Kickboxing, karaoke, DIY dumplings and art are among a range of free activities aimed at teenagers now being offered in Warkworth, Snells Beach and Wellsford, thanks to a new Rodney Local Board initiative. The Rodney Youth Project is a two-pronged programme aimed at giving youth something to do outside of school and sports, comprising regular free activities across the region and a new dedicated drop-in youth space in Warkworth. Youth development coordinator Priscilla McClintock Ngawaka says the project is very much youth-led and focused on tailoring activities to different areas to suit the diversity of needs across the region.
“We hope to provide something new and innovative for teens who want to make more friends, try something other than sport and/or those who just need something to do,” she says. “We really want this initiative to support youth-led ideas and projects, so we would like to encourage young people to come forward and tell us what they think is missing in Rodney for them.” She says results from early drop-in sessions and an online survey have shown that teens are keen for new and innovative activities that are not readily available to them currently, such as art workshops and food prep tutorials or team challenges.
“We have had a wide range of feedback and what is not surprising is that youth in different areas have different needs. For example, we had a very strong response from Wellsford youth, but a main concern of theirs was transport and the ab.