Kāpiti Coast District Council is to deepen its partnership with Kāpiti Youth Support through a memorandum of understanding with the organisation which is a key provider of services, programmes, and advocacy supporting rangatahi in the district.

Mayor Janet Holborow said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) cemented the Council’s long-standing relationship with the highly regarded and effective local non-government organisation.

“Our shared goal to support rangatahi in our district is the most important thing. The MOU reinforces our commitment to work together by sharing information and expertise, as well as providing tangible support to help our youth access education, employment, housing, and health.”

Kāpiti Youth Support (KYS) chief executive Raechel Osborne said KYS is a ‘one-stop shop’ for services to meet the health and wellbeing needs of Kāpiti rangatahi. KYS has been providing services over the past 25 years and has grown to meet the needs of youth in our community. These include medical and nursing services, COVID clinics and vaccinations, psychology, counselling, alcohol and drug counselling, social work, mentoring, parenting, peer support, food redistribution, transition to work, budgeting, rangatahi development and education programmes, transitional housing and alternative education.

“We believe the MOU will be a mutually beneficial arrangement as both Council and KYS share the aim of improving the lives of rangatahi in Kāpiti. Supporting rangatahi to achieve positive outcomes means the whole community benefits.

“The MOU will enable us to collaborate more closely to ensure our efforts are aligned and effective. It will provide a strong foundation for working together on future projects that will benefit rangatahi, so we are delighted Council has agreed to it,” KYS trustee Mike Styles said.

KYS received funding from Council in 2018/21 to help it successfully deliver He Kākano, an early intervention youth development programme based on mentoring, group sessions and whanau support.

It is also receiving funding for 2022/25 for Project Youth, an ongoing mentoring programme for LGBTQIA+ rangatahi aged from 10 to 18 in our district. Project Youth provides rangatahi with a sense of community, a safe place to share diverse perspectives, develop social connections and belonging with others, and support rangatahi to have the confidence to better understand and explore their own emerging identities.

Council agreed to adopt the memorandum at its meeting last week. The MOU will be signed as soon as possible.

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