Sanctuary for youth and families

The Southern Wairarapa Safer Community Council's new building has been both blessed by a bishop and opened by a brand new Member of Parliament.

The council and St Mark's Carterton have joined forces to work with Wairarapa youth and, to honour their collaboration, the council has moved into one of the church's buildings on High St.

The council hosted a blessing ceremony for the new building yesterday, presided over by Bishop of Wellington Justin Duckworth and St Mark's vicar Rev. Jenny Chalmers.

The building was officially opened by new Wairarapa MP Alastair Scott, in his first public appearance since his election night victory.

Mr Duckworth declared the council's new building should be set apart for "a sacred purpose" - that is, the "sacred work" of caring for young people and their families.

In his blessing, he prayed the council staff receive guidance and wisdom in their work, and that they be "blessed with knowing injustice, oppression and anger, so they can work for justice, equality and peace."

In his speech, Mr Scott - who Mr Duckworth joked had been let out of the Beehive for "good behaviour" - praised the "team effort" of St Marks and the council to "make the community strong."

"It's really positive that these guys are working together to help those who have fallen through the cracks," he said.

"It's better when our community work together - rather than beating each other up, trying to win and staying in silos."

Mr Scott, who is doing a Parliamentary induction course with his fellow new National MPs, told the Times-Age he enjoyed attending "such a positive event" after a "frantic" week in the Beehive.

Council manager Tere Lenihan said she and Rev Chalmers had been planning on working together with youth for some time.

"We were thinking a lot about how we, as organisations, can co-exist - and how the church community can reach the young people we [the council] represent.

"Involving St Mark's will help expose our young people to different kinds of cultures, and allow them to be supported by people other than our team," she said.

The council serves Wairarapa youth and their families through programmes such as Life to the Max, Big Brother, Big Sister, Alternate Education Carterton and the Rangatahi to Rangatira youth group.