About Us

Empowering People Through Meaningful Employment

At Catapult Employment Services Trust, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to participate in paid employment — including people living with disabilities, health conditions, or barriers to work. This belief has guided us since 2003, when our founder, Kevin Blogg, began supporting job seekers from the boot of his car.

Today, Catapult is a thriving social enterprise recognised for its positive impact on the Canterbury community. In 2016, we were proud to receive the Champion Charity Small Enterprise Award at the Champion Canterbury Business Awards — a testament to the value of the work we do every day.

Our Mission

Inspiring and Supporting People Into Sustainable Employment

Our mission is to inspire and assist Cantabrians who face challenges in their career paths. We provide tailored employment services, professional career guidance, and ongoing social support to help people build confidence, find meaningful work, and thrive in the workplace.

Our Vision

Stronger Communities Through Employment

Our vision is to strengthen the social and economic well-being of Cantabrians by helping people access and sustain paid employment. We believe that when people are supported into fulfilling work, families, businesses, and communities become stronger.

From individuals overcoming personal barriers to local employers growing their teams, the impact of our work stretches far beyond job placement.

Read Our Blog

Our Founder

Kevin Blogg

MNZM | Founder

Catapult’s founder, Kevin Blogg was an extraordinary man. His vision was that people with a health issue or disability have the opportunity to participate in paid employment, and he put that vision into practice in 2003 when he founded Catapult Employment Services Trust. Since then Catapult has assisted hundreds of Cantabrians towards a better life through having paid employment.

Kev led by example, his huge empathy for a diverse range of people showing through in his approach to this work. When he retired as director 2014 he continued to work part time as well as continuing to mentor staff. He was a great mentor, guide and friend to staff, sharing many stories of the successes he’d achieved with clients over the years.

When he fully retired in 2017, Kev accepted the position of Patron for Catapult and in this role he continued supporting Catapult, offering wise advice and guidance.

Kev was a true friend and mentor to our staff. His door was always open to everyone even if it was just for some time out listening to his blues music. Kev’s interest in Catapult never waned and he remained justifiably proud of it in his retirement.

Kev’s vision, put in practice, is providing a vital service to the whole community and his legacy lives on with the valuable work that Catapult Employment Services continue to do.

Meet The Team

Meet the dedicated team behind Catapult. We’re passionate about helping people build confidence, find meaningful work, and thrive in their careers.

Vicky, our Office Manager, is the welcoming face of Catapult. As a working mum, Vicky understands the difficulties often faced when caring for a family and working full-time. Coming from the Chatham Islands, Vicky brings a down-to-earth approach to her role.

Meet Vicky

Diversity and a broad experience throughout Mark’s life and career, coupled with a desire to see others thrive, equip him for his role as an employment consultant. Mark has an extensive background in heavy industry/engineering, business, teaching, community support, mentoring, peer support and pastoral care. Mark is multi-disciplined with a degree in Engineering and diploma’s in Theology and Career Development and is a member of the Career Development Association of New Zealand and tutors in adult literacy. Born and bred in Christchurch, Mark is an avid fisherman, loves music, playing percussion and drums, dabbles with his guitar, tinkers in his workshop and rides his motorbike.

Working in the people-helping industry for 23 years, Ruth comes to Catapult passionate about supporting people to flourish. She has a background in health but has worked in several different roles over the years, which gives her unique insight into the challenges around finding work that is a good fit. Ruth has lived in a number of different locations around New Zealand but has called Christchurch home for the last 14 years and enjoys the outdoors and cultural opportunities available for herself and family that it offers.

Brent has worked in the area of employment and disability for over 20 years. He enjoys building networks with employers and developing employment projects. Over the years he has been involved in the coordination and support of a wide range of jobs including an earthquake recovery team, retail and supermarket work, manufacturing and horticulture, and also more specialised roles such as software development and media production.

As a disabled working mum, Charlotte has a keen understanding of the pressures on disabled jobseekers and she is very passionate about helping others find the right role for them and fostering understanding and inclusivity with employers. Charlotte comes to Catapult with a background in fundraising and banking. Although originally from the UK, she is a Kiwi via her dad and went to high school and university in Aotearoa, graduating with a BA in English Lit in 2011 from UC. She returned to the UK after finishing her degree but came back to Christchurch in 2019 to provide a better lifestyle for her family.

Meet Our Trust Board

Catapult’s Trust Board is made up of a range of people from various backgrounds and professions. The board membership emphasises Catapult’s ideal of setting itself alongside other local progressive businesses. Each board member brings their own expertise to the board and Catapult appreciates the support from the businesses they represent.

Rodney is the Operations Manager of Canterbury Linen Services Ltd, has been on the board since 2010 and was elected the chairperson in 2013. Rod has employed a number of Catapult’s clients over the years and continues to do so. He brings 30 years of management experience in the business sector to the board.

Jan currently works part time providing office management support for a Plumbing and Gas Fitting company. She recently took this on after being previously employed in HR and H&S and has 15 years’ experience in governance, five of those as board chair as she is very passionate about the not-for-profit sector. Jan has a wide background in marketing and administration, working with both small and large teams in the retail, trade and tourism industries. Jan’s previous experience as an Executive Assistant in the education sector brings an extensive range of organisational skills to the board. Jan has worked with her husband’s company in Fiji and Tonga, undertaking civil construction projects and enjoys biking, hiking, indoor netball and travelling the world.

Matthew is a senior manager at Hammond and Moir – Chartered Accountants, Te Awamutu. He has over 11 years of both domestic and international experience recently as a Senior Manager at KPMG. He has worked across a broad range of industries focusing on Dairy and Agri-Business, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Māori Sector, Local Government and not-for-profits. He is a qualified chartered accountant and brings a focus of sound financial governance to the Board.

Ali has thirty years’ experience in the employment and careers industries, most recently managing Catapult for three years, during which time she led the organisation to win the Champion Charity (Small Enterprise) in the Champion Canterbury Business Awards 2016. She holds a BA in Psychology, a Diploma in Career Development, a Graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management and is currently studying te reo Māori. She is the author of six books on flax weaving, is currently writing the seventh, and enjoys walking, cycling, camping and world travel. Ali has a keen interest in ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in paid employment.

With a Political Science and Sociology degree from the University of Canterbury, Mimi integrates her academic knowledge with hands-on marketing experience into her position. Her professional journey includes roles such as Marketing Executive, Sales and Marketing Manager and Consumer Collecting Specialist within diverse sectors including FMCG, Logistics and Dietary Supplements. Mimi is committed to positive change and sustainability, with a passion for creating a meaningful impact and promoting inclusivity across all aspects of life.