What The Road Forward does

The Road Forward is a New Zealand charitable trust (registration CC52535) that provides free, community-based peer support services to adult survivors of sexual harm across the Wellington region. Originally formed on 10 August 2015 and previously operating as Male Survivors Wellington, the organization was founded by Richard Brewer after he identified a gap in services for male survivors; peer support groups have been operating since 2010. In 2023, with Wellington City Council funding, services were extended from male-only to all genders, including a dedicated LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Wellbeing Group.

Service delivery is built on the Purposeful Peer Support framework (Ngā Kura Ono) developed by Tautoko Tāne, Male Survivors Aotearoa, which structures support through a four-seasons analogy and six principles grounded in lived experience and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The product surface spans one-to-one peer support, weekly wellbeing groups, Whakawhanaungatanga social groups, educational groups (Ngā Ropu Ako), and wellness services including the We Draw art therapy program, INside-Out trauma-informed yoga, somatic movement and breathwork, Interactive Drawing Therapy, whānau support, and advocacy with WINZ, ACC, GPs, Community Mental Health, and Police. All peer workers are themselves survivors, trained in trauma-informed practice, Polyvagal Theory, Nonviolent Communication, and somatic approaches.

The organization operates across five locations (Lower Hutt HQ, Wellington Central, Paraparaumu, Porirua, and Masterton/Wairarapa) with a team of 5. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; operations are funded by individual donations (via Givealittle) and grants from government agencies and community trusts including Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, MSD, ACC, and Lottery Grants Board. All services are free at point of access. Leadership transitioned in the recent period: founder Richard Brewer stepped back from management to return to peer work, with James Dawson-Welsh serving as Acting General Manager.

Name

The Road Forward

Legal name

The Road Forward

Website

https://theroadforward.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Road Forward is a New Zealand charitable trust providing free, community-based peer support to adult survivors of sexual harm across the Wellington region, operating from five locations with a 5-person team of survivor peer workers trained in trauma-informed and somatic approaches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Peer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Sexual harm recovery
• Trauma-informed support
• Community wellbeing groups
• Charitable trust services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lower Hutt

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations accepted through Givealittle page (givealittle.co.nz/org/the-road-forward). Services must remain free at point of access, relying on community donations to support operations.
2. Charitable Funding and Grants: Funded by government agencies and community trusts including Lottery Grants Board, MSD, ACC, Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, and various community foundations. Wellington City Council funded their expanded gender-inclusive advertising campaign.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Road Forward provides free, community-based peer support services to adult survivors of sexual harm across the Wellington region of New Zealand. Services include one-to-one peer support, weekly wellbeing groups, social activities, art therapy, trauma-informed yoga, whanau support, and advocacy with government agencies. All support is delivered by peer workers who are themselves survivors with lived experience, grounded in the Purposeful Peer Support framework.

