Our People
We have lived through the harmful effects of substance abuse. We know that with awhi and aroha, change is possible. We draw on our experiences to inspire and support whānau to heal and to thrive.
I
METH DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE AND NOR DO WE!
Meet Kevin Founder - Kaiwhakahaere Matua - Board Chair
From Meth Addiction to PhD Researcher and Kaupapa Leader
Kevin Hollingsworth shares his journey from surviving addiction to building a space of hope.
Ko Ruapekapeka te Maunga
Ko Taumarere te Awa
Ko Akerama te Marae
Ko Ngāti Hine te Hapū
Ko Ngāpuhi te Iwi
Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua te Waka
Kei Rotorua ahau e noho ana I tupu ake au I reira.
Ko Kevin Wiremu Hollingsworth ahau.
Although my whakapapa is from the North, I was raised in Rotorua among the Te Arawa Iwi, where I call home.
“My mother didn’t enable me – she gave me love, food, and a bed.
That gave me the strength to change.”
It is with sadness and love that we acknowledge the passing of Hinepare Patricia Hollingsworth on 26 February 2025. Hinepare (Patricia), aged 84, was a cherished kuia (elder) to the wider
Mana Enhancing STOP whānau. A pillar of strength and wisdom, she strongly believed in our kaupapa and always lent us her support and encouragement over the years.
Mana Enhancing STOP exists because of Hinepare’s unconditional love and support for Kevin in his darkest hours. Kevin had a long history of addiction dating back to his first puff of marijuana at age six. By his early twenties, Kevin was a full-blown meth addict, who would blindly risk his life for the next hit.
In 2017, Kevin won best entry in the Cutting-Edge poster competition. His poster is based on the Monopoly board format illustrating addiction and the cycle of change. It was exhibited at Te Papa at the time.
It took a near-death experience in-front of his mother for him to finally wake up, and he hasn’t looked back since. Today, Kevin is proud to say that he has been clean for over 15 years.
In 2017, Kevin founded the Tū Taua harm reduction program, which is a whānau, hapū, and iwi approach working in collaboration with other providers, the kōekē Police and Corrections facilitating wānanga educational training, and Marae wānanga for the broader communities.
Kevin’s vision to educate, and support whānau has evolved into Mana Enhancing STOP which continues to grow from strength to strength (see Our Services)
Kevin believes that continuous education is a key his success. He is now a fully qualified addiction counsellor and a registered clinician, with a master’s degree in professional practice with distinction. He has embarked on his PhD focusing on the harmful effects of methamphetamine on our tangata and hāpori and how a digital platform could be used as an intervention. He sits on numerous boards, teaches a course in addiction counselling, and provides clinical supervision to other counsellors.
Kevin’s dream was to become a beacon of hope and possibility for others, to grow a community of ‘Citizens in Recovery’ and Matatini Ora (many faces of wellbeing) and to let whānau know that they are not alone.
"My passion is to provide a safe space for whānau, clinically and culturally kanohi ki te kanohi, and community rōpū sessions, where both Māori and non-Māori are supported. This is where I feel most privileged to be working for Mana Enhancing, a Kaupapa Māori setting that creates positive changes." Kevin Hollingsworth
Meet our Kaimahi
Trevor Lamb - Reintegration Coordinator
E kore te pātiki, e hoki ki tōna puehu - The flounder does not return to its dust
Ko Tāinui tōku waka
Ko Tararua tōku maunga
Ko Manawatū toku awa
Ko Ngāti Ruakawa tōku iwi
Ko Ngāti Huia tokū hapū
Ko Matau ko Huia ngā marae
Ko Trevor Lamb tōku ingoa.
I specialise in supporting individuals as they transition from prison back into the community. My approach is grounded in tikanga Māori focused on building resilience, restoring connections to whānau and empowering individuals to achieve their goals.
While attending the Mana Enhancing STOP community rōpū group, I was inspired by the kaimahi to use my lived experience to support others on their journey. I was told I am Qualified By Experience (QBE) in addiction and offending and I could use my past as a powerful tool to help uplift others. The encouragement motivated me to pursue further education and develop the skills needed to gain meaningful employment in the health care sector.
I am proud to have graduated from Wintec where I completed the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) specialising in Mental Health and Addiction, Social and Community Services. I am currently studying towards a bachelors degree in applied counselling. I aspire to become a qualified Addiction Practitioner dedicated to supporting individuals and whānau on their journey to healing and wellbeing.
Rhian McCrae - Kaiawhina - Community Support Worker
Tuwhitia te hopo - Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Ko Ngongotaha te maunga
Ko Rotoruanui- a - Kahumatamomoe te roto
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Te Arawa me Ngapuhi te iwi
Toko wha aku tamariki
Ko Rhian toko ingoa
I work alongside Bail Support, advocating for our Tangata Whaiora and walking beside them on their recovery journey. I facilitate our Rōpū spaces and tautoko all my colleagues in anything that they need.
