Families in Christchurch are facing unexpected challenges due to the sudden shutdown of several afterschool programmes.
In an email sent to parents on the last day of February, MASH – My After School Headquarters, announced it had to close its programme at Halswell’s Seven Oaks School, “effective immediately.” The closure was part of a broader wave affecting multiple locations across the city.
The company cited “staffing” issues as the reason for the abrupt termination.
“We acknowledge the immense stress, pressure, and frustration, not to mention the inconvenience, that this week’s events have caused you, and for this, we sincerely apologise.”
MASH, founded in 2012 by Craig Fortune, a registered teacher with ten years of experience.
On the same day as the announcement, Fortune updated his contact information on the Companies Office’ website, moving from a residential to a commercial address.
On March 5th, Fortune was listed as a new director for a company he started with his partner called “Kids Matter.”
Kids Matter was registered with the Companies Office on February the 16th.
Chris Lynch Media received a screenshot from Fortune’s LinkedIn profile indicating he was seeking a new role.
Many parents, having paid in advance for the programmes, sought refunds from MASH but haven’t received replies.
Out of 16 Google reviews, MASH’s Christchurch headquarters received just a one star rating.
One parent said “I would give this establishment 0 stars if I could. Forever chasing them up regarding payments and they cancel after school care with less than 24 hours notice.”
Chris Lynch Media’s attempts to reach Fortune via his cellphone were met with silence, though a text message appeared to have been ‘read.’
Calls were made to the cell phones of all managers at MASH’s Christchurch locations, yet there was no response from any of them.
“MASH’s communication was horrible,” one parent said after their concerns about a child’s safety were seemingly ignored.
“I emailed several times about an altercation involving another parent and my child, but they showed no care for my child’s safety.”
A former MASH employee said “some staff were given just three days’ notice, and some have not been paid.
Parents have been left out of pocket with no refunds. School rent has not been paid. The man is in hiding at the moment and uncontactable, leaving many of us waiting for our money with no word on when we’ll be paid. It’s awful.”
The closures are not limited to Halswell.
CASPA Hoon Hay, another afterschool programme informed parents of its permanent closure by the end of the week, urging them to make alternative care arrangements for their children.
The issue extends to Dunedin, where Green Island School ended its contract with MASH following a series of complaints.
Principal Aaron Warrington told the Otago Daily Times “We had all sorts of complaints from parents about how they ran things.
“They would charge for extra hours if parents were five minutes late, cancel programmes at the last minute, and fail to refund credits to the parents. We never should have signed them up in the first place.”
Craig Fortune has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
The Ministry of Social Development has been approached for comment, but was unable to meet this publication’s deadline.
