Whakatipu Youth Trust campaign launches on Crux

One of the two joint winners of the $4,000 Crux Community Bulletin promotion competition will see their campaign launch on Crux next week.

The campaign, 100 percent funded by Crux, will help highlight the brilliant community work done by the Whakatipu Youth Trust plus some new services its got on offer.

The second joint-winner campaign, for the Central Lakes Family Trust, will be up and running in February.

We figure there's no better person to describe the Whakatipu Youth Trust’s work than general manager Jacqui Moir, so here’s her introduction in full. Check it out and make sure to visit the Trust's website – or even make a donation.

"‘Youth’ by definition has no universally accepted classification. In essence those described as a youth fit into a fluid category where many significant developmental processes and milestones take place. A youth is someone living in the period of transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. Consequently, ‘youth’ or rangitahi in te ao Maori require specialised skills and approaches by professionally trained people that are knowledgeable and specifically skilled to respond to their range of ages and stages.

Whakatipu Youth Trust general manager Jacqui Moir - helping local youth to grow and develop essential life skills, resilience and overall wellbeing.

"The Whakatipu Youth Trust (WYT) is a registered local charity that was established in April 2011 following the merger of Queenstown Life Trust and Wakatipu District Youth Trust, both of which had been established in the community for over ten years each. Through working closely with the community, schools, and social services, WHT ensures all youth in the Wakatipu Basin are provided with opportunities that allow them to grow and develop essential life skills, resilience and overall healthy wellbeing.

"We aim to achieve positive outcomes for our young people through both support and advocacy by providing opportunities, resources, skilled people and safe environments, which help to foster confidence and strength while challenging youth to reach their full potential. In resourcing youth in this way we believe it can empower them to discover their own identity, develop strengths, attitudes and strong healthy relationships as well as encourage them to be drivers of social change. Young people are our key assets and resources, with great potential to contribute to their families and this community.

"We work across all our youth community from Glenorchy to Arrowtown to Kingston. Catering to all youth age groups between 10 to 24 years old and accommodating such a diverse range of needs is not without its challenges but, fortunately, we have a passionate, dedicated and hardworking team of staff and volunteers who genuinely believe in the possibilities and positive outcomes for our young people.

"In response to a growing need among our youth to have more support services and options available to them, coupled with a passionate vision to house a multidisciplinary, holistic, safe and supportive environment where rangitahi can come in and engage in a variety of ways that support their wellbeing, WYT are excited to have expanded their services to now include youth counselling and youth social work.

"Alongside the programmes, events, lifeskill education, LGBT+ support, school engagement and one-to-one mentoring amongst other youth-centred initiatives, young people can connect and have their wellbeing needs met with a youth counsellor, youth social workers or youth mentors. Many of these activities are under the roof of our awesome community youth centre, The Loft, or across at our other space called HQ. Youth can meet their support service professional in a setting they are comfortable with, be it a meeting room, outdoors while doing a fun activity or having a korero over some kai at a cafe.

"We also now deliver the Attendance Service contract which sees our Attendance Advisor working across 30 schools in the Queenstown and Central Lakes area supporting our tamariki and rangitahi to engage with their education providers and make a commitment to their education.

"Another new initiative is the Youth Inclusion Programme which is a prevention and early intervention that supports rangitahi who are identified as on a potential trajectory to being involved in Youth Justice and other related negative pathways.

The Whakatipu Youth Trust uses a variety of activities and support programmes to carry out their work.

"WYT empowers young people to make informed choices to enhance their positive wellbeing and self-development. We strive for a community where young people have the opportunities to actively participate in decisions that impact on their wellbeing. We pride ourselves on being every bit strengths-based and youth-centred with young people at the very heart of all we do.

"We absolutely could not do what we do without the huge support, investment and skills that our community contributes as well as, local and wider funders, philanthropists, business contribution and donations. It is with huge gratitude and thanks to all those that have contributed to all that has got us to this point in time. Each and every one is a treasured part of our whakapapa and every person is an integral part of who we are and takes their place alongside all those who have invested their strengths, knowledge, skills, energy, fun and passion into our mahi, youth, and community."

Keep an eye out for Crux coverage of the Whakatipu Youth Trust over the next couple of weeks - find out more here and make a donation here.