I lived a life of addiction, loss of connection and crime. I came to a point where I realised I was holding myself back in life and, most importantly, holding my whānau back, so I decided to make a change. My recovery journey started with attending Mana Enhancing STOP Rōpū spaces, followed by treatment and then education. I knew I wanted to give back to the very place that helped me, and to help others in addiction and recovery, because I come from a place of understanding.
This desire led me to volunteering at Mana Enhancing STOP. I was very fortunate and grateful to receive a scholarship through Mana Enhancing STOP with Te Rau Ora. Being able to work as a Kaiawhina is an absolute honour, as well as, to be able to work with our Pou and continue to learn more every day has been a huge part of my growth and recovery. I have had many opportunities and doors open for me since becoming a part of the team. Knowing that the mahi I do can help others means a world of difference to me.
Education and learning is a huge part of my recovery. Since being in recovery, I have completed a Certificate in Whānau Ora, completed many e-learning modules and 1-day wānanga, and I am now studying Wintec to complete Paetahi Tumu Kōrero Bachelor of Counselling.
Meretaka Brown - Bail Support Coordinator
Tuia ki te Rangi, Tuia ki te Whenua, Tuia ki te Moana,
Tuia ki te herenga Tangata Ka Rongo te Po, Ka Rongo te Ao,
Tihei Mauri Ora
‘Mai i Maketu ki Tongariro’
Ko Matawhaura te maunga
Ko Te Rotoiti-i-kite-a-Ihenga te moana
Ko Te Ohau-Potaka-tawhiti me Okere nga awa
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Rangitihi te upoko whakahirahira
Ko Ngā Pū Manawa e Waru
Ko Ngāti Hinerangi-Hinekiri te hapu, Ko Ngāti Pikiao te iwi.
Ko Meretaka Paora Brown-Houghton toku ingoa.
At Bail Support, we walk alongside tāngata whaiora and their whānau to navigate the justice system with care, dignity, and purpose. Our Kaupapa is grounded in manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, supporting individuals to meet bail conditions while connecting them to wraparound services that enhance wellbeing.
I have completed the Certificate in Whānau Ora (Level 4) and am currently working towards my Diploma in Whānau Ora (Level 5) in 2025, deepening my knowledge to better support whānau wellbeing and transformation. I aspire to attain more knowledge and apply for the Postgraduate in Mental Health and Addiction (Level 8) at Te Awanuiarangi in 2026.
Mark Anderson - Reintegration Coordinator
Ko Maungakotukutuku te Maunga
Ko Waikane te awa
Ko Paraparaumu te moana
Ko Freya Andersen toku Mama
Ko Mack Anderson toku ingoa
Ko McKinnion Anderson te toku ingoa whanau
Ko Mark Anderson ahau
From Tangata Whaiora to Kaimahi Hauora Mana Enhancing STOP
I first came to Mana Enhancing as a participant in their recovery rōpū, seeking support to overcome my addiction to methamphetamine, methadone, morphine, and heroin. The kaupapa Māori approach, genuine care, and strong whānau environment helped me find hope, healing, and a pathway forward. Today, I’m proud to be part of the Mana Enhancing team, working alongside others to support tāngata whaiora on their own recovery journeys. I know first-hand that change is possible — and that with the right awhi and support, we can reclaim our mana and build better futures.
Since joining Mana Enhancing STOP I have completed my Level 4 Certificate and now completing my Diploma. Next year I am aiming to pursue a bachelor's in counselling degree.
Meet our Kaihāpai
Kayla Emery
Ko Te Aroha tōku maunga
Ko Waihou tōku awa
Ko Tainui tōku waka
Ko Ngati Maru tōku Iwi
Ko Matai Whetu tōku Marae
Ko Kayla Emery tōku ingoa.
Kaihāpai Kaimahi
I am a Kaihāpai Kaimahi working with Mana Enhancing STOP. I support and uplift the team wherever possible, from helping to co-facilitate
rōpū groups, to working with our Tangata Whaiora on our Bail Support
waitlist, and starting a new Mana Enhancing STOP Coffee
rōpū.
I bring my lived experience and background of addiction to walk alongside my team and our tangata whaiora to support and advocate. The support and aroha that I have received from the team when I first walked in the door of Mana Enhancing rōpū has given me the courage to follow my dreams and goals of being a better person and this brings me to what it means to be a Kaimahi at Mana Enhancing STOP: the love I have in helping whānau, to walk alongside them, to uplift and support them to a better life.
Kapua Hollings
Ko Tūturu te maunga
Ko Puarenga te awa
Ko Ngāti Wāhiao te hapū
Ko Te Pākira te marae
Ko Te Arawa te iwi
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Working at Mana Enhancing has been more than just a job for me — it’s been a part of my healing. Supporting tangata whaiora who are walking paths I once walked myself has reminded me of the strength in vulnerability and the power of connection. Every story I hear, every step forward I witness, helps to heal parts of me too.
What makes this mahi so special is the way it centres our own ways of being. I deeply appreciate the Māori holistic approach — seeing each person as a whole, through the lens of wairua, hinengaro, tinana, and whānau. This framework allows me to support tangata whaiora in a way that honours their journey, their whakapapa, and their potential.
