Hāwea Flat School's bike park project

Hāwea’s new bike park/pump track was opened on 9 October 2023 to the great delight of the local tamariki.

Hāwea Flat School has witnessed significant growth in the past few years, with its student roll reaching 320 in 2023. To accommodate the increasing numbers, the school had to construct eight additional classrooms. This expansion, however, meant removing the original bike park that was on the school grounds - a space not only valued by the school but also frequented by the local community after school hours.

Responding to this change, the Hāwea Community Association investigated installing another bike park/pump track in Hāwea Flat at Long Grass Place, but it was decided that keeping the track at the school site would be most beneficial for the community.

Following consultation with over 60 local families and track-building firm Dirt Dynamics, the new bike park includes one sealed and two dirt pump tracks to cater to biking enthusiasts of all levels. CLT provided $48,000 towards the building of the 150m sealed pump track and the overall landscaping of the area.

While the bike park is a great recreational asset, it also provides learning opportunities for the community. Hāwea Flat School already collaborates with the Good to go BikeReady Cycle skills training programme and is looking into further opportunities with Wānaka Whānau – WORD and Bike Squad to name a few.

The Hāwea Flat School bike park project exemplifies community resilience and adaptability. It reflects a practical approach to change, ensuring that a valued communal space endures even in the face of uncertainties.

GRAEME DINGLE FOUNDATION SOUTHLAND

The Graeme Dingle Foundation run a Stars Adventure Camp and Community Adventure annually at Wakatipu High School. The Foundation is about empowering children to overcome life’s obstacles.

Stars is a secondary school programme that enhances school culture and develops valuable life skills for both junior and senior ākonga. The programme uses positive youth development practices to engage and connect rangatahi to their school and community.

Stars incorporates the tuakana-teina (older guiding younger) mentoring structure. This involves the senior students building on their leadership capability and skills by supporting the year nine students through their first year of secondary school. The buddy system supports tuakana to increase confidence, develop problem solving skills and build resilience. It also strengthens positive bonds in the school community and helps teina transition positively into their new school.

The adventure camp component of the Stars programme challenges rangatahi to step outside of their comfort zone, build confidence and form bonds with other students.

The community adventure component of the Stars programme aims to engage students with their local community. Wakatipu High ākonga were encouraged to explore the local services, resources,
and opportunities available to
them through fun activities. This
year showcased three important organisations in the region that each ran a lesson in an interactive format: New Zealand Police (Citizenship); Search & Rescue (Wellbeing/Safety); and Wakatipu Youth Trust (Resilience).

CROMWELL YOUTH TRUST

Central Lakes Trust provide operational funding support to four youth trusts within our region. This year, we look at the growth and success of Cromwell Youth Trust.

The youth trust is about creating a community where young people are being encouraged and supported to take up challenges. Over the past couple of years the Trust has seen significant change to cater to its growing demand.

Cromwell itself and the surrounding areas are experiencing record population and development growth. In just 12 months the demands on the youth trust have doubled. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new pressures to our community and over time we will see the impact on our youth - our future leaders.

To cater to this increased demand, the team has grown to four full-time staff - including a manager, youth programme coordinator and youth workers, and most recently employment of a dedicated youth
counsellor and a social worker in schools.
The numbers throughout all their programmes have increased and new
initiatives are being introduced:

• ‘The Hangout’ (youth drop in centre) has continued to see increases in numbers attending after school (up from 2,629 in 2019 to 5,623 in 2021).

• Youth development programmes, including Brew like a Barista, Cooking around the World, Choose to Reuse, Expand your Horizons, iFly Skydiving and Into the Wild have seen a 232% increase in participation compared to 2020.

• Holiday programmes (75% increase compared to 2020) one-on-one mentoring, counselling, community events, youth workers in schools, breakfast programme, Cromwell Youth Council and Rainbow group.

• Total engagement numbers have increased to 6,275 up from 4,405 over the past 12 months.