Christchurch Resettlement Services

What Christchurch Resettlement Services does

Christchurch Resettlement Services (CRS) is a New Zealand incorporated charitable society (Registered Charity CC 27162; Incorporated Society 661982) founded in 1992 to support people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to settle successfully in Ōtautahi/Christchurch. The organization delivers five core professional services — Bilingual Community Work, Social Work, CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) Counselling, Health Promotion, and Psychosocial and Mental Health Support for people affected by the 15 March 2019 mosque attacks — supported by community activities such as the Ladies' Exercise to Music programme and the annual Ladies Health Day. It employs 29 staff drawn from 21 ethnic backgrounds, including eight bilingual community workers from the five largest refugee communities, and serves over 1,000 people from more than 75 ethnicities each year across Christchurch and Ashburton.

Operationally, CRS is a service-based non-profit with minimal proprietary technology: the back office runs on standard web tools, client intake is handled via an online and print referral form, and donations are processed through DPS Payment Express and the Give-a-Little platform. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees (Co-Chairs David Clyne and Farah Khosravi) and led day-to-day by General Manager Shirley Wright, who has been with CRS since 1997.

CRS's revenue model is a blend of government contracts (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, Christchurch City Council, Oranga Tamariki, Office of Ethnic Communities), health-sector contracts (Pegasus Health, which funds CALD Counselling), philanthropic grants (NZCT, Four Winds Foundation, Lottery Grants Board, Rata Foundation, One Foundation), and individual donations. Services are provided free to clients; CRS reports that existing funding covers approximately 90% of required operational costs, leaving a persistent funding gap. There are no equity funding rounds, no parent company, and no commercial product lines.

Name

Christchurch Resettlement Services

Legal name

Christchurch Resettlement Services Inc.

Website

https://crs.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christchurch Resettlement Services (CRS) is a Christchurch-based non-profit, founded in 1992, providing free bilingual community work, social work, CALD counselling, health promotion, and psychosocial support to refugees and migrants across 75+ ethnicities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Migrant Resettlement Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services (BPADAHAM), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Migrant support services
• Bilingual community work
• CALD counselling services
• Health promotion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government and Local Government Funding: CRS receives funding through contracts and grants from various government departments including Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, and Christchurch City Council. These form the primary revenue stream supporting operational costs.
2. Philanthropic and Charitable Grants: Funding from charitable organizations including New Zealand Community Trust, Four Winds Foundation, Lottery Grants Board, and Rata Foundation among others listed on the Funders page.
3. Donations: CRS accepts one-off donations, regular donations via automatic payment, payroll giving, and bequests. Donations are processed through DPS Payment Express system. Donors can receive a tax refund of up to 33% (one-third) of their donation as a registered charity.
4. Service Delivery: Funding covers approximately 90% of what is required to fully respond to diverse communities according to their website. Existing funding covers around 90% of required operational costs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Christchurch Resettlement Services delivers a suite of professional wraparound social and health services to people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Christchurch and Ashburton, including Bilingual Community Work, Social Work, CALD Counselling, Health Promotion, and Psychosocial and Mental Health Support for those affected by the 15 March mosque attacks. All services are provided free of charge to clients by 29 multilingual staff representing 21 ethnic backgrounds, with a Refugee Health Service navigation programme and community activity programmes such as Ladies' Exercise to Music and the annual Ladies Health Day.

