YOUTH WEEK 2011

Once again the Taskforce, in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth Development, provided funding for Youth Councils to run events during Youth Week. This year the theme “STEP UP! Be heard Take Responsibility, Be YOUth” was for young people to take responsibility for having their voices heard. Forty-seven grants were provided to forty Councils (7 to the new Auckland Council in recognition of the former 7 authorities). Some great events were held, with young people as always being creative and inventive.

The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs has really enjoyed being part of Youth Week. From humble beginnings in 2008 when 18 Mayors applied for funding to support their Youth Council and/or Youth Reference Group’s chosen activity to celebrate Youth Week, there were 40 applications this year. Young people are part of every community in Aotearoa and we therefore encourage all Mayors to put the establishment of a Youth Council, if one does not already exist in their area, high on the agenda.

The chosen projects during this year’s Youth Week have shown that young people do care a great deal about others in their communities and want to make a difference. The reports show examples of our young people viewing the world through a more ‘social’ lens:

Raising funds for the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund
Raising funds through a 40 Hour Famine or similar style format
Investing time to redecorate a community house that provides emergency shelter and temporary housing for women and their children who find themselves at risk or without a roof over their heads. Young people often stay there because their home life is not safe or they have issues they need to work through.
Further development of community gardens which are an extension of home and family gardens - a place where all the skills of growing herbs, vegetables, composting, worm farming, recycling and relearning the skills of creating family meals from basic gardening are practiced, along with the basics of general gardening, the value of a glasshouse and the planting of bushes and trees. This project is catering for human skills and economic realities.

Young people are the most precious resource in any community. The communities Mayors lead today, our young people will lead tomorrow – so what will the legacy be? Let it be one of positive and forward thinking actions, so our young people can move forward with pride, passion and enthusiasm.

Youth Week 2011 Report

The Youth Week 2011 Report, where you can read about all the events held during a week designed to celebrate our youth, will be available in August..