Youth ready to rave

Wairarapa youth will be painting the town all kinds of colours tomorrow with a Youth Week-inspired paint rave.

Young people will be gathering from 2pm at the Masterton skatepark, and have been told to come in old clothes and be prepared to be covered head to toe in paint.

Masterton Youth Council members Chelsea Bull and Sian Chapman say parents don't need to worry though - the Fire Service are coming along to hose them down afterward.

The Chanel College students say the event will be "messy but fun", and that it is about loving who you are, which fits in with this year's Youth Week theme "Love the Skin You're In".

Chelsea says the theme is especially relevant to Wairarapa's young people. "With the recent suicides here it's important that people know and love who they are, because bad things like that happen when you don't."

Sian says even if sometimes if feels like others don't, it's important to love yourself.

The girls say depression is one of the big issues for Wairarapa youth, along with negative talk and bullying.

Both say that cyber-bullying is no different from any other kind.

Link'd youth mentor Cherie McNamara says while the paint rave is mostly to get under-18s having fun, it's also about the Youth Week-theme.

"Everyone needs to learn the value of loving themselves, and it's especially important for our youth to build confidence."

The paint rave starts at 2pm at Masterton skatepark with live music, then the paint explosion, followed by a sausage sizzle on the green from 5pm to 7pm.

-Youth Week runs to Sunday, more information on www.facebook.com/YouthWeek.