No Duff Charitable Trust (NDCT) is an independent, volunteer based, nationwide organisation that supports current and former Military personnel (including families/whānau) by providing crisis and peer-to-peer support. We also facilitate (including delivery of) a range of other support services which make the peer support possible.  We have international links to a number of other like minded organisations. Unlike other established veteran support organisations the NDCT approach has been to provide a rapid response capability, meaning that it can provide support at little or no-notice, without the need for the individual to meet any criteria other than being a veteran (or their family member) in crisis or need.

The No Duff charitable trust (NDCT) started with a veteran in crisis. A young New Zealand veteran was living homeless and struggling with his mental health. When the established services, NZDF and charities were unable to help a group of contemporary veterans answered a call and did what was required - they helped a mate. Over the next few years this demand for help grew and the No Duff Charitable Trust was formed.

The initial focus was on crisis response, however it was soon realised that whilst this ambulance at the bottom of the cliff was essential, the need was also to try to prevent our veterans falling off the cliff in the first place. We also needed partners to hand off to after the initial crisis response, which we often struggled to find. We had difficulty finding healthcare providers whom understood veterans medical and social needs. 

The rate of crisis responses was climbing year on year, however more and more effort was having to go into generating an income to support the activities. The Government agencies have little discretion in funding. They have a hugely bureaucratic process. Weeks of work for a funding application can be rejected out of hand in a matter of minutes. The charitable sector was actually worse, lacking clear funding policy which often changed by individual case applications. We found we were putting as much if not more effort into generating funds to enable the support activities.

What we found was we were burning No Duff members out at an alarming rate. The workload was high and the systemic support was low, kind words are nice but they don't get the services to the veterans. Funding offers with strings was problematic. This lead to significant internal friction as members sought to find the best way forwards. It was decided that we would take an operational hiatus - we actually decided to stop doing the crisis response. The reason was we had hit the wall, we were breaking those whom were trying to help. It was unsustainable.

We reached out to Connect Assist to look at what we were doing. Connect assist was the organisation involved in the review of the veterans support in the UK following their crisis. It was the organisation which consulted on the restructure of the Royal British legion (their version of the RSA) when it was failing. They lead the development of the gateway project which unified the veteran support sector in the UK. This was an organisation that had both the expertise and the mana to undertake the review we needed. The brief was simple - a no holds barred look at what we do and the issues we face, both internally and externally. Then the options we have to move forwards.

No Duff funded this review internally, which was itself controversial and ratcheted up the tensions. Up to this point little had been spent on the organisation itself, reflecting both the internal philosophy but also the severe funding shortfall we faced. The report was invaluable. It was delivered in a matter of months following talking not only to No Duff but also to many other players in the sector at No Duffs insistence. The report was forthright in its recommendation, the face to face meeting discussing it even more so. 

That lead to even further internal tensions because of what it implied. The direction implied by the report was clear if we wished to remain true to ourselves. Given the funding situation in New Zealand continued activity in the hand to mouth charitable model was not sustainable. We had to move away from being reliant upon token handouts from the Government and being beholden to other charities and become self reliant - in short we needed to move from a passion driven cottage industry to a professional social enterprise. We needed to take on a business mindset.

For some this was a step too far. No Duff underwent a period of internal redesign that has seen some people choose to leave. That redesign has taken us 18 moths - to decide what to do and how to do it. The redesign has seen us place much more emphasis upon those whom have chosen to help our veterans. We found what is really commonplace in the charitable sector - 20% were doing all of the heavy lifting, and hence burning out.

We are starting at the bottom - with training our members. That then builds in to helping our veterans. In concert we have realised that we have to reach out and help those whom provide the day to day care for our veterans, providing information and training for primary care providers, for corrections and for the public health providers.

NDCT has evolved into providing advocacy at both the individual and sector level. The advocacy is being separated out from the provision of care. One of the key outcomes of the review will see No Duff splitting into three elements. Advocacy, care and services. Each will stand under a common umbrella, but will operate autonomously under separate branding. 

