Whanganui youth worker wants a centre for 'immediate help' to be established

Stock photos of Whanganui. Friday, July 02, 2021 Whanganui Chronicle photograph by Bevan Conley. WGP 08Jul21 -

Whanganui is in desperate need of a new centre for young people, a local youth worker says.

Stacey Foskett has over 20 years' experience in the field, and she has been gathering information on the idea for "a very long time".

"It's a huge thing to tackle," Foskett said.

"I've been involved in youth centres in other towns and I've seen how they work, and it's now about talking to the young people and seeing what they actually want - and where the gaps are."

Foskett said local services were doing a "damn good job", but nevertheless there was still a need for an immediate point of contact for youth in Whanganui.

While a centre would have a focus on mental health, there were a number of other issues that young people had to deal with.

"It could be employment, it could be sexuality. There are so many things that could be addressed in the same space," Foskett said.

"I'm not proposing to be the fixer but I'm offering to put something out there that will act as an in-between, so there is something available to young people when it's needed," Foskett said.

"From there, they could potentially build relationships with people they trust, in a place where they can come immediately if things get tough.

"It might be until they get help, or it might be while they are accessing help."

It could be weeks or months before a young person dealing with mental health issues was able to get the professional help they needed, Foskett said.

"A lot of the time, when young people have finally built up the courage to reach out for help, they need it right then and there.

"They can't really say 'OK, I'll put that on hold for the next six weeks and think about it again then.'

"Someone needs to walk beside them on that journey, someone they know is there when things get dark."

Foskett spoke of her plans on social media earlier this week, and she said she'd been overwhelmed with the support her idea had already received.

"I'm struggling to keep up with all the responses I've had so far. It's been really humbling to see the amount of people who've put their hand up and want to help.

"There are people in Whanganui that are doing amazing things, and the Council is doing the feasibility study, which is fantastic, but there needs to be something for right now.

A centre wouldn't work without the backing of the community, Foskett said.

"One person doesn't have all the answers, but if you can get a group together with a group of backgrounds, with a group of knowledge, then you can cover a lot of ground."

Coordinating a public meeting would be her next task.

"From that meeting the next step would be putting together some focus groups, and having youth as part of that is the key," Foskett said.

"If you're going to develop something for youth then you need them to guide you in the journey."

Foskett said providing an informal setting that youth could feel comfortable approaching was one option.

"I've had so many amazing conversations with young people over a game of pool, for example.

"People are more open to having a conversation with you if it's non-threatening. You need to build that relationship, and next time they may tell you a little more.

"It takes a community to raise a child, and it takes all sorts of people from that community. The more diverse that group is, the more needs you are going to meet."