Northland teen excels on Police Blue Light Course

Cleaning up New Zealand's beaches - Phinesse Henare-Wineti and her fellow Police Blue Light Life Skills participants signal their disgust at the amount of trash collected.

A Northland teen is on track for a career in the armed forces after excelling at a Police Blue Light camp.

Topuni teenager Phinesse Henare-Wineti, 17, won the Peer's Choice Award win at Blue Light's Life Skills programme held at Whenuapai Airforce base last month.

"I stepped into my next pathway for my future," Henare-Wineti said as she reflected on her award.

Voting by her peers, along with Defence Force and Blue Light staff, saw her win the Peers' Choice Award.

"I went in there thinking that I just needed to get through the week and stay true to who I am. I ended up enjoying it and getting inspired. Helping people along the way made me feel different," Henare-Wineti said.

Blue Light Life Skills Co-ordinator Abbe-Mae Henry said Henare-Wineti earned the Peers' Choice Award through her efforts to foster a team environment, giving encouragement and being respectful in communication with fellow team members.

Reviewing Officer Senior Constable Atawhai Henare from Whangārei Police Station presents Phinesse Henare-Wineti with her Peers' Choice Award.

Helen Gwyn, Henare-Wineti's tutor, said: "I am so grateful for the imparting of a dream inside of Phinesse to serve in the Defence Force, but bigger than that a dream of believing in herself again. That is a gift that will change her future."

The highly successful programme has been run by New Zealand Blue Light in partnership with NZ Defence Force for the past 12 years and has adventure-based experiential learning as a key part of the programme.

The programme provides 14- to 17-year-olds with critical life skills such as self-development, self-control and teamwork participation that will enable them to be successful at home, school, in communities and in employment.

As part of last month's course, participants cleaned up a beach and they were shocked at the levels of trash collected.

Up to 12 courses are held each year at Auckland, the central North Island and Burnham locations.

For more information about the Blue Light Life Skills camps visit www.bluelight.co.nz