Cholmondeley (Chum-lee) Memorial Children’s Home was opened on March 7th, 1925 as a result of the generous personal gift of Hugh Heber Cholmondeley, bequeathing both the land and the original house to the Children of this area in memory of his late wife Margaret, a gift that has created an unparalleled legacy of care for children and families in need.
Cholmondeley Children’s Centre has developed and adapted to the evolving needs of the community to ensure that it remains relevant to the needs of those it serves. Since 1925 over 30,000 children have stayed at Cholmondeley.
The new, purpose-built premises opened in 2015 and marked the beginning of a new era. Today Cholmondeley provides short-term, planned, and emergency respite care for tamariki aged 3-12, as well as support to whānau in the community through its outreach program delivered by the Awhi (care) team to strengthen resilience in an ever-changing environment.
Cholmondeley remains an independent charity, who’s services can be accessed through a diverse range of community service providers, agencies, and importantly directly from parents and whānau.
Each year Cholmondeley raises $2.5 million to meet its operational expenditure. Of that 70% comes from the continued generosity of Canterbury businesses and individuals.
We are:
Accessible — We are directly contactable by the community we serve. Anyone can make a referral to Cholmondeley.
Flexible — Our services can be tailored to meet the individual needs of the child/tamariki and family/whānau.
Responsive — In an emergency situation, Cholmondeley can usually respond within an hour.
Child-centred — Our whole service is focused on the child, with a model of practice and environment designed around the complete wellbeing of children.
Learn more about Cholmondeley and how we can help on this website, or contact us with your enquiry.
