Fred Astle – Pou Whakarae (Head of Māori Development)

Tainui te waka
Waikato te Iwi
Taupiri te maunga
Waikāto te awa
Kingi Tūheitia Potatau te
Wherowhero Tuawhitu
Te tangata
He uri o Te Puaha o Waikato
He piko, he taniwha
He piko, he taniwha rau

Bch Māori Studies, PG Cert Health Leadership & Management, PG Dip Arts Leadership, MA
Māori Leadership – AUT.

Fred is a highly respected educator, advisor and manager. With a wealth of experience in Māori Health and Education, Fred provides leadership and guidance across Whānau Services and Māori Development at Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga. Alongside his role here, Fred is also the Director of Kaupapa Māori (Hon Prof Teacher Fellow), for the Surgical and Translational Research Centre (STaR) at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.

Animoa Goold – Pou Ārahi Kaupapa Māori

Tapuae o Uenuku te maunga
Wairau te awa
Kurahaupō te waka
Rangitāne o Wairau te iwi
Ōmaka me Tuamatene nga marae
Rea Rangihiroa te tangata

MEd, BDiv, BA, DipTchg (Sec).

Animoa joined Visionwest in September 2021. Animoa has invested herself in the areas of education, mentoring, leadership and faith development, and governance. In recent years, she has been bringing these broad experiences to supporting organisations to engage with issues of diversity and inclusion. She is passionate about Te Tiriti and its wero for how we function as communities, and as a society today and in the years to come.

Rāwiri Auty – Pou Ārahi Whānau Services

Takitimu te waka
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa te iwi
Titirangi te maunga
Waiau te awa
Rangiahua te Marae
Tamaterangi te tangata

MAppTheol, GradDipNPM, Bmin.

Rāwiri joined Visionwest early in 2021 coming from a background of 20 years in pastoral and community work. Rāwiri has a collaborative leadership style and believes that people always come first. He uses his management and research skills to help ensure the best care for those who seek support from our Whānau Services.

Billie Jean Peita – Pou Tikanga

Ngā Puhi
Ngāi Te Rangi
Ngāti Awa

Bch in Communication in PR and Media
Dip. Mental Health and Addiction
Cert. Te Reo Māori me ona Tikanga
Cert. Supervision

Billie Jean has a background in Community Māori Mental Health and Addictions having worked for Waitematā and Auckland District Health Boards, strongly informed through Kaupapa Māori frameworks.

Rayanna Armstrong – Kaiārahi Team Leader – Whānau Centre

Rayanna joined the Visionwest team in 2017 and is now the Kaiārahi Team Leader of the Whānau Centre which is the waharoa (gateway) for whānau coming to Visionwest for help with the needs they have.

Rayanna is passionate about supporting people and seeing them happy and doing well in all aspects of life. This applies both to the Whānau Centre team members and the client whānau who come to Visionwest for support. 

Her vision is to see people reach their full potential – to walk alongside whānau and see their lives transformed for the better as they come to realise and achieve their life’s purpose and plan. She recognises that, by providing a little hope in each person’s life, it can inspire growth and transformation for individuals and ultimately transform entire communities.

Debbie Griffiths – Kaiārahi Team Leader – Community Connectors

He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tāngata
He tāngata
He tāngata!

Throughout her working life, whether in paid or volunteer roles, Debbie has worked with people and communities. She thrives on bringing people together and supporting them in whatever way she can.
After joining Visionwest as Budgeting Service Manager in 2005, Debbie moved into the role of Community Connector Team Lead in late 2019. Her love of people and her ability to network and establish key relationships with services and agencies makes her ideal for this role.
Debbie has represented the voices of Visionwest, our whānau, people and clients at government and local board level and has served on a number of boards including Christian Budgeting New Zealand, her local school board and Surf Lifesaving Sports.
For Debbie, life is all about whānau. Her calling is to help others; something she does with energy, humility, and a passion to serve.

Faye Pouesi – Mātanga Oranga Kaiārahi Lead Therapist

“Tena Koe. I’m privileged to walk in two worlds. I’m Pākehā through my paternal lineage and I’m Māori (Ngāruahine) through my maternal lineage.”

Over the past 26 years, Faye has worked alongside individuals and whānau throughout Te Uru o Tāmaki Makaurau West Auckland and wider Auckland, as a counsellor and group facilitator specialising in complex historical trauma, including sexual abuse, intergenerational trauma, gang violence and domestic violence.

Faye’s holistic approach to restoration, training and experience forms the foundation of her work with individuals and whānau whose lives were/are enmeshed in gangs and intergenerational trauma and abuse. It’s this approach, coupled with her many years of counselling experience and expertise that has earned Faye a reputation as a counsellor who is able to both listen with empathy and impart wisdom with compassion.

Qualifications: MSocP, Dip Couns, Advanced Cert Supervision, NZAC