An unlikely partnership between students from St John's College and youth prisoners at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison earned both organisations a string of accolades.
And last night was no different, as they received the Arts Access Corrections Whai Tikanga Award 2018 at Parliament - one of eight awards presented at Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards 2018.
It all started last year when students from the Hastings school, participating in the Young Enterprise Scheme programme, developed a concept for a project to be undertaken in collaboration with underprivileged youth. Their product - Just Boards - wooden platters produced under the name Bruthas Ltd.
Together they created recycled rimu platters which interlock to symbolise a waka - underpinning Māori culture, and packaged in recycled coffee sacks. Profits from the sale of the platter boards ($1755) were donated to a local charity for disadvantaged youth, Leg-Up Trust.
Principal Paul Melloy said the most amazing thing about the group was that it broke down barriers; "fear of prisons, fear of people in prisons".
"They worked with these young men and most of them were 18-year-olds in the prison - very similar to their age and they realised they were very normal but have just made a huge error."