Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate, PM, CE Kirikiriroa Family Services Trust Dr Nicole Coupe. Photo / Supplied
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate, PM, CE Kirikiriroa Family Services Trust Dr Nicole Coupe. Photo / Supplied
A new rangatahi hub designed by youth officially opens its doors this morning with a celebratory game of basketball with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Named ‘Kimi Manaakitanga’ by cultural lead Tame Pokaia, the Play.Stay.Grow Hub will be open 24/7 in Hamilton’s central city and overseen by Kirikiriroa Family Services Trust.
The pro-social pathway for youth brings to life their “wishlist” for a music room, art room, media/gaming room, Zen/zone-out room, pool table and outdoor basketball court featuring a fence line decorated with graffiti art by rangatahi.
It seeks to reconnect rangatahi with a sense of identity and belonging, strengthen their feelings of security within themselves and cultivate more resiliency to meet the challenges of life.
“Within our region, a number of our rangatahi post-Covid have not been able to re-engage back in school, which has left them quite disenfranchised within our community,” says Dr Nicole Coupe, chief executive of Kirikiriroa Family Services.
She believes the key to counter the disconnection from the education system, employment and social interactions is rangatahi being in the driver’s seat to determine their own solutions with wrap-around support.
“We’ve involved our tamariki and rangatahi in the design of this programme so they have a voice and can govern it as much as possible. We’re just there to enable that to occur.”
The hub was designed by youth, for youth.
“They’re the leaders – they’ll work out what they need, how they need it, when they need it and why they need it.”
The kaupapa Māori service is partly funded through Hamilton City Council’s crime prevention initiatives and backed by Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate and Hamilton City Area Commander Inspector Andrea McBeth.
“I am thrilled that we are opening an innovative, early-intervention hub that will work to support our youth. We are a young city, and we want our rangatahi to be supported to thrive and to reach their full potential,” said Southgate.
Hamilton City Area Commander Inspector Andrea McBeth is excited to see this facility open to young people in the community.
“Our rangatahi will know there is a safe place for them to go any time of the day or night if they are facing challenging circumstances, need support or want to connect with their neighbourhoods.”
The facility will also support police to find suitable, supportive and safe places to house young people who may be at risk or in unsafe environments, and then offer wrap-around services.
“We all want our young people to thrive. And we need partnerships to do this. This is an example of agencies with mutual interests in our city working together to create a space for our youth that they can enjoy, and that will support them to make positive choices,” McBeth said.
The hub has been 23 years in the making for Kirikiriroa Family Services, as the organisation saved and scouted for the right site to start the service. The plan is for rangatahi to govern the management, maintenance and future-forward focus of the kaupapa.
Dr Nicole Coupe, chief executive of Kirikiriroa Family Services. Photo / Supplied
Coupe says Kimi Manaakitanga offers rangatahi freedom to create what gives them joy, a safe place to put their head down and rest and opportunities for growth – whether that’s towards employment, going back to school or improving their cultural connection.
“Success looks as simple as smiles on our rangatahi faces. Seeing them walking proud on our streets and not hiding under hoodies. Engaging positively because they’re happy, healthy and getting what they need in the world,” she said.
The official opening will take place at 10.30am at 79 Norton Road in Frankton, Hamilton.
