Orange Sky is looking to expand its free mobile laundry service in Whakatāne following an overwhelming response from local whānau, with a new $7500 BayTrust grant helping support its ongoing operations.

Since launching in August 2025, the charity has completed 3325 loads of washing for families and individuals experiencing homelessness and financial hardship. Demand is already exceeding the service’s current capacity.

Orange Sky senior impact manager Kat Doughty said the charity’s first year in Whakatāne had demonstrated how valuable access to free laundry facilities could be.

“When budgets are stretched, commercial laundromats – which can cost $20 to $30 per family load – become an unaffordable luxury.

“We often hear that people don’t want to engage with social services because they’re afraid of how they present themselves or their personal hygiene.

“If we’re able to provide something as simple as clean clothes, that opens up so much more for them. It gives them the confidence to go and talk to people.”

The Whakatāne van operates five days a week at Awatapu Reserve and The Heads on Muriwai Drive. Equipped with two washing machines and two dryers, it allows people to have their clothes and bedding washed and dried in approximately an hour. While they wait, they can relax in Orange Sky’s distinctive orange chairs, enjoy a hot drink and share some kōrero.

The service is run by Waiariki Whānau Mentoring Trust kaimahi Ed Clay, who has operated the van since its launch.

Doughty said Clay’s warm, approachable manner had helped him build strong relationships with local whānau.

“It’s really about being able to sit with a person and have a conversation. It’s about making sure that person feels seen and valued.

“Especially for homeless whānau, they just feel so invisible. For some, it’s the first time they’ve spoken to someone all day, or even all week.”

The need for such a service extends well beyond people sleeping rough. Some families don’t have access to a washing machine, while others struggle to afford the electricity to use one. Older residents can be particularly vulnerable to power poverty, especially during winter.

According to 2023 Census data, approximately 23 in every 1000 New Zealanders experience severe housing deprivation.

Orange Sky estimates over 1000 Whakatāne district residents lack access to basic amenities including working showers, electricity or clean water. Plans are now under way to increase local capacity and help more people.

Doughty said BayTrust’s $7500 grant would help cover the service’s operational costs, including vehicle fuel, maintenance and servicing, laundry detergent and refreshments.

“It just really helps keep the machines spinning, the laundry loads going and the van on the road,” she said. “Every dollar helps keep that service going for whānau who really need us.”

BayTrust chief executive Alastair Rhodes says access to clean clothes and bedding was something many people took for granted, but it could make a significant difference to the health, confidence and wellbeing of those experiencing hardship.

“For families already struggling to make ends meet, being able to wash and dry their clothes for free means there’s more money available for essentials like food and housing. That’s a very practical way to ease financial pressure and improve community wellbeing, which is at the heart of what BayTrust supports.”

Rhodes said the partnership with Waiariki Whānau Mentoring Trust has been instrumental in the service’s success. “It’s encouraging to see how strongly the Whakatāne community has embraced Orange Sky in such a short time.

“We’re pleased to help sustain this valuable service and look forward to seeing it reach more whānau across the Bay of Plenty.”