Empowering Rodney Youth
Rodney Youth Project, recently launched by the Rodney Local Board, is an initiative designed to provide young people with more opportunities for growth, connection, and personal development outside of traditional school settings and organised sports.
Poised to make a lasting impact on the community by empowering young people across the region, Rodney Youth Project was launched in response to local voices calling for greater youth engagement. Rodney’s vast and varied geography often means youth miss out on essential opportunities for growth, skill-building, and social connection. This initiative seeks to create new pathways to strengthen the ecosystem of support for youth, ensuring that every corner of the Rodney region has access to valuable programs and events.
The project’s approach to supporting local teens is both innovative and inclusive. By partnering with local providers, Rodney Youth Project is able to fund and offer existing programs at no cost to participants, removing financial barriers that might otherwise limit involvement and encouraging teens to try something new. Programs already underway include rangatahi kickboxing sessions at Connect Striking in Snells Beach, while new offerings like Teen Art Therapy in Wellsford and a youth kickboxing class at the Wellsford Community Centre have been funded following youth input.
Integrating the voices of the young people this initiative serves is a key focus and regularly facilitated through online surveys and community engagement. Initial feedback has prompted the board to establish the Rodney Youth Space at Shoesmith Hall in Warkworth - offering a welcoming and safe drop-in environment each Friday afternoon. The project’s coordinators, James Nicholls and Priscilla McClintock Ngawaka, facilitate free activities and a chance for teens to socialise.
Looking ahead, Rodney Youth Project’s vision is to create a robust platform for youth and program providers across the region. By connecting existing services with new initiatives, the project envisions an environment where providers can work together to address the needs of local youth more effectively, with Rodney Youth Project taking an active role in facilitating this collaboration. The platform will be supported by newsletters, networking events and training opportunities, along with a plan for an annual Rodney Youth Festival.
Community-wide celebrations of this sort are already on the calendar, starting with a pre-Christmas mini Youth Market scheduled for Friday 13 December at Shoesmith Hall. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to book a stall and sell their wares, whether that be handmade creations or second-hand goods. The festival will also feature an exhibition space for aspiring young artists and live entertainment, including DJs and mural art demonstrations.
Rodney Youth Project is more than a series of programs - it’s a commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive environment where rangatahi can thrive. Engaged youth are healthier, happier and more connected, and when young people learn the value of community involvement, the entire region reaps the rewards.
Facebook: Rodney Youth Project | www.RodneyYouth.co.nz