They might operate from a small brick house in Tauranga, but the service which Te Whanau Kotahi Trust provides to the Western Bay of Plenty community is nothing short of massive.

The charitable trust delivers child development services on behalf of the Ministry of Health in the Western Bay, and at any given time provides therapy for about 400 children with disabilities.

In an effort to improve services Te Whanau Kotahi offer from their 13th Avenue office, the trust carried out much needed renovations on the building which were recently completed and unveiled with an official ceremony held on Friday.

'We've knocked the building about a bit and created more clinical space so that the paediatricians from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board can run clinics every week,” explains Te Whanau Kotahi general manager Barry Davies.

'Our office is also now the base for the multidisciplinary team, made up of a paediatrician, clinical psychologist, occupational therapist and Ministry of Education speech language therapist who run assessments when children may have autism or other issues.”

From left: Te Whanau Kotahi Trust general manager Barry Davies, trustee Tracy Newland and clinical psychologist Chris McAlpine, TECT Chairman Bill Holland, and Te Whanau Kotahi Trust paediatrician Dr David Jones.

Barry says Te Whanau Kotahi work with children who have a range of disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and down syndrome, with the trust's occupational therapists and physiotherapists providing sessions mainly at the family home.

And because the their therapists spend a lot of time on the road, they've implemented a 'desk-hopping” system which has helped freed up room for more clinical space in the office.

Barry says they were able to make renovations to the building thanks to funding provide to the trust by TECT, Legacy Trust and Wesley Methodist Church, who attended Friday's ceremony.

'Our staff really like the new renovations which are going to be hugely beneficial for the trust and for the people we've worked with.

'The other thing we've been able to do is create a nice waiting area with things to amuse the kids while they're in here.

'It is hugely important to give the right kind of feel so the kids are happy to come see us, so we try and be as informal as possible and create as much of a family atmosphere as we can here.”

For more information about Te Whanau Kotahi Trust, visit www.twk.org.nz

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless addressing the crowd during Friday's official ceremony.