This year’s annual youth grant funding round has seen 10 young individuals and a basketball team receive financial support to help them achieve their dreams.

Administered by the Hastings Youth Council, $3000 was available this year for allocation to teenagers aged between 13 and 19 who needed a helping hand to reach their goals.

The recipients represented a wide variety of fields of endeavour, and were granted $250 each, with the group application from the Paul Henare & Paora Winitana Basketball Academy allocated $500.

The basketball team sought funding to support them to pay for a trip to the United States to play and attend various training events.

Among the individuals, funding was granted for sporting pursuits such as tennis, netball, volleyball and dance, as well as academic, drama and aviation goals.

Friends and family attended a ceremony to award the grants where the recipients gave empowering speeches about their goals and aspirations.

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she was incredibly proud to hear about the efforts and contributions young people made to the community.

“This youth council initiative has enabled and supported many of our youth in their life journey. It was great to see the youth council being able to acknowledge and recognise some of our high achievers.”

This year’s grant recipients:

Name Funding purpose/goal

Adam Ioane, 18, Flaxmere College Attend university to pursue robotic engineering

Anna Gilmour, 16, HGHS Study drama through Trinity College

Sophie Ward, 13, Hav Intermediate Undergo elite tennis coaching

Asher Grapes, 17, HGHS Training for the 2019 Waikato/BOP Beko netball team

Tyla-Rose Halton, 18, Karamu Social work and Maori Indigenous university studies

Felicity Keane, 17, HNHS Attend Australasian Volleyball Schools Cup, Melbourne

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Jemma Moffitt, 13, Here Int World junior dance champs in Mexico with Rezpect Dance Academy

Jena Gregory, 15, HNHS Represent NZ at junior squash world championship

Oliver Taylor, 17, HNHS Study aviation, become airline pilot

Sam Gilbert, 16, HNHS Attend national age group football tournament, Wellington

Paul Henare & Paora Winitana Bball Academy Travel to USA to play and train

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