Eastern Coromandel Community Services Trust (formerly known as Whangamata Community Services Trust, and 'Te Whare Iwi') started in the early 1980s. 

For nearly fifty years the Trust has worked hard to meet a range of social needs within Whangamata and the surrounding areas of Onemana, Opoutere, Hikuai, Tairua, Pauanui and Whiritoa. 

It was decided that the Trust should undergo a name change in 2007 to the Whangamata Community Services Trust and again in 2022 when it became apparent that 80% of the Trust's contracted services extended across the entire Eastern Coromandel region. 

The Trust has grown in the scope of services it provides over time and proudly promotes itself as being a one-stop-shop for meeting community needs.