Product overview

Christchurch Resettlement Services (CRS) is a non-profit charitable organisation offering a suite of professional, wraparound social and health services for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The core service portfolio centres on five interconnected programmes: Bilingual Community Work (the foundational service delivered by eight bilingual staff from the largest refugee communities), Social Work (individual and family resettlement support), CALD Counselling (culturally appropriate mental health counselling), Health Promotion (community health education and social inclusion), and Psychosocial and Mental Health Support for those affected by the 15 March mosque attacks. These core services are complemented by activity programmes such as the Ladies' Exercise to Music, the annual Ladies Health Day event, and a Refugee Health Service navigation programme. Clients access services through an online and print referral system. The integrated Bilingual Community Work team supports all other service areas by bridging cultural and linguistic gaps. CRS was founded in 1992 and currently employs 29 staff from 21 ethnic backgrounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bilingual Community Work A team of eight bilingual staff from the five largest refugee communities delivers cultural, linguistic and community-based support to clients from refugee backgrounds and across all CRS service areas.
• Social Work Social workers and social work assistants provide generic individual and family support around resettlement and acculturation, mental health assessment, intervention and support, and family-centred family violence support for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
• CALD Counselling Two New Zealand-trained and accredited CALD-background counsellors deliver counselling in clients' mother tongue or with interpreter support for people from CALD backgrounds, covering mental health, family violence, relationships and other issues.
• Health Promotion Eight staff from local refugee communities work with communities to improve social inclusion and wellbeing for people from refugee backgrounds, focusing on health in its widest sense and promoting positive health practices.
• Psychosocial and Mental Health Support for people affected by the 15 March mosque attacks Dedicated clinical social work service delivered alongside other agencies to support community members affected by the 15 March 2019 mosque attacks.
• Refugee Health Service Assists former refugees in Christchurch or Ashburton areas to connect with local health services, including finding a GP, understanding rights to free medical check-ups, and eligibility for free healthcare services for the first five years.
• Ladies' Exercise to Music Programme Free weekly exercise programme held during school terms at Linwood Pool Te Pou Toetoe and Harvard Community Lounge, Wigram, supporting physical wellbeing and social connection for women from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
• Ladies Health Day Annual health event inviting women 16 years and over from refugee and migrant backgrounds to access health information, resources and community connection at the Christchurch Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre.
• Online Referral Form Online and print referral form used to refer individuals to CRS for Social Work or Counselling support, capturing client demographics, referral details, service requested and consent information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 people from refugee and migrant backgrounds supported annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Canterbury Refugee Resettlement and Resource Centre (CRRRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner organization supporting refugee resettlement in Canterbury. CRRRC serves as a sister organization working alongside CRS to support Christchurch's refugee and migrant communities. Contact: Ahmed Tani (Chairperson) at 39 Nursery Road, Phillipstown.
• Te Rūnanga o Ngāi TahucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu serves as a refugee and migrant sector advocate. CRS values its relationship with Ngāi Tahu through Sally Pitama who supports the work of CRS and the refugee and migrant sector on behalf of the iwi. Contact: Sally Pitama.
• Pegasus HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPegasus Health provides funding for CALD counselling services and hosts the Refugee Health Service. CRS works with Pegasus on primary health response for CALD communities. Contact: Sahra Ahmed (Refugee Health Service Team Lead) at 401 Madras Street.
• Piki Te Ora Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth centre providing services to refugee communities. CRS works with Piki Te Ora to improve health access for refugees. Contact: Sahra Ahmed (Refugee Nurse) at 201 Linwood Ave, Linwood 8011.
• Christchurch City CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor local government partner providing funding and co-organizing community events such as Passport to Ōtautahi/Spring Festival. Contact: Appleby Phillips at 53 Hereford Street.
• Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing education support services for migrant and refugee students. CRS collaborates on education support for refugee-background children. Contact: Elizabeth Hamilton (Senior Advisor, South Island).
• Hagley Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution providing English Language Learning and diversity services. CRS has long-standing partnership supporting refugee and migrant students. Contact: Anne Galloway (Diversity Services Manager) and Rachel Lin (English Language Learning).
• Ara Institute of CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTertiary education institution providing pathway support for refugees and migrants. Contact: Millan Gurung (Student Advisor, Refugee, Migrant + International Students) at City Campus.
• NZ Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement services including Pathways To Employment programme. CRS staff participate in joint activities with Red Cross. Contact: Pooja Thakkar at (03) 339 3750.
• English Language Partners ChristchurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing English language education to migrants and refugees. CRS refers clients for language support services. Contact: Cheryl Jackson (Manager) at 334 Manchester Street.
• Interpreting New Zealand (Canterbury Branch)coreTechnology or IntegrationProfessional interpreting services for CALD communities. CRS contracts interpreters for clients whose language needs are not covered by bilingual staff. Located at Multicultural Recreation Community Centre.
• Health and Disability Advocacy ServicesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy service for refugees and migrants with specialist advocate Shah Wali Atayee serving CALD communities. CRS refers clients for advocacy support.
