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  1. About us
  2. Our Story

Our Story

Dame Lesley today

Great Potentials began life as the Pacific Foundation back in 1990, founded by Lesley Max (later Dame Lesley Max) and award-winning journalist, Gordon Dryden.

As a mother and teacher, Lesley really began to pay close attention to child development when her second son, Jamie, was born with Down Syndrome.

There was not much expectation for Down Syndrome children in the early 70s.
“He presented us with a huge challenge - there was no thought that he could have an education,” she says.
Dame Lesley with Jamie at her investitureBut Lesley knew there had to be something she could do to help her son and began searching the world for information. She doggedly persevered while enduring scepticism and put-downs, and eventually Jamie became the first Down Syndrome student to attend Auckland Grammar.


"My son demonstrated just how people can learn and grow and develop when they have the 
right kind of guidance," Dame Lesley later wrote.

Although her focus was originally on helping children with an intellectual disability, when Jamie started attending a low-decile primary school Lesley's focus began to shift to include other children in need.

“I became aware that many children are so disadvantaged, not by their chromosomes but by their social situation... I gradually changed my area of focus from people with intellectual disabilities to those with normal potential whose potential was not going to be realised."

Dame Lesley with MATES Graduates 2020
She began asking questions, writing a cover story for Auckland’s Metro magazine, which dared to question the oft-quoted line that 'New Zealand is a great place to bring up children'.


Dame Lesley with John Patolo and Mark VealeClearly, for many children, it is not. 

"How was it that in this wonderful country, which we say is the best country in the world to raise children, so many children are suffering and dying?  Babies are being born in circumstances where the odds are stacked against them. We can really improve that situation and it's going to take a lot of willingness on the part of Government, non-government organisations and the population." she wrote.

.

.

.

.   

The timeline below shows a brief snapshot of the journey which began with these questions being asked, and Dame Lesley's response to them which grew into the organisation we are today...



Timeline

1990

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Lesley Max was asked by publishing company Penguin to write on the subject of child poverty in New Zealand. What followed was her seminal book, Children: Endangered Species? published in 1990 (now out of print).

Lesley knew that while it’s one thing to raise issues, it’s quite another to come up with solutions. She researched what was happening elsewhere in the world that was making a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children.

She came up with two major programmes. Firstly, a kind of one-stop-shop for parents – a Family Service Centre, to be piloted in the South Auckland community of Papakura. The other was the HIPPY programme.

Lesley Max partnered with Gordon Dryden to establish the Pacific Foundation.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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1992

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Lesley Max pioneered the Family Service Centre concept in New Zealand in 1992, beginning with the Papakura Family Centre, which was opened by Governor-General, Dame Cath Tizard. It is a place where parents can visit a Plunket nurse, see counsellors, social workers, get budgeting advice, take their children for hearing and vision checks, attend parenting courses and enrol their children in preschool education. It is a non-threatening, inclusive environment, now a proven community-based wrap-around service for low-income families, which is now operating in six communities around New Zealand. 

The HIPPY programme was also launched in New Zealand in 1992.

The Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based early childhood education scheme that helps parents set their children on the path to success in school and life. Parents are mentored to work with their children for 15 to 20 minutes a day for five days a week, 30 weeks of the year, for two years. The changes that occur over that time are huge.

Dr Avina Lombard, HIPPY founder

Professor Avima Lombard pioneered the programme in Israel in the late 1960's, after extensive research into the effectiveness of a home-based intervention involving mothers and their pre-school children from educationally disadvantaged sectors of society.

After Lesley Max heard about HIPPY, she visited Prof. Lombard in Israel and talked about bringing the programme to New Zealand. Prof. Lombard visited NZ and trained the original HIPPY team, to ensure that the proven methods were not diluted. That story HERE

HIPPY now operates in 40 locations around the country, working with upwards of 3000 families every year.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 4th November, 2021

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1993

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Early results of the Family Service centre approach were so promising that the Government funded five more Centres in disadvantaged communities, based on the model for Papakura Family Service Centre, with HIPPY as a key element. These centres have all since celebrated their 21st birthdays – a testament to the value of this integrated approach to assisting families to move forward. 

Lesley Max was awarded the Winston Churchill Fellowship, and studied successful interventions in child protection and education in five countries. On her return, she was influential in the establishment of Family Start in New Zealand.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 8th April, 2020

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1997

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The Government commissioned research to determine the success of HIPPY

“The HIPPY programme in Family Service Centres” (Burgon, 1997) is published, together with “Family Service Centres Evaluation”. 

Both the integrated Family Service Centre concept and the HIPPY component of it were found to provide benefits for children and their parents.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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1999

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Dame Lesley with John Key

The Government starts contributing funding to the cost of operating HIPPY sites outside Family Service Centres.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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2001

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University of Auckland enters partnership with Pacific Foundation to pilot MATES mentoring and tutoring programme for senior students (Year 13).

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2002

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Dame Lesley with MATES

MATES Mentoring and Tutoring programme, based on the Perach Project in Israel (the largest mentoring programme involving tertiary students in the world) was launched in partnership with Auckland University in 2002.

MATES Senior is piloted in four low-decile Auckland secondary schools.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2003

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Dame Lesley listens to korero at a hui

HIPPY research report, “We Talk in our Family Now” is published.

Lesley Max was appointed MBE for her work on behalf of New Zealand children and families.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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2005

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In 2005 HIPPY New Zealand hosts the world's HIPPY International Conference in Auckland.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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2006

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The Pacific Foundation is renamed "Great Potentials Foundation" in 2006 to better reflect the work we do.

Lesley Max features in North & South magazine cover story highlighting New Zealand’s child abuse epidemic.

MATES Senior is expanded to 10 secondary schools across Auckland.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2007

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The Starpath Centre for Research study concludes that students from MATES Senior schools are more likely to achieve university entrance and more likely to enroll in university than students from comparable non-MATES schools.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2008

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Great Potentials Foundation reached another milestone in its pioneering social entrepreneurship in 2008, with the introduction of MATES Junior, serving young people making the often difficult transition from intermediate to secondary school.

MATES Junior is piloted at Greenmeadows Intermediate School. 

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2010

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Dame Lesley with her family at her investiture

In 2010 Lesley Max was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition for her services to children.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2012

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The Ministry of Education agrees to majority-fund establishment of a Child and Family Centre at Takanini.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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2013

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MATES Senior is approved for inclusion in the Government’s initiative: Children’s Action Plan - Promotion of Youth Mentoring

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 18th March, 2020

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2014

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Takanini Family Service Centre opens its doors.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2017

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Dame Lesley Max steps into a new role with Great Potentials as Senior Advocate and Founder, remaining on the Board of Trustees.

Jacki Richardson takes up the CEO position with Great Potentials

MATES Senior pilots the programme in the Waikato, with two new schools joining the programme through a partnership with ZEAL, partially funded via a new Ministry of Youth Development contract.

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2020

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Great Potentials Foundation has now been operating for nearly 30 years and works with upwards of 5000 children, young people and families every year, intervening at crucial points in a child's educational journey to bring about lasting generational change.

Great Potentials has 40 HIPPY sites around the country, MATES Senior in 11 high schools, MATES Junior in 4 intermediates and two thriving Family Service Centres reaching more than 5000 low-income people and families every year...

Published: 4th March, 2020

Updated: 16th April, 2020

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2021

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We were able to flip the way we deliver our service to online and contactless deliveries throughout the 2020/2021 COVID lockdowns. Ensuring we could still support the children, young people, and families reach their full potential. 

Published: 28th February, 2021

Updated: 4th November, 2021

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