31 March 2009

Pact’s Oamaru staff members are pleased to have more room with a move to a new office at the end of April.

The new office in Thames Street is in the heart of Oamaru’s CBD. Pact is one of the tenants of the building, known as Community House. Team leader Mike Mathers says the property is one of the first buildings in Oamaru and was the original Waitaki Girls High School building.

The reason for the move was to gain much needed space due to Pact’s growth in North Otago. Six years ago there were just four staff members; now there are 10. The demand on the two computers in the old office was high, because there are up to five staff in the office at any one time.

“We needed more computers and there was no room for expansion at the other office. We were just tripping over each other.”

Mike says the new office is about twice to two-and-a half times the size of the old office in Coquet Street. The building also has meeting, training and interview rooms available.

He does not believe Pact’s growth has necessarily come from a greater need for Pact’s services in the area, but rather that Pact is seen as being provider of choice for the services that are required.

Part of the growth has come from Supported Independent Living services, where Pact supports six clients with an intellectual disability who live in their own homes. There are also 25 community mental health clients, two Maori community mental health clients and one RIDSAS (Regional Intellectual Disability Supported Accommodation Service) client.

Other tenants in the new premises include Budget Advice, the Cancer Society, Sport Otago, Diabetes NZ North Otago, Stroke Foundation, Age Concern, Arthritis New Zealand , North Otago Asthma Society, Otago Community Hospice and Citizens Advice.