They were creating connection. They were reaching out to others who needed the same kind of support. What they wanted was to come under the BraveHearts umbrella.

I am delighted we are now able to open our doors in Wellington.

The new meeting will be held in Upper Hutt and is being launched with support from Red Door, longstanding friends and collaborators who understand the importance of family and whānau support in addiction recovery.
We are also pleased that Sarah Helm,Executive Director, NZ Drug Foundation, will speak at the inaugural meeting. Her voice and experience will add real strength to the launch, and I know many people will value hearing from her.

For me, success will not be measured by numbers alone. A year from now, I want to see people turning up each month, supporting one another, finding hope, and getting the help they need on what can be a painful and lonely journey.

The need that continues to grow

Brave Hearts is growing because the need is growing. Addiction affects far more people than the individual living with substance use. Around every person experiencing addiction are family members, partners, parents, grandparents, children and friends who are also living with the consequences.

Only scratching the surface.
Families often come to Brave Hearts exhausted, worried and unsure what to do next. Some have spent years trying to help someone they love. Others have faced real financial hardship after seeking treatment options or private rehabilitation. Many have carried fear, uncertainty and stress for a long time.

Families often forgotten

The emphasis in addiction support has often been on helping the person who is addicted. That matters, of course it does. But the wider whānau also needs support. Families need tools in their kete. They need support for themselves, not only so they can better support the person they love, but so they can stay well too.

Sometimes, when families begin doing their own work, the person experiencing addiction notices that change. They may sense that the people around them are becoming stronger, clearer and less willing to keep tolerating damaging behaviour.

That change does not happen overnight. It is a long, hard process. Families have to work at it and keep working at it. But they should not have to do that work alone.

More Than Mutual Support

At its heart, Brave Hearts is built on lived experience and mutual support. There is something powerful about sitting in a room with people who understand what you are going through without needing a long explanation. There is no judgement. People know because they have lived it too. But from the beginning, I wanted BraveHearts to offer more than people getting together and sharing.
We also provide

practical tools
education
knowledge
connection and access to wider networks.

We want families to understand what services are available, what support exists, and what they can and cannot access. Our meetings often include speakers, lived experience voices and professionals who can offer insight, information and encouragement.

That combination matters. Families need understanding, but they also need practical support. They need somewhere to be heard, but they also need knowledge that helps them make clearer decisions.

As Brave Hearts enters its second decade, opening in Wellington feels both practical and symbolic. It tells me the need is still there. It tells me families are still looking for support.It tells me that, ten years on, Brave Hearts still has important work to do.

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