Young view gives regional plan hope

Politicians, bureaucrats and the architects of a plan for Northland's wellbeing had important points to make at the policy's launch but the shy words of a young man who had chosen to leave the path to self-destruction had the biggest impact.
Whangarei MP Phil Heatley, co-chair of the Northland Intersectoral Forum and Northland District Health Board chief executive Karen Roach, Ministry Social Development regional director Graham McPherson and Lieutenant Commander Dave Casey, in charge of New Zealand Defence's youth development unit, praised the ministry's new regional plan. It aimed to encourage, create and capture positive opportunities and outcomes for at-risk people as well as the wider community, the audience heard.
The plan was strong on initiatives to support teen parents, old people, youth transition services, job opportunities, at-risk interventions, healthy lifestyles, families and strengthen communities.
These sentiments were warmly received at Friday's launch in Whangarei where the audience was made up mainly of people who worked in government and non-government social support agencies.
Then Sam Henry, the top graduate of a recent programme where at-risk youngsters went through a military-style training course, spoke - and his personal success story gave new meaning to the plan.
The Limited Service Volunteer course at Hobsonville, near Auckland, was aimed at turning around young people who were headed down the wrong path, Mr Henry said.
Before he did the LSV course, which is now built into the MSD's Northland plan, Mr Henry had been heading into a life of crime with gangs and had an infant daughter who hardly featured in his life.
"Doing the course made me open my eyes to that reality. It changed my life, it put me on the right path," he said.
"When you first get there you think they just want to hammer you, but it's not like that at all. They help you so much, they motivate you even if you don't accept what that is at first.
"Now I'm going to get on with my life and I'm going to make it something."
Mr McPherson said the regional plan focussed on more people getting into and staying in work, children being safe and young people staying on track, reduced re-offending, improved quality of life for older people and communities being better able to support themselves.
Ms Roach said the health, social and direct referral intervention policies endorsed by the intersectoral forum were designed to identify, connect with and "wrap services around people in need, working at the ground level".
"We can't afford to wait for a bureaucratic process to unfold," she said.
Referring to another initiative, Northland Community Pride now in its second year, Ms Roach said it had moved far beyond being about "crime and crashes", and was now about involving and reflecting the community.
"As a chief executive officer," she said in conclusion, "you absolutely have to believe that 'hope' is a strategy."
Mr Heatley said for the region to grow employers needed to come forward with job opportunities, for which there was some Government assistance.
"The Northland region has a number of social sector agencies working hard to assist their communities.
"It is important these organisations are supported to deliver an even greater difference," he said.