A youth organisation has received funds.
Zeal Education Trust was awarded a $19,896 grant from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) to cover the cost of salaries for Taranaki and Kāpiti youth workers. Chief executive Jesse Boyce says the funds will cover an additional 770 youth work hours.
“This helps to ensure any young person who connects with us has access to a trained youth worker. This grant will benefit not only the young people, but also the broader community surrounding them.”
The Zeal Education Trust was formed in 1998, and each year the number of rangatahi accessing Zeal increases, says Jesse.
“The last couple of years have been very challenging for our kids navigating the impacts of Covid, cost of living increases, severe weather events and more. For many young people, these events have resulted in challenging mental health outcomes, more challenging home environments and increased disconnection from positive social environments, school and whānau.”