End of the pathway?

Tamaki Pathways Trust has a 10-year record of steering at-risk kids away from a life of crime. But the organisation fears for its future, reports Sean Gillespie.
Lorraine Gray has been taking her 16-year-old daughter, Venus, to Tamaki Pathways since January.
Venus was referred to the trust by a youth aid officer who saw her potential to reform. The then-15-year-old had been caught up in stealing, truancy, fighting, drinking in public and had rolled a car while driving without a licence.
Six months into her weekly one-on-one advocacy sessions, Venus has changed from having little concern for her future into an aspiring hairdresser who's well into her carefully-composed three-year plan.
Lorraine, from Meadowbank, says a lot of kids like Venus will backslide into crime and jail without advocacy and mentoring from the trust.
"If the funding's not there, there are going to be a lot of families like us that are going to struggle and not succeed," she says. "The trust needs that sort of funding for our children, especially children today."
The trust's success with troubled youth isn't in question. There are clear records showing an impressive drop in reoffending by kids it's helped and, during its 10-year history, it has consistently outperformed contract targets set by its  Government funders.
However, two major funders, the ministries of justice and police, this month cancelled their $80,000 combined contribution after Government policy shifted from youth issues.
The trust hopes to get grants from the Ministry of Social Development and Te Puni Kokiri through the coming Fresh Start and Whanau Ora schemes. But this is far from certain and could happen only late this year.
Tamaki Pathway's executive director, Atawhai Morgan, is unimpressed and worried.
"If we are not successful with the new funding pools, it would basically mean closure."
She is disappointed by the process. "If we managed a project like they've managed the transition," she says, "we wouldn't be given a second look at."
When the trust first learned of the coming funding shortfall midway through last year, it contacted the Government.
The Ministry of Justice responded with a six-month transition grant but, like the Ministry of Police, it was hamstrung by policy preventing it from assisting further.
Annette King, Labour Party spokeswoman for social development, is highly critical of ministries cutting their youth-issues funding before other options are available.
She pins the problem on the Government's poor implementation of Whanau Ora which will take over several ministries' youth issues responsibilities. The scheme was expected to begin on July 1, but has been pushed back leaving groups such as Tamaki Pathways out in the cold.
"It's a signal of the Government's rushed approach to policy development," she says.
The Aucklander sought Government comment about the funding gap, but the issue crosses different ministries and ministers' offices and each referred us to others.
Making good
When Judge  Peter Boshier saw the same people repeatedly coming through the Youth Court 10 years ago he decided something needed to be done.
With help from community groups, he set up the Tamaki Pathways Trust. Since then, the trust has mentored a long run of 8- to 16-year-olds, many from violent homes.
Today, Government funding issues aren't the trust's only problem - the recession walloped the charitable organisation twice. First, there was a spike in referrals from low income families struggling financially. Second, a big chunk of funding from the community dried up.
Tamaki Pathways needs about $300,000 in annual funding,  $150,000 of it from the community.
The trust  hopes  to attract 1000 people to donate a lump sum of $250 each or 15 weekly payments of $20. To contribute, ph 527 8810.