• Christchurch Multicultural CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for multicultural communities in Christchurch. CRS participates in joint events and initiatives. Contact: Surinder Tandon (President).
• PEETO - The Multicultural Learning CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation provider offering English language education to migrants and refugees. Long-standing partnership with CRS. Contact: [email protected] at 20 Twigger St, Addington.
• Wilkinson's English Language SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish language school supporting migrants and refugees. CRS refers clients for language education. Contact: Victoria McFadden (Coordinator).
• Oak Development TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development trust serving Canterbury communities. Partnership for community development initiatives.
• Shakti Ethnic Women's Support GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for ethnic women facing family violence. CRS works with Shakti to support affected community members.
• Citizens Advice BureausecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree advice service for community members. CRS refers clients for general advice and information services.
• CCS Disability ActionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability support organization serving CALD communities. CRS refers clients for disability services. Contact: Prudence Walker (Regional Coordinator).
• Human Rights CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational human rights body. CRS Board member Sally Carlton hosts Speak Up-Kōrerotia podcast through Human Rights Commission. Contact: 0800 496 877.
• Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for ChildrensecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment ministry for children. Partnership for child and family support services within refugee and migrant communities.
• Office of Ethnic CommunitiessecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment office supporting ethnic communities. CRS works with office on diversity and engagement initiatives. Contact: Deborah Lam (Senior Diversity and Engagement Advisor).
• Plains FM 96.9secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity radio station. CRS Board member Sally Carlton hosts Speak Up-Kōrerotia human rights podcast from Plains FM. Contact: Nikki Reece (Station Manager).
• PYLAT (Pacific Youth Leadership and Transformation)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization supporting Pacific young people. CRS collaborates on youth development initiatives. Contact: Josiah Tualamali'i (Council Chair).
• Canterbury New Zealand Business AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness association supporting Canterbury employers. CRS connects clients with employment support through Skills Connect Canterbury.
• Skills Connect CanterburysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment support service under Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce. CRS refers clients for employment pathway support.
• Deaf Aotearoa NZsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting deaf communities including those from CALD backgrounds. CRS refers clients for deaf community support services.
• Delta Community Support TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity support trust serving Canterbury. Partnership for community development and support services.
• NZ PolicesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw enforcement partner. CRS works with NZ Police on community safety and family violence initiatives through Integrated Safety Response programme.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Belong Aotearoa: Auckland-based refugee and migrant resettlement agency providing social work, counselling, and community support services. Highly comparable to CRS in service mix and target population, though geographically focused on Auckland.
• English Language Partners New Zealand: National organization providing English language education to migrants and refugees. CRS refers clients to English Language Partners Christchurch, indicating overlapping service populations and geographic market in resettlement support.
• Refugees as Survivors New Zealand: Auckland-based specialist organization providing mental health and social support services to refugees and asylum seekers. Direct peer in trauma and resettlement mental health services, though operating primarily in the North Island.
• ChangeMakers Resettlement Forum: Refugee and migrant advocacy and support organization in Wellington. Similar operating model to CRS providing community development, advocacy, and resettlement support services to refugee-background communities.
• Auckland Regional Migrant Services (formerly ARMT): Migrant and refugee support services organization serving the Auckland region. Direct peer in providing wraparound resettlement, social work, and community integration services to refugee-background populations in New Zealand.

Regional players

• Settlement Services International (Australia): Major Australian refugee and migrant settlement organization providing comprehensive settlement, humanitarian, and community development services. Comparable scale and service mix to CRS, though operating in New South Wales rather than New Zealand.
• Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (Australia): Australia's largest asylum seeker and refugee support organization. Comparable operating model providing bilingual casework, mental health, legal, and community integration services, though operating across the Tasman rather than directly competing with CRS in New Zealand.

Broad incumbents

• NZ Red Cross: New Zealand's largest humanitarian organization with a national refugee resettlement program including Pathways to Employment. CRS already partners with NZ Red Cross, but Red Cross operates at significantly greater scale across the country.
• New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS): Umbrella organization representing Christian-based social service agencies across New Zealand. CRS is affiliated through the broader social services sector and NZCCSS provides advocacy, training, and funding pathways relevant to CRS operations.
• Multicultural Council of New Zealand / Office of Ethnic Communities: Government-affiliated body supporting ethnic communities in New Zealand. CRS maintains a partnership with the Office of Ethnic Communities and the broader Multicultural Council network for community engagement and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christchurch-resettlement-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christchurch Resettlement Services