Local Focus: The people behind Gisborne's school holiday programmes

School holiday programmes can give parents a break but they can also give children life-long benefits.

In the 1980s Gisborne YMCA had one of the very first holiday programmes in the region.

The cost to attend was about 50 cents per day.

In those days there was no teacher-to-child ratio restrictions, so up to 100 children attended.

Albeey Te-Maari attended the programme aged 10 and never expected it would lead to a job.

"When I came to the programme I made lifelong friends and we were all either ex-members of the YMCA holiday programme or grew up in it," he said.

"We all started a youth group. Then from that, I got a job opportunity.

"It really does build friendships, that whakawhanaungatanga that is really important."

After being a team leader and working in the programme for seven years, Te-Maari sees the benefit of the service for both parents and tamariki.

"I think it is a really important service, especially in this time when parents have just come out of Covid and they want to go to work to get some money," he said.

"So they can get to their jobs and not worry about their kids, because they are doing fun activities."

Shannon O'Connor runs a holiday programme at Rangiwaho Marae.

After spending a decade working in the technology industry, she retrained as a primary school teacher and worked at Te Wharau School for three years.

Nowadays she is the director of Tōnui Collab.

"Tōnui Collab is committed to creating equitable opportunities to see more Māori and Pacifika across the STEMM fields science, technology, engineering, and maths, and we are committed to that through a matauranga lens," she said.

"So we create these experiences where tamariki and rangatahi can experience STEMM through the exploration of pūrākau Māori."

The programme is run about 20 minutes south of the Gisborne, with 30 attending.

"Tamariki are getting exposed to virtual reality. They are getting an opportunity to explore the taiao out here at Rangiwaho, and then take that learning and create their virtual world experiences."

O'Connor's aspiration is that tamariki will see technology as a potential pathway

"So they might consider exploring technology at secondary school, that they may take on apprenticeships, or enter university in the tech fields, that they see themselves as creators and not just consumers of tech, that they ultimately see an opportunity to create technology through an indigenous lens."

Gisborne gymnastics coach Nicola Ludwig enjoys the holidays because it gives her a chance to come up with innovative things for children to enjoy.

"What I love about the holidays, is we can be really creative, try new things, and adapt to the times with what kids really want."

Ludwig moved to Gisborne in 1999 from Germany.

"My dream was to always become a coach. I wanted to become like my coach back in Germany, being a mother to all the kids coming through the door and helping them fulfil their dreams."

The club has seen a big resurgence under Ludwig's watch, now more than 40 classes a week; from the under-2s tiny tumblers class through to senior and competitive gymnastics.

"We've got some quite talented kids in our gym and we hope to bring them all the way to senior level, and maybe all the way to step 10, which is the highest in New Zealand," she said.

Gisborne's Childers Road Reserve has hosted a multitude of football matches over the years, locally, nationally, and internationally.

During the school holidays it hosts the Central Football holiday programme where football fanatics sharpen their skills.

Central Football community development officer Lee Smith said the holiday programme covered "the recreation side of things".

"We do like to offer a mixed programme that has a lot of player development, that can build their skills up, and it has to be fun as well."

Smith relocated his family to Gisborne when he took up the role nine months ago and said he is pleased more girls are playing football.

"We've got three or four schools who are entering all-girls teams into the junior competition this year.

"We have a record number of girls playing in Superleague which is fantastic, and all it really needs is for somebody to show some enthusiasm."