Funding supports young people to make good choices

More than 30 groups have received funding amounting to almost $300,000 from the Wellington Community Trust so far this year.

The health and wellbeing of the young people has been a focus of the funding to groups in the Hutt Valley over the last 3 months. ‘Supporting young people to make good choices in their lives makes life better for everyone. The funding we provide helps these groups to make a positive impact in their communities,’ comments Mark Cassidy, Chief Executive.

When Birthright Hutt Valley’s computer, used by one of their social workers, stopped working it put their record-keeping at risk. Manager, Christine Prince comments, ‘We provide a lot of support services to single parents and a computer is essential in managing our large case workload. Many of the families also struggle to provide extra activities for their children. Funding for a new computer might seem like a small thing, but without it we can’t keep track of everyone and the help we are providing to them.’

Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) is a charity that operates throughout New Zealand. However schools in the Hutt Valley and Wellington are not as well represented as students from other areas. Funding from the Wellington Community Trust will help students get to the lower North Island training conference in April where they will learn how to give workshops and run programmes in their schools to help reduce injuries and deaths involving young drivers.

Michelle Bouton, the fundraising Manager for SADD says, ‘We’re aiming to get two students from each active school in the area to attend. The funding ensures that no one has to meet the full cost of the conference and it will really help us to get more Hutt Valley schools involved in our programme.’

In early May, X-roads, a five-day expo being organised by Safe Hutt Valley, will reinforce the same messages. Graham Smeaton, Chair of Hutt Safe City Trust, one of the contributing organisations,notes, ‘Drink driving in the Hutt Valley continues to be a concern to our community. Drivers under the age of 20 make up 24 per cent of the all driving offences where alcohol or drugs has been a factor. The expo will encourage students to make sensible and safe choices whether they are the passenger or the driver in a car.’

Wellington Community Trust is helping to fund the event which will offer a range of activities aimed at helping teenagers to understand the risks associated with driving, alcohol and drugs.

ENDS

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