The responsibilities I carry are not always light, but they are uplifting. They give me purpose. Knowing that my presence, my words, or simply holding space can make a difference is something I never take for granted.
The environment at Mana Enhancing is one of encouragement, joy, and cultural richness. It’s a place where you can laugh, reflect, and grow — all in the same day. I’m proud to be part of this kaupapa and to offer tautoko in a way that feels authentic, grounded, and transformative — for others, and for myself.
Meet our Board Members
Mana Enhancing STOP Board members come from a wide range of backgrounds. They are united in their passion for the kaupapa.
Lehi Hohaia
I was raised on a farm in Putaruru. I left Putaruru at the end of 1979 and joined the NZ police. My career involves working as a police officer on the street for 12 years and then joining the Rotorua Criminal investigation branch as a detective for 20 odd years. I then went on to specialise for the Sexual and child abuse team here in Rotorua. Most of my time was spent at the Auckland Hospital working with the families of abused babies. I now am the Pouwhakataki or Maori Liaison officer for Rotorua and I work with iwi and Hapu and the community here to help reduce Maori offending and victimisation. I do lots of programmes out of the local Marae. This includes developing the Tū Taua Drug Harm Reduction programme alongside Kevin delivered around Te Arawa marae as well as supports Te pae Oranga and Te Kooti Rangatahi, and the Alcohol Impairment Drink Driving programme. In 2019 I was awarded a Queen service Medal on behalf of the iwi in Te Arawa for services to the community.
Carolyn Colbert
I was born in Romford, England, and have called Aotearoa home since moving here at the age of six. I’ll never forget the feeling of arriving in Rotorua — the warmth of the people, the culture, the geysers and mud pools — it felt like stepping into another world and being welcomed into a whānau. We settled in Koutu and upon finishing school I discovered a love for numbers and found my path in accounting. I began in local accountancy firms before stepping into the corporate world in 2016. Along the way, I started my own side business — now I’m proud to run Stress Less Accounting Limited full-time. I’ve known Kevin for many years now. I first supported him with his books when he ran a motor vehicle repair business. One day he asked me to help set up the finances for his new trust. Once I experienced the kaupapa of Mana Enhancing STOP, I was drawn in. Three years on, I'm still here — proud to be part of this beautiful mahi. Supporting our facilitators and witnessing the positive ripple effects they create in the community is a true privilege.
Jazmin Henare
He Mokopuna ahau nō Te Arawa (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) me Ngāi Tai ki Tōrere Known as Jaz, I was born and raised in Rotorua gaining qualifications both at the University of Waikato and Toi Ohomai in Māori and Indigenous Studies and a Bachelors of Applied Business Management. Connecting with the Mana Enhancing kaupapa in 2022 through friendship with Kevin Hollingsworth I have had the fortune to observe and contribute to the positive outcomes this kaupapa produces for our whānau. Passions and personal experience drive my desire to tautoko Mana Enhancing with close relation to the impacts of addiction and a background in project coordination across the health sector specialising in the implementation of Equity Strategies. Holding a strong passion for uplifting mātauranga Māori and indigenous knowledge, I am committed to enhancing the wellbeing of Māori and marginalized communities through application of my skills, experience and service.
Amiria Tomoana
Ko Takitimu te waka Ko Mohaka the awa Ko Ngati Pahauwera te Iwi Ko Te Huki, Kahungunu , Waipapa a iwi nga Marae Ko Amiria Tomoana ahau I have life experience helping people and my passion and drive is seeing people succeed in whatever they put their mind to. I bring governance experience to Mana Enhancing having sat on Iwi Boards, Marae, Sporting Clubs, and Charitable Trust Boards currently and in the past. I share and bring to the table experience in accounting, financial, literacy, numeracy, health and well-being, sports and life -coaching. My primary career role for more than 20 years was a Business Tax Advisor working for the Inland Revenue Department. I gained specialised industry knowledge providing tax and financial help and education to both small and large businesses across all business sectors working in Waiariki, Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Mataatua areas. I’ve worked in high schools supporting students in literacy and numeracy, life skills and health and well-being and while living overseas I taught English in France and Japan. I am committed to ensuring Mana Enhancing meets all its governance responsibilities.
Ashley Shearar
Nō Aferika ki te Tonga ahau engari kei Rotorua toku kainga. I am a passionate advocate for social justice. For over 30 years I have advocated against harmful systems and policies including apartheid, armed conflict, state care and justice. I have been guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tangata whenua since moving to Aotearoa almost twenty years ago. During my career I have held several roles in both government and non-government agencies. I have been a researcher, a trainer, a frontline practitioner, an operational and policy lead and an inspector in prisons. I completed a Master's degree focused on restorative justice at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and a PhD focused on youth justice transformation from Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University in Wellington. I am inspired by Mana Enhancing STOP's courageous kaupapa which I discovered after moving to Rotorua in 2022, that creates space for leadership in lived experience and pathways towards healing and holistic wellbeing for many to follow.