A Mangonui youth group has earned high praise from Far North mayor John Carter for its service to its community.
Doubtless Bay Christian Centre held a three-day Youthserve camp at Coopers Beach recently, with 17 teenagers from the Doubtless Bay and Kaitaia areas carrying out the 'helping our community' mantra.
While at the camp the 13-17-year-olds did odd jobs for elderly residents of Doubtless Bay, visited residents at Whangaroa Health Trust's Kauri Lodge nursing home in Kaeo, picked up rubbish at beaches and streets from Taipa to Mangonui and hosted a free afternoon tea for the people they helped.
Camp organiser and youth and community worker Karen McAllister said she organised the camp to encourage the group's members to think less of their own needs and more of the needs of others. "I wanted our teens to get into the community and to show God's love by helping other people," Ms McAllister said.
Mr Carter praised the centre for running the camp and for providing youth with constructive and character-building activities during the summer holidays. "This is a really great community initiative that I would encourage other groups in the Far North to consider running during future holiday periods," Mr Carter said. "It was a pleasure to meet such happy, well-mannered teenagers who are a credit to their families and to the Doubtless Bay Christian Centre."