School holiday programmes, drivers' programmes, sports initiatives and youth work training was all crammed into a two-week space at the Dannevirke Youth Centre during the school holidays.
Tararua Community Youth Services manager Jeanne O'Brien says the Youth Centre was a hive of activity where the Youth Leadership Team supported a number of young people.They participated in games and local services in an effort to connect them with services that support their physical and mental wellbeing, while also connecting with the Youth Mentoring and Leadership Team.
Boronia Lilo, along with her team Valma Joyce, Mihikotukutuku-Maira Anne Lawson, Thomas Lilo, Jakahn Maru-Lilo and Jason Torrey, support this diverse group of young men and women running a range of fun activities including "minute to win it challenges," slime making, jewellery making, beauty and haircuts, licence quizzes, learning to cook cheap meals, growing a potato in a bucket, cleaning up of the Dannevirke skate bowl, basketball, netball, boxfit, team challenges and activities to a final day with the girls ending up at the Hawke's Bay Farm Yard and the boys at Flip Out.
Johnson Harrison, Nikita Paikea and Richard Harrison-Kamura continued the holidays for the older young people with learner licences and driving lessons – also attending the "Make Drive Work For You" course in Napier to support their upskilling in teaching young people to drive and giving them the tools to help themselves.
O'Brien said three youth leaders also attended a youth mental health training session in Whanganui.