Product overview

The Road Forward is a charitable trust providing community-based peer support services to adult survivors of sexual harm in New Zealand. The organization operates a multi-faceted service model consisting of: One-to-One Peer Support sessions, weekly Peer Support Groups (Wellbeing Groups) across Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti, and Wairarapa, Whakawhanaungatanga Social Groups for community building, Educational Groups, and specialized Wellness programs including the We Draw Art Therapy Program, Interactive Drawing Therapy, INside-Out Trauma-Informed Yoga, and Somatic Movement and Breathwork. Additional services include Whanau Support for families, Advocacy Services to help navigate government agencies, and specialized support groups such as the Rainbow Wellbeing Group for LGBTQIA+ community members. All services are free at point of access and grounded in lived experience and trauma-informed practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Peer Support Individual peer support sessions providing a safe, non-judgmental space where adult survivors of sexual harm can connect with someone who shares their lived experience, build coping skills, and work toward recovery. Free at point of access.
• Peer Support Groups (Wellbeing Groups) Weekly facilitated peer support groups in Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti, and Wairarapa following the Purposeful Peer Support framework, offering safe spaces for shared lived experience and mutual support among adult survivors of sexual harm.
• Whakawhanaungatanga Social Groups Monthly social activities including bowling, fishing trips, bird watching on Kapiti Island, and other community events designed to build authentic trust-based relationships and a sense of belonging among survivors.
• Educational Groups (Ngā Ropu Ako) Structured 6 or 12-week topic-focused groups designed to improve skills and provide knowledge on subjects relevant to survivors' challenges, with a more structured format than wellbeing groups.
• Rainbow Wellbeing Group A dedicated weekly LGBTQIA+ peer support group in Wellington providing a safe, non-judgmental space for rainbow community members to share their unique experiences of healing from trauma.
• We Draw Art Therapy Program An 8-week art therapy program facilitated by trained peer workers using visual art to help survivors express and process difficult emotions, conducted both individually and in group sessions at the Kapiti office.
• Interactive Drawing Therapy A client-centered therapeutic practice that draws on the subconscious mind to facilitate healing, particularly helpful for survivors who find it difficult to express what is going on verbally.
• INside-Out Trauma-Informed Yoga Weekly trauma-informed men's yoga classes held every Monday at the Hutt Valley office, using slow physical movement to bring awareness to internal emotional states and regulate stress responses. Operates on a koha (donation) basis.
• Somatic Movement and Breathwork Mind-body exercises including breath work, meditation, visualization, grounding, and sensation awareness practices to help survivors access information about how they hold experiences in their bodies.
• Whanau Support Support services for partners and family members of survivors, including couples sessions to help them understand struggles with trust and relationships during the recovery process.
• Advocacy Services Support navigating government agencies and services including WINZ, ACC, GP services, Community Mental Health, and housing assistance, helping survivors present their cases effectively.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows peer support contributes to improvement in self-esteem, resilience, empowerment, and engagement in self-management, and increases quality of life and general satisfaction.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• Safe Space AlliancecoreOthersThe Road Forward is part of the Safe Space Alliance, a certification for spaces where LGBTQI+ communities can freely express themselves without fear of violence, bullying, or hate speech.
• Tautoko Tāne, Male Survivors AotearoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTautoko Tāne developed the Purposeful Peer Support framework (ngā kura ono) which guides The Road Forward's approach to supporting survivors through different stages of their wellbeing journey.
• WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand)supportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Road Forward provides advocacy support for survivors dealing with WINZ to help with financial support, employment assistance, and housing.
• ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation)supportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrough ISSC (Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims), ACC provides fully funded support for anyone in New Zealand who has experienced sexual violence, including visitors to the country.
• Kokiri Marae Hauora ServicessupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerMāori social services provider offering support, counselling, and advocacy for Māori individuals and their whānau, working with similar aims to The Road Forward.
• EarthLinksupportOthersCommunity organization providing programmes to help clients reach their goals with positive contributions to health and environment.
• Centre for Non-Violent Communication AotearoasupportTechnology or IntegrationPeer support staff trained by Toni McErlane of this centre to strengthen ability to communicate with compassion and understanding using Nonviolent Communication principles.
• Murray Hemi (Mending)supportOthersMurray Hemi runs INside Out trauma-informed yoga classes at The Road Forward Hutt Valley Branch. He specializes in Hakomi somatic therapy and grew up in Papawai, a small Māori community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skylight Trust: New Zealand charity offering counseling, crisis support, and resources for grief, trauma, and life change. Comparable as a free, trauma-informed, community-based support provider working with survivors across the country.
• Sexual Abuse Help (SAFE) Auckland: Provides specialist counseling, crisis support, and social work services for survivors of sexual harm and abuse in the Auckland region. Closest large regional counterpart to The Road Forward, sharing free-to-client, trauma-informed practice.
• Kokiri Marae Hauora Services: Māori social services provider offering support, counselling, and advocacy for Māori individuals and their whānau. Listed as a The Road Forward partner; comparable in mission, kaupapa Māori alignment, and free community-based service model.
• Male Survivors Aotearoa (Tautoko Tāne): National New Zealand organization supporting male survivors of sexual harm; it developed the Purposeful Peer Support framework (ngā kura ono) that The Road Forward uses. Most directly comparable peer in mission, methodology, and constituency.

Broad incumbents

• Youthline New Zealand: National youth helpline and counseling service offering free 24/7 support for young people including those affected by abuse and trauma. Larger incumbent with broader youth focus, but overlapping trauma-informed peer-style support delivery.
• Lifeline Aotearoa: National 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention helpline serving survivors and people in distress. Comparable as a free, government- and donation-funded service operating nationally with comparable funder mix.

Others

• Safe Space Alliance: International certification network of spaces affirming to LGBTQI+ communities. The Road Forward is a member; included as an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct service peer.

Emerging players

• Wellbeing New Zealand: New Zealand social service and wellbeing organization supporting community-led mental health and trauma response initiatives. Comparable as a community-based, grant-funded wellbeing provider with overlapping trauma-informed practice.
• InsideOUT Kōaro: New Zealand organization supporting rainbow and LGBTQIA+ young people, including those affected by sexual harm. Comparable as a community-led, lived-experience-informed provider intersecting with The Road Forward's Rainbow Wellbeing Group.

Regional players

• Wellington Women's Refuge: Provides domestic violence and abuse support services for women and families in the Wellington region. Operates in the same geography with overlapping abuse-survivor support remit, though focused on domestic violence rather than sexual harm.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theroadforward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theroadforwardnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/theroadforward_nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Road Forward