Senior constable Russ Smith is stepping back from the vibrant centre and community he has helped build in Marlborough for the past 25 years.

The Blenheim community constable has served as a chairman and trustee of the Marlborough Youth Trust for a quarter of a century, and was instrumental in creating the trust’s MySpace youth centre.

Smith was celebrated by supporters of the trust at a special farewell morning tea at MySpace on Wednesday.

Sonitani Kula, youth worker for the Marlborough Pasifika Trust, which made use of the space, said there would be no Marlborough Youth Trust without Smith.

“Youth work has been a lifelong dream career of mine.

“To be able to enter it ... was only possible because there was a village that was willing to stand behind me that was led by Russ.”

Members described Smith as the humble and calm “anchor” of the trust, and a dedicated advocate for the youth of Marlborough.

“It’s definitely not just me,” Smith said.

“I’m just one of the little cogs in a big, big machine.

“Without the support of our wonderful trustees, and all the work that goes into this organisation [...] it just wouldn’t happen.”

The MySpace centre opened in 2019 as a place for youth to meet and connect with each other.

Smith, who was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for his community work, described the opening of the centre as his most “joyful” moment.

“We’d probably worked on that for at least 10 years, trying to convince [Marlborough District] Council and all the organisations that were invested in us that this was definitely something that was needed,” he said.

Smith said the MySpace Youth Centre was one of the best youth spaces in the country.

“Our youth love it because it can go from a meeting space, to a play space, to a study space.”

Smith planned to enjoy the “sunset years” of his job as Community Constable, and would continue to support the trust as a friend and volunteer.

The council owned the MySpace building on the corner of Kinross St and Redwood St and covered the cost of the lease for the youth trust.

“We pushed for this one for a long time, and if it wasn’t for Russell it wouldn’t have happened,” said former Marlborough District councillor Graeme Barsanti.

“I remember him coming to council,” Barsanti said. “And we kind of stood around him. Two policemen and a couple of other policemen at the back were dragged in, and we made it work.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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