Centre Coordinator - Carla Brownie

Kia ora, I recently moved to Nelson after living in Blenheim for over 30 years. This move has given me the chance to spend more time with my whānau—especially my seven-year-old granddaughter, who is a big part of my life and a key reason for beginning this new chapter.  

I take a warm, holistic, and trauma-informed approach to leadership and community wellbeing. I value whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga, and aim to help create a Centre where everyone feels safe, respected, and able to be themselves.

My background includes mahi with Women’s Refuge, Addiction Services, and Barnardos, supporting individuals and whānau impacted by family violence, addiction, child wellbeing concerns, and intergenerational trauma.  I bring strong organisational experience, and am about supporting the  Centre to continue as a safe, empowering space for our community.  

Contact:   [email protected]

Housing Activator Project Lead: Julia West (she/her)

Julia West will be leading the establishment phase of the Housing for Vulnerable Women project. Over three months, she is building partnerships with iwi and community organisations to co-design a housing navigation framework, supporting women and children without secure housing into safe, suitable homes.  Julia brings a strong background in social services, housing, and stakeholder engagement. She has worked with Kāinga Ora and Lifewise Trust, collaborating with Housing First to support people into long-term housing. During COVID-19 lockdowns, she worked on the frontline, assisting people sleeping rough into emergency accommodation.

This foundational work will support the future Housing Navigator role, who will walk alongside women to assess needs, navigate housing pathways, and connect with local providers to secure stable housing.

Contact: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

Social Worker: Louise Te Rahui

Louise  joined the Centre in March 2026, and is a registered practitioner with over 20 years’ experience supporting diverse communities and whānau across Aotearoa. She has worked in both frontline and leadership roles, bringing strong skills in assessment, risk identification, and responding to complex needs with care and clarity.  Her approach is strengths-based, trauma-informed, and collaborative, offering guidance and advocacy in a respectful, non-judgemental way.

As a Māori woman of Ngāpuhi descent, she is committed to equitable outcomes for Māori and culturally responsive practice. She is passionate about working alongside wāhine, supporting those experiencing challenges including mental health, family violence, and housing hardship.  Lousie 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.