NDCT will remain the arm that undertakes advocacy. NDLC will undertake training and development. The peer support will become standalone.

It’s hard to advocate in the manner in which we believe is required, whilst at the same time trying to be vaguely politically correct to gain at least some funding. We found that the funding from some sources came with too many strings. If you took the money and then criticised, the money dried up. We had been told that our outspoken stance and often in your face approach was a barrier to funding by both Government and by the charitable sector, which is an issue faced by many charities bearing the burden of frontline social support in NZ. Without a predictable income stream it becomes difficult to provide services and to grow. Being financially independent is therefore the only logical way forwards. 

That change in mindset from a charity to a social enterprise organisation is fundamental to the changes which are taking place. No more old men standing on a street corner rattling a tin, which is demeaning to those whom have served and is anathema to the current generation of veterans. We will see No Duff developing a range of services and products which will allow financial independence and add to the benefit derived by both the charitable foundation and also by the wider community, which will then enable predictable services and growth by design.

We are providing formal training for peer workers, self help training for the veterans and we have started a knowledge centre to support the primary care providers. Whilst NDCT continues working with our most troubled veterans it has most recently started a project to enable research into veterans outcomes. At NDCT there is a belief in evidence, not opinion.

Activity in this first 18 months has been hectic. We have tried and tested a few designs before settling upon the direction that we are now taking. This website and these pages are evidence of the depth of the change that is taking place.

Because of the apparent difficulties which plagued the veterans sector in New Zealand , NDCT has made the decision that it will remain independent as a core principle. Being drawn from soldiers, sailors, Airmen - their families and friends - there is a belief that actions speak louder than words, that our values are more than just words on a page. That does not mean that we will not work with other organisations, what it does mean is that we will not compromise our values and we will not wait for the glacial inertia that plagues the NZ veterans support sector. We are reluctant to engage in further endless talkfests, more years of meetings that achieve no progress. We are willing to engage, but only so far as it progresses our projects. To do otherwise is to waste precious effort and risk slowing the pace of change.

Where required, the Trust facilitates the relationship between the veteran and the existing veteran support organisations such as Veterans’ Affairs NZ, MSD and the RSA, etc, at both national and local level, that are able to provide support that may be required by the veteran or their families. We are unapologetically independent, but that does not mean that we do not respect and support other organisations in their endeavours. We do however remain true to who we are and believe the truth lies in what we do rather than what we say and we believe all should be held to that standard.

We are unlikely to ever be politically correct, it's not who we are. We are a bit rough around the edges, we know our approach wont appeal to everyone. We have been surprised that for every troll we have received an ear bashing from we have learnt something, and each occasion has brought more support (and more work). We are passionate about truth, transparency and accountability. That accountability is not just for organisations, its for the veterans too. We don't believe in a system that creates dependency or helplessness. We believe that with the right support and motivation anyone can succeed.

By the end of it's seventh year of operations No Duff has responded over 800 different situations that have included crisis and non-urgent tasks, some straightforward and some very complex (long-term and with multiple agencies involved to ensure the individuals received the required care and assistance). We average over 100 interventions per year. The scale of No Duff’s activities has increased significantly from its inception, with the number of responses to requests for assistance far exceeding the original expectations. We have engaged with many providers in both the primary care and secondary care areas, we have worked with corrections with veterans whom are incarcerated and we are now looking to extend that into working with Justice before the veteran gets to court. 

We are now back with a new approach, new tools and no less passion to change the outcomes - and no less politically incorrect.

We know that there are far more people in the veterans’ community that need support but haven’t reached out. Hence we are also looking to a national awareness program to raise the Profile of veterans within our community. It is a national shame that we have the worst capture of contemporary veterans into support services in the Western world. We aim to change that.

Like the open source software community we have started a number of special interest groups. Not everyone feels comfortable providing the face to face care, indeed not everyone whom supports No Duff is a veteran. We have groups whom manage projects in care delivery, training development, research, and administration. If you think you can help in any of these areas contact us and join a team that makes a difference.