Budgeting organisation makes timely return to Māngere Town Centre

The Māngere Budgeting Services Trust (MBST) which has served South Auckland communities for almost 30 years says the cost of living is creating the biggest need.

"Life is expensive and people are doing tough out there," chief executive Lara Dolan says.

The cost-of-living is especially impactful on Pacific peoples according to Sorted and Retirement Commission Personal Finance Lead, Tom Hartmann.

Hartmann says Pacific peoples are experiencing greater levels of financial distress compared to the rest of Aotearoa.

"Financial discomfort for Pasifika is high but happily it hasn't been growing since the cost of living crisis started," Hartmann says.

Dolan encourages people to pull out all the stops, reaching out and making an appointment with them, visit their financial mentors and create a household budget.

"Quite often you might find some savings in many areas of everyday life," she says.

MBST Chief Executive Lara Dolan. Photo/Māngere Budgeting Services Trust

Reaching out to the MBST has been made a little easier for their primarily Māngere-based clientele since the opening of their new office in the suburb's heart.

The opening at shop 8B in the Māngere Town Centre, saw community members turn up in droves, including local MP Lemauga Lydia Sosene.

Dolan says the location is a no-brainer as many of their clients live in or near Māngere.

"It was important for us to actually be close to our people and make sure that our services are accessible to those who would like to improve their financial well-being," she says.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Geoff Smith says "it is great to be back in Māngere".

"It is also important that we are closer to and have a great working relationship with the network of other service providers," Smith says.

The trust expressed gratitude to Kaumata from Mataatua Marae for the whakatau (opening formalities), Reverend Victor Pouesi and wife for providing a blessing, and partner organisations, including local government and the Ministry of Social Development.

Since it's establishment in 1994 with one volunteer operating out of the Citizens Advice Bureau, the MBST now has three other branches in Onehunga, Ōtara and Tuakau.

Some of their services include financial mentoring, debt solutions support and food support and they can also deliver services in Sāmoan, Fijian and Tongan as 80 per cent of their staff are Pacific.

Over the last financial year Dolan says they have supported and served over 2,000 people in financial mentoring.

They have also offered community services to over 700 families and assisted with education for over 200 Pacific children.

"We delivered 4,661 financial sessions on top of which we've provided 108 financial capability training courses," she says.

"And our foodbanks 6,756 people, equivalent to 563 people each month. So we've had a very busy year."

Watch the full interview from 531s Facebook page below: