Rangatahi — building the future

Awhi te Rangatahi, a competition to ignite fun for youth, was created with the purpose of providing a platform to encourage rangatahi-led events to get active.

Fittingly, the winning applicants found out the good news in time to start planning during Youth Week 2022, a week focused on amplifying the voice of youth.

Awhi te Rangatahi was the brainchild of the Youth Empowering Sport Squad and Whanganui District Council Youth Council.

A panel from the combined councils was formed to front the initiative: Abbey Peters and Eloise Bradshaw, YESS Council, and Holly Davies and Josephine Perkins representing Whanganui District Council Youth Council. There was $1000 up for grabs, and the calibre of applications received was impressive.

The interview stage for Awhi te Rangatahi took place last week with the applicants making time to share their project passion. Rangatahi from the Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club and Spacebound Touch Club gave their project presentations and their drive and enthusiasm came across in the delivery.

After the last interview was complete, the panel discussed the projects. Both sets of applicants had such a positive impact it was an easy decision split the funding, giving everyone support.

Josephine Perkins shared her thoughts on the applications and process.

"I thought it was awesome and truly felt professional. Personally, I loved hearing how passionate our Whanganui youth is about improving the mental and physical wellbeing of those around us and the push and drive for cool new opportunities for our youth!

"This was an awesome opportunity and would love to help out if we were lucky enough to do this again."

The Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club had four rangatahi, Shannon Hill, Legacey Te Hore, Katy Harvey, and Kaitlin Dew, present two projects to the panel, a female focused event and a Parkour open session for rangatahi.

The WBGGC presenters are hugely appreciative of the opportunity and, Kaitlyn Dew, one of the WBGGC presenters, spoke for them all.

"We would like to thank the YESS Council and Whanganui District Council's Youth Council for giving us the opportunity to host a Parkour event for rangatahi. We would like to host this event to allow rangatahi the chance to get out of their comfort zone and try something new."

Spacebound Touch Club received funding to go towards their up-and-coming mixed youth team. Tyler Edwards and Anthony Sellers are the driving force behind the Spacebound Touch Club.

Every aspect of the Spacebound Touch team is managed by rangatahi, with more senior support in place, but that's just a backup.

Tyler Edwards is grateful for the support.

"The funding from the YESS Council and Whanganui District Council's Youth Council will help hugely in getting the Spacebound Touch Club off the ground.

"It will hopefully create teams for all levels and abilities from primary school to adulthood and from local competitions to the national stage. Creating an environment where cost isn't a factor and a place you feel you belong is our goal."

The Parkour event, also run by rangatahi for rangatahi, will take place on Friday, May 27, and participants are able to register for free on the Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club website.

The young women's session date and info will be released soon and look out for the Spacebound Touch rangatahi team on a field near you in the future.

If the passion and capability of all the rangatahi involved in Awhi te Rangatahi is anything to go by the future of sport and active recreation is in good hands.