Watch NZH Local Focus: $50k will 'barely touch the sides'

Kaysha Brownlie

It can be difficult to walk away from drugs, alcohol and crime, especially when your family is embroiled in the gang lifestyle.

But that's exactly what Newton Gillies did.

"It's really self-rewarding walking this positive pathway," Mr Gillies says.

He now supports a $50,000 government initiative steering other young people away from the childhood he had.

"As I was growing up it was hard to see there was any positive future for me. My childhood was just surrounded by gangs, alcohol, drugs."

Patu Gym co-founder Levi Armstrong says it will help others realise their potential too.

Mr Armstrong's father, as well as some other relatives, belong to a gang and he emulated some of their values in his own sort of gang at Patu, a gym which focuses on bettering lives through an active lifestyle.

He says he is in conversation with the government about programmes and funding similar to this latest announcement.

Acting Youth Minister Anne Tolley says the $50,000 will help break the cycle of intergenerational gang life and welfare dependence in the region.

But it's only available to around 20 people. And Youth Worker Adrian Pritchard says this will only scratch the surface.

"20 people, no, man, the cops arrest just 20 people on a Saturday night, there needs to be a lot more," Mr Pritchard says.

He is not alone in his reservations, Flaxmere councillor Henare O'Keefe says a long term plan is needed.

Although well-intentioned, he says the money barely touches the sides and more importance should be placed on whanau and parenting skills.

Mrs Tolley expects participants' parents will be actively engaged in the various programmes.

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