Free youth health clinic boost

FRESH SUCCESS: Wairarapa Youth Council members (clockwise from left) Laura Bradley, Jacob Woods, Nick Carlisle, Paighe Crossan, Ashley Marsh, Anna Patete, Melanie Tanner.

Wairarapa youth may soon have the opportunity to attend more free health clinic sessions after Youth Kinex's successful start.

Youth Kinex is a free health clinic and counselling service for youth aged 12-24.

The health clinic is open Monday and Friday from 2-5pm and counselling is available on Wednesdays from 2-5pm at 392 Queen Street. The clinic opened in May this year.

So far Youth Kinex has had great success, with all sessions filled up.

The Wairarapa Youth Council is looking into opening the clinic more than twice a week, but need more space for this to happen.

The Youth Council, run by Connecting Communities, has helped develop the clinic and acts as a representative voice for Wairarapa youth.

Masterton Medical, Compass Health, Social Sector Trial and Connecting Communities came together to create the service after the previous clinic on Cole Street was unsuccessful. Youth council member Melanie Tanner said this was because "No-one really knew about it".

Connecting Communities youth development co-ordinator Glenda Seville said the new Queen Street location in the centre of Masterton is key to Youth Kinex's success.

"We're really pleased ... it exceeded our expectations," Ms Seville said.

The Youth Council has put its time and effort into the clinic to give it "more of a youth feel," Melanie said.

Ashley Marsh, another member of the Youth Council, designed the colourful Youth Kinex logo, flyers and the board out the front of the clinic.

Overall the Youth Council members say they have only made progress and had no setbacks.

The members agreed they needed to do more promotional work to get the word out there. This work is in their current plans.