Pinnacle House, in Richmond, Nelson, has the heart and soul of a place that is born from the dreams of a mother for her child.
Pinnacle House was founded in 2008 by Linda Gill, whose daughter Lisa, has high needs.
“When Lisa left her childhood behind and developed into a young woman, it became obvious that life could take one of two roads – one of isolation or one that embraced life in all its fullness.
“Isolation was not an option so we endeavoured, with our own resources and with much community support, to establish a place that she and young people with similar life challenges could attend,” says Linda.
Linda envisaged a place that would support Lisa and her friends to make choices, have aspirations and chart lives that could be rich, full, meaningful and rewarding.
In 2008 Pinnacle house began, and a year later the Pinnacle House Charitable Trust was formed.
The Trust provides a day service within the Nelson area to individuals with very high needs, who have left school and for whom full-time employment is not an option. Currently nine young people access Pinnacle House.
For each of these nine young people Pinnacle House provides stable and dignified support in order that they attain ‘good’ lives, through the identification of opportunities in all sectors of the community and through the removal of barriers that prevent them from participating fully in society.
One young person says of his time at Pinnacle House, “Not only have I learnt a lot from the awesome people at Pinnacle House, but I’ve discovered a little part of me that has been missing”.
Pinnacle House encourages their young people to be out and about in the community wherever possible, with each participant having a work component to their week in a local business. Jobs include work at the local food bank, a hospice shop, a florist, an office and a tree nursery.
“One young man, faced a life with limited choices. His week now includes working one day a week alongside able-bodied young men in a local tree nursery and a morning in the Food bank. This has transformed him and added great value to his life. His infectious joy and enthusiasm for life has the bonus of bringing much joy to these work places,” says Linda.
Pinnacle House describes its staff as ‘Allies’ – those who stand in support and assist participants in every aspect of their days.
“Such high involvement in the community by those with significant needs is only possible with this high level of support,” says Linda.
Participants are further supported by a number of volunteers who range in age from 18 to 81. These volunteers prove to be as enriched by the experience as the participants.
18-year-old volunteer Ben says, “It’s been so eye opening for me, finding out what life is like, not just for these young people, but for the people who care for them. This experience has given me so much understanding and respect. For example, helping someone to put on gloves at the Food bank and seeing just how hard it was for him to achieve. It gives you a whole new understanding of the struggles they face on a daily basis.”
Currently Pinnacle House is operating from a donated facility, however demand on this small new service (described as ‘rare and beautiful’ during an audit by SAMS) is growing and so the service too needs to grow.
“We are hoping to build a bigger facility on the grounds of Grace Church in Richmond, it is however a matter of funding for this to occur,” says Linda.
In the meantime the 2011 Trust Power Community Award Regional Winner for Health and Wellbeing will continue to brighten the future of its nine participants.