Mission
Victims of crime, accident and emergency, well supported, safe and in control of restoring their lives.

Purpose
To maintain a 24 hour 7 day a week crisis response and follow-up capacity which will be available within 45 minutes of a crime, accident and emergency within the Christchurch/Banks Peninsula area.

A specialist feature of our service is the provision of crisis intervention support in homicide incidents, search and rescue operations, major road and rail disasters, air disasters, major industrial accidents and civil emergencies.

Victim Support prides itself on providing a workforce of professional volunteer support workers and staff. The provision of quality training for all our volunteer workers is a priority ensuring that a high quality standard of service delivery is always maintained.

History
Following the passing of the Victim of Offences Act on the 1st November 1987 a Victims Task Force was set up to establish the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups to assist in the formation of victim support groups through out New Zealand The Christchurch victim support group was established, jointly by the Police and the Salvation Army, in 1989.Following the formation of the constitution and the rules it became an Incorporated Society in 1990. In 1992, 166 people were assisted, however from 1st of July to the 30th of June 1999 the group assisted nearly 8000 people.

The Christchurch Victim Support Group pioneered, then formed a Court Group, which assists prosecution witnesses through the court process and a Homicide Group. Both groups are now a national identity. The Homicide Group in particular has been supported by the Police with the volunteer workers being trained at the Police College at Porirua.

General Info
The Christchurch Group's boundaries are from the sea to the Alps, this side of the Waimakariri to the Rakaia. Recently Banks Peninsula has become part of Christchurch's region which now gives them the ability to respond to any crisis within the greater Christchurch and Peninsula areas.