Youth Council initiative receives support from MYD

An initiative to set up a Thames-Coromandel Youth Council will receive $20,000 under the 2015 Youth Development Partnership Fund.

The money will go towards providing leadership and volunteer training for youth and to establish the Youth Council and will support a youth voice within the arts strategy project.

"TCDC and the Coromandel Youth Collective are pleased that MYD (Ministry of Youth Development) has given the Coromandel an opportunity to partner with youth and develop a youth council," says Marlene Perry, our Council's Thames Community Development Officer.

"This allows them to gain a youth voice within the arts strategy and to be able to have gatherings where volunteers are able to meet community organisations that need volunteers," she says.

We are currently collecting data as to what type of volunteering youth would like to participate in, and to carry that forward to implementation will be great for the 2015/2016 year.

The Youth Collective will be meeting in July to plan the year's programme which will include all wards of the Coromandel.

Thames Fire Service brings it for YES Programme

For the 18 participants in the Thames-Coromandel YES (Youth in Emergency Services) Programme, the month of June has been action packed, and thanks to the Thames Volunteer Fire Fighters, last weekend was smokin'.

The 18 youth, aged between 16 and 25, signed up to learn more about what it means to be a volunteer for the emergency services, and haven't been disappointed.

The young volunteers spent their Sunday cutting up cars, putting out fires and 'rescuing' victims from the smoke tent. They even got a chance to show Scott Simpson, MP for Coromandel, how to use a fire extinguisher.

After lunch the team set up a dam and got the portable pump out to test their hose skills before the kitchen fire safety display.

And it wasn't only the youth who enjoyed the weekend, "It was awesome, even after 35 years of service a day like that makes you feel so humble," says Senior Station Officer, Shane Bromley.

"Watching the students become so engaged in supporting their community is what makes this a great programme. And hats off to the volunteer fire fighters, their commitment was above and beyond what was asked of them."

Youth in Emergency Services sees the group participate every week in an introductory training programme, followed by a day of putting those skills into practice. Already this month the group have learned first aid skills and how to deal with a mass casualty incident with St John.

This week they are off to Thames LandSAR and then Civil Defence before graduating on 28 June after participating in a multi-agency, major emergency event.

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