US charity helps fund programme for Auckland teens

As Jodi Pringle crosses the Hibiscus Coast Highway, a man calls out to her from his car: "I like your hair and I like your artwork," he says, referring to her tattoos.

Ms Pringle waves as she herds her two dogs, Felix and Tim, on to the footpath and down to Orewa beach. She's stepping out from her office at the Rosa Counselling Trust to talk about a new programme on offer.

Ms Pringle is the trust's administrator and group facilitator. She and the team work with an array of people but says they began to notice a particular demographic that needed extra help.

"There's a lot going on with our teenage kids," says Ms Pringle. "Basically, we get a lot of teenage girls coming through and we were seeing a lot of the same things such as depression, self harm, issues with body image, eating disorders, unsafe choices. These same things keep coming up again and again."

Ms Pringle says they have worked with girls as young as 12.

"It's horrifying to see them at that age because I think, when I was 12,I was a kid riding my bike. I find it really sad that a lot of them just haven't had a childhood. It still surprises me, the things they're going through.

"These girls are dealing with having no self-worth. A lot of them just don't think they matter," she says of their clients, many of whom are referred by Child Youth and Family, Youth Justice, police and doctors.

Ms Pringle and fellow counsellor Julia Wade have devised a programme to assist teenage girls and have received $10,000 in funding from Newman's Own Foundation, the philanthropic society created by late actor Paul Newman.

"We defined a need for something specific," says Ms Pringle of the programme she has written called WILD (Wisdom, Integrity, Love for yourself, Discover who you are). It will feature a two-hour group session run weekly over a period of 12 weeks.

The WILD Young Women programme is open to girls aged between 12 and 17, and eight have already signed on for the course that begins on April 24. There will be another programme later in the year.

"It's free and you don't have to be referred to us, you can just contact us," says Ms Pringle (see below).

The girls will give input as to how they want to work through things.

"It's for them. We'll have outcome reports and evaluations but it's really important that they give us input. We have a format of discussions and activities but if it goes in a different direction we'll go with that. In doing that we can help them find ways and strategies to make changes and develop skills to cope."

The course is split into two parts.

The first section looks at relationships between mother and daughter, father and daughter, social relationships and sexual relationships.

The second part includes discussions on body image, destructive behaviour and sexual safety.

Ms Pringle says securing funding was a tough process. "It has been really difficult getting funding. The Paul Newman Foundation were really excited about the concept of the programme and we are overwhelmed to receive it from them. It's clear to us from their support that they can see the programme's potential."

THE WILD PROGRAMME

To find out more about the WILD (Wisdom, Integrity, Love for yourself, Discover who you are) Young Women programme, contact Jodi or Julia  on (09) 427 8111 or email rosatrust@ps.gen.nz.

PAUL NEWMAN'S CHARITY

Newman's Own Foundation was formed by Paul Newman in 2005 and donates royalties earned from the sale of Paul

Newman's food products to charity. 

Youthline has also received a Newman's Own grant to help it refurbish its entire building.

For more info, see newmansownfoundation.org