Ashburton workers get SKIP message
When Ashburton Presbyterian Support regional manager Jackie Girvan heard the best place to reach parents is in the workplace, that's what she did: took the SKIP message to the workers.
Getting positive parenting information to people in remote rural areas and farming communities is difficult. These families often work long hours and it's difficult to attract them to events in the main centres. So taking the message to their workplace seemed like the answer.
The local Presbyterian Support team approached the largest work places in the area to ensure a large target audience of parents, caregivers and grandparents. Talley's food processing plant and Canterbury Meat Packers were positive about workplace parent education with Canterbury Meatpackers promoting the sessions through staff meetings and information slips in pay packets.
Four Presbyterian Support representatives spent the day in each workplace cafeteria, providing free hot cross buns and Easter eggs, along with SKIP information and resources, and answered questions during breaks.
After reading the Managing Anger resource, one grandfather said: "If only I'd seen this when I was younger". He planned to give his adult kids a copy to help them parent their children.
The days were a huge success with an enthusiastic response from management and workers. So much so, Canterbury Meatpackers invited Presbyterian Support Services back to deliver further parenting courses.
