Children's camp stand stall with new identity

Ninety-four balloons were released into the air at the Roxburgh celebration of the former children's health camp, now known as the Stand Children's Service. The balloons marked the 93-year history of the organisation and one balloon to represent the future.

Joan Michelle (77), of Roxburgh, was one of about 130 people attending an open day to mark the new name and ''visual identity'' for the country's seven health camps - Stand Children's Services.

The Roxburgh camp opened in 1946 and it continued to host groups of children aged between 5 and 12 for stays of between four and six weeks, as well as being the base for a social service that catered for children and families from all over Otago and Southland.

Mrs Michelle started her association with the facility as a 17-year-old working after school as a nurse aide ''taking care of the kids and doing dorm duties - in those days, the camp was run along hospital lines''. She later spent about 40 years as a camp school teacher, followed by a stint on the school board of trustees.

''So ... I've probably put more footprints on this place than most people.

''When I was on the teaching staff, I ended up teaching children of children of children that I'd taught earlier.''

Roxburgh resident Joan Michelle still views the school classroom at the health camp as ''my classroom'' after an association with the facility spanning about 60 years. She worked as a nurse aide at the camp, starting when she was 17, later spent 40 years as a teacher there and then served on the camp school board of trustees. Photos by Craig Baxter.

''The health camp name had had its day and I think the new name, once you hear the background as well, that it's 'making a stand' and 'stand tall', will get the message through about what this place is all about these days.''

She admired the enthusiasm of all the staff involved in the facility and what they had achieved.

Stand Children's Services residential services southern team leader Dwight McDowell told the guests the function was to celebrate the new brand and thank the community for its support. He also paid tribute to branding firm Insight, which had carried out work on the change free ''so we could refresh, renew and rebrand without taking funds away from where they are needed most''.

Stand field services southern team leader Rosey Pope said the aim of the organisation was to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and to build resilience. The new motto showed families, teachers and communities involved with the service were standing tall and ''standing up for children''.

The service was ''fantastic'', said Simon Taylor, who has a child at the facility. His child had ''behaviour issues'' and the stay was a chance to work through those issues for several weeks away from siblings.