Centre Coordinator - Counselling Referrals:   Ashlyn Hornsby (She/They/He)

Ashlyn has been at the Centre for over 5 years. Starting as a student counsellor, they became counselling coordinator after graduation, managing referrals and creating a peer-support framework. Recently, Ashlyn became the Centre Coordinator, overseeing service delivery and coordination of all activities. Their dog Grendel supports by comforting guests at Whare Wāhine.  Ashlyn's experience includes drug harm reduction, peer-support coordination at outdoor music events and a local mental health and addictions respite, counselling the rainbow community, and consent culture advocacy. They completed leadership training through Canterbury University's Leadership Scholarship program and hold a Bachelor of Counselling from NMIT.  Ashlyn's grew up in Ōtautahi and made the move to Te Tau Ihu around 2018.  Her ancestors are from Lebanon and Great Britain.  

Contact: Ashlyn:  counselling@nelsonwc.org.nz

Funding and Partnerships Coordinator:  Augusta van Wijk (she/her)

Augusta joined the Centre in June 2024 initially as a volunteer, and later as a contract business advisor  when the Centre was closed due to funding shortages.  

She now contracts part time,  managing the Centre's financial sustainability through  grant applications, membership drives, donations, events, sponsorships, endowments,  corporate partnerships and  fundraising activities.  Augusta also handles communications and marketing for the Centre.  With over 20 years of experience in business development, stakeholder engagement, revenue acquisition and management - in the not for profit science sector, Augusta has now applied these  skills to the social services sector and is enjoying being part of delivering an essential service to the region and gaining valuable knowledge about the sector.

Contact: Augusta:  manager@nelsonwc.org.nz

Social Worker: Esme McEwan

Esme joined the Centre in March 2025 after a fundraising campaign to reinstate our vital social worker services. Esme has extensive past lived experience in a number of areas including mental health, family violence, addiction and homelessness, and has also worked in youth programmes and mental health support facilities'  Esme currently works 20 hours a week and is available by appointment on Tues, Wed and Thurs between 9:00am and 3:00pm   

Want to talk?  📧 support@nelsonwc.org.nz    📞 022 562 2772 

Support Staff: Joanne Thomson 

Joanne joined the NWC team as a social worker in 2019 and retired in May 2023 after navigating through Covid.  She returned as a volunteer in 2024 when the Centre operated on an appointment only basis.  We are fortunate that Joanne has agreed to rejoined the team on a part time basis - so she can share her wealth of experience and institutional knowledge.  Joanne is also coordinating the Tuesday morning activities group that started in May 2025, and getting out and doing activities is something she is very passionate about.

Grendel:  4 Legged Counselling Support 

You will see Grendel at the Centre most days.  She loves pats and cuddles and is a great support to staff and visitors at the Centre.  She wins over most people but just let us know if you are not comfortable with dogs and we will make sure she is not in your way.

Grendel is a mix of black lab, newfoundland, bull mastiff, Spanish Alsatian, and Rhodesian ridgeback. She is approximately 8 years old and a very good girl.