A national not-for-profit youth development organisation that has been operating since 1932 has arrived in Hawke's Bay, offering selected schools sport, outdoor and leadership opportunities alongside students' regular schooling.
In the last three months Hawke's Bay born and bred Jess Gates started offering the programme including sports, outdoors and leadership activities and a Youthtown Ohakune Snow Camp in the July school holidays, she said.
As well as a strong background in physical literacy with schools Ms Yates had represented Hawke's Bay, as well as Massey University and Palmerston North, in both volleyball and football.
She said she was excited to be back in Hawke's Bay again, working with schools to help build the skills and knowledge of as many 5- to 18-year-olds as possible.
When working in the schools, Youthtown partnered with the likes of Sport Hawke's Bay to offer its programmes, as well as running inter-school tournaments.