Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Social Development & Employment and Youth Affairs

7 November 2011 Media Statement

Funding a fresh approach to youth offending

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is pleased to announce the successful applicants to the Fresh Start Innovation Fund.

“Nine providers have received funding to make a real difference with young offenders, particularly with young Maori,” says Ms Bennett.

“As part of the Fresh Start policy for young offenders, the Innovation Fund supports new ideas or programmes that offer a different approach to working with at risk young people,” Ms Bennett says.

Providers in this round will receive a combined total of almost $402,700 funding, out of more than $3.3 million awarded to 43 providers to date.
This supplementary round was for the unallocated funding for the 2011/2012 financial year, and gave Canterbury based providers disrupted by the earthquakes another opportunity to apply for funding.

“We knew there are some great programmes in the Canterbury area and wanted to ensure young people benefit from them,” says Ms bennett.

Five of the forty three applications came from the Canterbury region, two of which were selected by the panel:

> The Bluelight Canterbury Youth Development programme has a clear Maori youth justice focus and includes waka ama and carving amongst other activities to help connect them to their cultural and whānau roots.

> The R13 Trust project, based in the Waimakariri District, targets 12 and 13 year olds, to help them get motivated, re-engage with school and also works with families, to better support their young person.

“My thanks to independent selection panel chair Katherine Rich and to Sue Bradford who helped assessed the applications and recommended the successful programmes,” says Ms Bennett.

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