Media release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, 19 May 2017

Youth Fest spearheads opportunity for Upper Hutt City’s young people

Youth Fest—a free event designed by youth for youth—will be a day full of fun, food, music, giveaways, and opportunity for Upper Hutt’s young people.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 19 MAY 2017— A group of 14 motivated Upper Hutt youth have come together to plan and run an event designed specifically for the city’s youth. The group is part of the Spearhead Leaders programme, a leadership initiative developed and supported by Upper Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust, and Vibe.

“This event is going to be awesome,” says Spearhead Leader, Ryan Hooper-Smith. “We’ve designed it so that you can come for the whole day or drop in and out during the day depending on your interests and other commitments.”

The event includes guest speakers such as Patrick Gower and Billy Graham, free workshops, opportunities to meet Labour MP Chris Hipkins, comedian Fergus Aitken, and others. Attendants can hone their artistic skills in a street art workshop, with Hutt Valley artist Chimp. There will be opportunities for young people to sign up for volunteering, win prizes donated by local business, and rock out to local bands No Sleep After Midnight and Johnny Rockets.

“If you are a young person aged 12 – 24 and you want to have fun, meet new people, try new things, and find out about leadership opportunities in Upper Hutt, you should join us at Youth Fest on Saturday, 27 May, at Upper Hutt College,” says Spearhead Leader, Louise Afele.

In addition to providing the city’s youth with all day fun, food, and music, the Youth Fest event aims to inspire and empower a youth voice and youth leadership in the city. Young people attending the event will have opportunities to contribute their thoughts and ideas about their vision for future youth leadership opportunities in Upper Hutt.

The Spearhead Leaders programme is a collaborative project between Upper Hutt City Council, and Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust. The project is funded by the Ministry of Youth Development‘s Youth Fund and Upper Hutt City Council. It is also supported by Vibe.

An image accompanies this media release

IMG_5498_SL_100x60mm_300ppi.jpg: Spearhead Leaders are excited about the upcoming Youth Fest.

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

For more information on Upper Hutt City and the City Council, go to www.upperhuttcity.com

For more information on the Spearhead Leaders and Youth Fest check out @SpearheadLeaders on Facebook or search #YouthFestUH

© Scoop Media