4 days Ago By No Author
Kickboxing, karaoke, DIY dumplings and art are among a range of free activities aimed at teenagers now being offered in Warkworth, Snells Beach and Wellsford, thanks to a new Rodney Local Board initiative. The Rodney Youth Project is a two-pronged programme aimed at giving youth something to do outside of school and sports, comprising regular free activities across the region and a new dedicated drop-in youth space in Warkworth. Youth development coordinator Priscilla McClintock Ngawaka says the project is very much youth-led and focused on tailoring activities to different areas to suit the diversity of needs across the region.
“We hope to provide something new and innovative for teens who want to make more friends, try something other than sport and/or those who just need something to do,” she says. “We really want this initiative to support youth-led ideas and projects, so we would like to encourage young people to come forward and tell us what they think is missing in Rodney for them.” She says results from early drop-in sessions and an online survey have shown that teens are keen for new and innovative activities that are not readily available to them currently, such as art workshops and food prep tutorials or team challenges.
“We have had a wide range of feedback and what is not surprising is that youth in different areas have different needs. For example, we had a very strong response from Wellsford youth, but a main concern of theirs was transport and the ability to access Warkworth easily for events, so we are planning on bringing workshops and events to them in local venues.” One of the first of these could be free kickboxing classes next term, which are already being run every Friday afternoon in Snells Beach (see panel), or art sessions for teens.
Meanwhile, the new Rodney Youth Space for 14 to 18 year olds opened last month at Shoesmith Hall in Warkworth, and is held every Friday afternoon from 3.30pm to 6pm. McClintock Ngawaka says the aim is for the space to be somewhere teens can drop in to try new activities or just be with people their own age – this month, activities include making sushi, soup and dumplings, as well as painting, upcycling and baking.
“We plan to always have one activity available and one cooking-based activity every session, along with sports equipment, board games and free wifi for those who just want to hang out,” she says. There are plans to start a second session for 12 to 14-year-olds later this year, as well as special events in the school holidays. At this stage, the Rodney Youth Project is a one-year trial funded by the local board combining its $60,000 youth budget with a one-off regional crime prevention fund of $67,591.
McClintock Ngawaka says an important aim of the initiative is to build youth activity provision in Rodney by developing a strong network of facilitators, programmes and venues that can support the project into the future. “We have started by funding a couple of existing activities to remove financial barriers and allow youth to give them a go, such as free kickboxing in Snells and teen art classes in Kumeu,” she says. “We are very keen to involve local facilitators to run workshops across Rodney.
Some ideas from our youth survey include local artists or musicians who have experience working with youth, in areas such as Maori art, performance, lighting and audio workshops; local chefs who are interested in teaching cooking classes; and also local role models who could be guest speakers.” Teens are also being encouraged to take leadership roles by helping to run events and activities. The fledgling youth space at Shoesmith is also looking for good quality sports equipment, such as a foldable table tennis table, volley ball net and balls, and the team is keen to host student bands, too.
Info and survey: visit or email Rodney Youth drop-in space for youth aged 14 to18. Activities, food, games, free wifi Shoesmith Hall, Shoesmith Reserve 3.30-6pm every Friday Free Muay Thai kickboxing classes for youth aged 14 to 18 Connect Striking, Mahurangi Shopping Centre, 280 Mahurangi East Road 4.
30-6pm every Friday Free kickboxing classes Wellsford Community Centre Starting Term 4, details tbc.
