Kaitaia youth space opens

Kaitaia Youth Space Pictured L-R: Wiremu Britton-Rua, Moshardannette Ryder, Hinemora Tipene, Willa McCartney.

Kaitaia youth will now have a safe place to talk or chill where this is food on the stove, activities and help.

Te Hiku Hauora applied for Te Puni Kokiri funding in April to open a youth drop-in centre after health promotion manager Cathy Murray-Cherrington attended a hui at Whangape, called by kaumatua after 11 people had died from suspected suicides in the area over the past 15 years.

On Thursday Te Hiku Hauora, with community support, opened that drop-in centre.

Hinemoa Tipene, 25, is the drop-in centre's youth kaimahi and said she is "excited" that Kaitaia has somewhere youth can go.

"It isn't just a place for the youth, it's an opportunity for services to work together and for our community to band together," she said.

Nina Griffiths, 18, has been an active suicide-prevention campaigner in the town and has been calling for a youth space in Kaitaia. She even won a $10,000 AMP scholarship to restart a youth space as the previous space was a pop-up youth space which had run out of funding.

Miss Griffiths said it was "about time" Kaitaia had a youth space.

Ms Tipene said the centre will be a place where there's food on the stove and activities will be organised for youth. She said the community and community organisations will have the opportunity to share their wisdom with whanau visiting their centre.

"They might want to teach them how to play the guitar or to make takakau bread, or any other skills they might want to pass on. Staff/community volunteers will be fully informed of the services in the community which they can link youth too," said Ms Tipene.

The drop-in centre, at 4B Redan Rd, has a lounge area/chill zone and second room which can be made into another relaxing zone. There is a full kitchen, a kitchenette and an office.

The challenge will be keeping the doors open.

"At this stage funding of the "drop-in centre" has been from Te Puni Kokiri. We are inviting local businesses to come on board and support us. We will do as much as we can to make this space permanent; continued funding is essential to keep the doors open and the centre staffed," said Ms Tipene.