A man in a crisp white t-shirt with a young boy in shorts and grey t-shirt on his shoulders. Both have their back to us arnd are looking in the distance. The background is a pale blue sky.
A man with his back to the camera wearing a white t-shirt with a toddler on his shoulders
A man with his back to the camera wearing a white t-shirt with a toddler on his shoulders

Our History

Led by Volunteers,
Guided by Legacy

Onewa Parents Centre is a not-for-profit charity, run by a team of volunteers, passionate about helping new parents in our community. We've been empowering local families with evidence-based childbirth education (antenatal classes), new parent classes, and parenting workshops for the last 50 years

The first Parents Centre was founded by Helen Brew in 1950 in Wellington. Helen hosted informal classes for expectant mothers from her home, promoting the idea of 'natural' childbirth - a stark contrast to the practices of the day. Despite accusations of radicalism, the innovation of antenatal education gathered momentum throughout the following decades.

By the 1990s, there were 60 volunteer-led Parents Centre across Aotearoa, affiliated to a national body that held a strong advocacy role, aiming to be a voice for parents in government.

While a nationwide affiliation no longer exists, we are proud to continue the legacy of Helen Brew, maintaining the spirit of volunteerism and a belief that inclusive education ensures new parents thrive.

Alexander Turnbull Library, Evening Post, Ref: EP/1957/3960-F

Meet the Team

Our classes are facilitated by a team of Child Birth Educators, who are fully qualified with Transition to Parenting Diplomas from Ara Polytechnic, ensuring their knowledge is up to date, evidence based, and non-judgemental.

Our day-to-day is managed by a volunteer committee, responsible for organising and coordinating all of our classes, fundraising, supporting the administration of our centre, and ensuring our charity is governed well.

Our current committee includes:

  • Centre Administrator - Nicola Deerness

  • Secretary - Zita Talaic-Burgess

  • Treasurer - Gemma Casson

  • Committee Member - Sasha Robertson

People get involved with our centre for a range of reasons. If you are interested in volunteering with us reach out via our Contact Us page or chat to your class co-ordinator.

Onewa Parents Centre is compliant and registered as an incorporated society under the New Zealand Incorporated Societies Act 2023. 

Our Supporters

All proceeds from our classes and workshops go directly to funding our expenses including paying our Childbirth Educators and facilitators, our room lease, and other operating costs.

To ensure we continue to thrive we apply for grants and work with local companies for sponsorship.

Thank you to The Lion Foundation and COGS for providing grant funding in 2025/2026. A big thanks also to Todd Allan from Share NZ for sponsoring our centre.