Lifeline Auckland Reviews Services

Lifeline Auckland Reviews Services

The tight economic climate and insufficient funds from grants and donations has forced Lifeline Auckland to review some of its specialist volunteer services. Lifeline Auckland’s Board of Trustees has agreed to suspend Mensline and is considering other fundraising and cost-cutting measures.

Acting CEO Peter Jansen says, “We have looked at all our volunteer telephone services and our main objective is to ensure the public continues to have access to a free counselling service. By channelling funds into our main Lifeline 24/7 counselling line which operates seven days a week 24 hours a day, we ensure all callers have somewhere to go. We also see the need for affordable face-to-face counselling and with the suspension of Mensline and cost-cutting measures we can ensure the public has access to both telephone and affordable face to face counselling services.”

Jansen says, “We say we’re suspending Mensline and considering other cost-cutting measures because we believe the economic climate will get better and when this happens we can reinstate it. It is simply a precautionary measure to ensure Lifeline Auckland continues to run its main telephone service.”

While the suspension of Mensline means a loss of part time work for some people, Mr Jansen says some employees will continue working in other areas of Lifeline. He says, “While it is a regrettable step we need to be prudent and address our risks so we ensure Lifeline Auckland continues to put its resources into its core business of telephone and face to face counselling for all New Zealanders”.

Jansen says, “Lifeline has grown organically over the past 45 years and provides a broad range of specialist volunteer telephone and face to face counselling services.”

To support the work of Lifeline Auckland visit www.lifeline.org.nz to make an online donation.

ENDS