About The Loft

The Loft opened in July 2016, but the idea behind it was born following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes. Many organisations lost premises, but gained  a unique opportunity to reorganise and re-build differently to better meet the changing needs of local families and communities. The Loft’s community of agencies is now better positioned than ever before to address for the needs of our city’s most vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Our Purpose and Values

Since 2012, as the idea of The Loft has developed, we've kept a clear purpose front of mind.  This means that everything we've done to create The Loft and everything we do at The Loft is linked to our purpose: "to enhance outcomes for children, young people, families and communities by achieving the optimum added value that co-located community wellbeing services has to offer." 

We also created a set of values that are reflected in everything we do with our clients and our colleagues.

 OUR VALUES

Our values express the essence of who we are at the Loft and we uphold these in all we do:

• Partnership- Kotahitanga
• Respect and integrity-Mana
• Inclusion-Whakaurunga
• Responsive-Whakautu

OUR PRINCIPLES

• Culturally Responsive  -  Ātanga Ahurea
• Client centric  -  Te Mahi Tangata
• Commitment to social justice and sustainable communities  -  Toitu nga Hapori ora I runga I te Tika
• Recognising success  - Whakanui
• A culture of learning and Innovation  -  Ahurea Takiura
• Efficiency and effectiveness  -  totika whaihua
• A safe working environment  -  Whare Haumaru

Our Brand

The Loft name and brand was developed over a number of months of consultation with frontline staff of the founding partner agencies and Ngāi Tahu by the design team at Strategy Design and Advertising.  ‘The Loft’ represents both the physical space where our services are located in Eastgate Shopping Centre, and also the aspiration of ‘rising above’; this reflects our shared journey with our community to rise up and move forward towards our full potential.

The concept of that journey is captured in our Whakataukī¹: Poipoia, tautokotia kia eke te tihi o Oranga.  This is translates to: ‘through nurture and support you will reach the summit of wellbeing.’

The Loft’s tag line and call to action is ‘Ki te Tihi’; ‘to the summit’, a phrase we adopted after hearing it used by children at a local eastern Christchurch School as their call to action. It calls us to action too – to rise to our own summit, and support others to rise to theirs. Ki te Tihi has devloped over time to become The Loft's Vision Statement and is also incorporated into The Loft's Governance group and Charitable Trust - Ki te Tihi, The Loft Charitable Trust. 

We hope you will feel welcome at The Loft and supported on your journey forward and higher.
Ki te Tihi!