City youth share ideas for community programmes

Terina Strickland, 10, was among the youngsters to scribble down their ideas for youth programmes in the City Focus. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's youth have filled a roll of paper with ideas for future rangatahi programmes.

Organiser Debbie Potaka said there was still a chance today for young people to share their ideas - and get a free sausage at the same time.

Ms Potaka will be in the City Focus from 9am to 3pm again today, after collecting more than 400 messages yesterday.

"It's about listening to them [young people]," she said.

"There are lots of programmes designed by adults but it's about empowering them to maybe run their own projects for this year and in the future. There's no right or wrong answer."

Ms Potaka was spurred into action following the Boxing Day brawl in the CBD. She organised a community meeting and the quest for feedback is the first step.

The ideas will be presented to the group at its next meeting on January 28.

Among the ideas listed were indoor basketball, PlayStation and Xbox games, paintball, bush walks, music sessions, indoor art spaces and buses to the lake.

Some of the messages written included the need for positive role models and for bullying to be stopped.

"It's been a success already," Ms Potaka said of the 400 message and 400 sausages given away.