Mēnā kei te mōrea tō oranga, waea atu ki ngā Pirihimana 111. If you are in imminent danger, call Police on 111. Call 0800 REFUGE for the 24/7 Crisis Line
Our Services
Oronga ratonga
Ōtepoti Dunedin Whānau Refuge advocates for wāhine, tamariki, and whānau across our community who are experiencing or affected by whānau family violence. We provide crisis response and, where there is imminent risk of violence an assessment for safe house accommodation, along with advocacy, whānau protect alarms and ongoing wraparound support grounded in manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.
We also advocate for Tāne who are seeking support for behaviour change, walking alongside them to build accountability, understanding, and pathways toward safe and positive change. We also provide support to tāne through our Tu Tāne Tu initiative, supporting tāne to understand the impact of violence and behaviour on self, partners, tamariki, and whānau, and develop the awareness, skills, and strategies needed to create and sustain safe, respectful, and non-violent ways of being.
Our specialised programmes include wāhine-focused programmes for those with protection orders, as well as programmes for those without protection orders. We deliver dedicated tamariki and rangatahi programmes that centre on safety, risk mitigation. Our team works to ensure whānau have access to safety, support, and health and justice pathways, alongside programmes that strengthen safety, long-term wellbeing and creating spaces where whānau can feel safe, and supported.
What we do
Everybody’s journey is different!
Women | Wāhine
We support wāhine with advocacy and safety planning, alongside ongoing support grounded in safety, wellbeing, and empowerment.
We also offer programmes for those with protection orders.
Men | Tane
We support men who use violence to build accountability, develop understanding of the impact of their behaviour, and engage in pathways toward safe and non-violent change.
Children | Tamariki
We support tamariki with safe spaces, and manaakitanga nurturing their learning and emotional literacy so they can feel safe, understood, and confident in themselves.
Youth | Rangatahi
We support rangatahi with guidance, advocacy, and wellbeing support, supporting their learning and understanding of healthy relationships to build resilience and confidence during challenging times.
Families | Whānau
We support whānau through safety planning, advocacy, and ongoing support, waling alongside them to enhance safety and wellbeing
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Our Message
Ōtepoti Dunedin Whānau Refuge provides essential services to support women and children experiencing whānau- family violence. We offer safe and confidential crisis response support, trauma-informed and whānau led advocacy, and therapeutic services providing specialised support. Ōteptoi Dunedin Whānau Refuge provides a crucial role in ensuring safety, empowerment, and long-term well-being for those affected by whānau-family violence
Wairuatanga
Holistic wellbeing. We honour the connection between people, their whakapapa and their environment. We actively support whānau to reconnect with identity, belonging and purpose — nurturing hope, strength and healing.
Manaakitanga
Care, respect and aroha. We express hospitality, generosity and genuine respect in every interaction. Manaakitanga sits at the heart of how we walk alongside whānau as they navigate crisis and healing.
Kaitiakitanga
A korowai of protection.We care, guide, encourage and empower our community to live lives free from whānau–family violence. Through maeaningful relationships and strong connections within our rohe, we support whānau to feel safe and supported.
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Our Values
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Every whānau journey is different.
We walk alongside, at your pace.
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Support
Immediate safety & first steps
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Advocate
Guidance through your options
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Strengthen
Therapeutic care for tamariki
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Sustain
Long-term safety & stability
News & Updates
Support Our Refuge
by making a Donation
Make a Referral
If you’re a professional, agency, school, health provider or community worker wanting to refer someone for support:
Our Volunteers
Our volunteers play a vital role in our mahi. University of Otago help with community events, tamariki activities, fundraising, and more. We’re always grateful for the time, energy and aroha they bring.