Young people in Canterbury will have another option for their spare time as Naenae Youth Charitable Trust (NYCT) announced its official partnership with the Mid Canterbury Youth Charitable Trust (MCYCT) and the Mid Canterbury Boxing Academy (MCBA).

This is the third academy based on Billy Graham’s Naenae Boxing Academy model.

It is the first academy in the national network planned outside the Wellington region.

In 2014, a team based out of the Ashburton New Life Church approached the Naenae Youth Charitable Trust with the vision of replicating Billy’s vision in their own home town.

This was done in partnership with Police to achieve the Billy Graham Youth Foundation (BGYF) vision; Vibrant, independent and responsible youth, contributing to their communities.

NYCT General Manager Kerri Graham told attendees in Ashburton on Tuesday 5 September at the official ceremony.

“We greatly respect the hard work the Mid Canterbury Youth Charitable Trust have put in over the last 3 years, getting their governance sorted, doing up the academy building and working in the community to provide a place of refuge and learning for their youth.

They have truly taken our model and made it their own.”

The original Railways Boxing Gym in Naenae and its legendary coach Dick Dunn, had a very profound effect on a young Billy Graham back in the 60s who was brought into the gym by policeman Hoppy Hodges.

The good work is now being used to change youth culture nationwide.

The initiative is supported by Police locally with Senior Sergeant Scotty Banfield seeing it as a real positive for young people in Ashburton.

Sergeant Dave Stone works for NZ Police on this initiative with a view to taking this model nationwide.

ENDS

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