Why Choose Us
Our Programmes
Providing a supportive, values and fitness-based environment is pivotal to the success of our programmes. Leveraging the support from our 64 employment partnerships and community groups, we can guide our participants into meaningful and lasting employment.
We also complete pre and post programme tests for our rangatahi, covering both mental and physical wellbeing to ensure all participants can see and track their own personal growth.
Since starting our Imagine Believe Achieve (IBA) pathway-to-employment programme back in 2020, we have had six intakes and a 70% success rate getting youth into meaningful employment or education.
Our participants also have the opportunity to participate in activities within our wider community. This includes participating in activities such as fun-runs and fishing trips, engaging with our wider community positively, and taking part in activities some rangatahi have never experienced.
World Class Facilities
Our new state-of-the-art facility, Youth Central – Te Puna o Taiohi (The Spring of Youth) is a strategic youth hub for the young people of Tauranga.
Our spacious 1,050m2 building is equipped with top-of-the-line fitness and training equipment, including a 25m running track and a tournament-sized boxing ring, coffee shop, break out study rooms and more.
Our Team
Our facilitators are highly qualified professionals across all aspects of mental and physical health. Athletes, lawyers, registered psychologists, educators, youth workers and cultural experts support our participants with their unique wealth of knowledge and experience.
Our team also is backed up our strong governance model and Board of Trustees, chosen for their professional skills, networks in the community and a passion to see our local youth succeed. We have excellent administration and processes which ensure we can meet expectations regarding evaluation, monitoring, reporting, quality assurance, and financial management.
Our Partnerships & Collaborations
Our partnership programmes and ongoing support effectively guide our rangatahi towards new positive pathways in life, opening opportunities for sustainable and meaningful employment. We have worked hard to develop strong positive relationships with over a hundred local businesses and companies to link our participants.
We strongly believe in the power of collaboration and set up the Piritahi Youth Collective. This collective comprises of groups who work with at-risk youth in the Bay of Plenty, getting together monthly to discuss new opportunities and developing shared initiatives.
We see huge opportunities to continue working with other service providers and utilising our Youth Central facility to operate as a strategic and collaborative youth hub. This has the potential to shift the way youth service providers and funders work together to staircase individual youth towards successful outcomes. We believe this will provide strong community benefits and opportunities for transformative change.
OUR KEY DIFFERENCES
Holistic focus on health and wellbeing
- Our five core values (Manaakitanga/Kindness, Whakaute/Respect, Takohanga/Responsibility, Whakapono/Trust and Manawaroa/Resilience) underpin all the programmes.
- We run pre and post-tests to ensure all participants can see their growth in fitness and other levels of skill and knowledge over time.
- The adoption of the whare tapa wha Māori health model which focuses on participants’ physical, mental, spiritual and relationships health and wellbeing model.
World class facilities
- High quality fitness and training equipment, including a tournament size boxing ring.
- Well qualified and very experienced staff in physical and mental health and education.
- A coffee bar ideal for training youth in barista and food service skills.
Integrated employment and training pathways
- Developed opportunities and links to over a hundred different businesses.
- Positive relationships with many like-minded social and youth development organisations.
- Post placement support for between six months and up to a year after participants have been placed.
