Media Release – Hastings District Council/Ministry of Youth Development

Date: 11 June 2009

Youth Projects Get Funding Boost In The Regions

The Hastings District Council has been granted government funding for an innovative project that will benefit local young people.

Youth Affairs Minister Paula Bennett today announced the successful recipients of the Ministry of Youth Development’s Youth Development Partnership Fund.

“I’m delighted to congratulate the Hastings District Council whose innovative project, Hastings Youth On Track is among those to be granted funding”.

“The great thing about these projects is that they get young people actively engaged and helping their peers. Having young people involved in the development and implementation of these projects is vital,” Ms Bennett says.

Fund recipients include councils from across the country, covering rural, metropolitan and provincial communities, with funding totalling more that $700,000. The Hastings Youth on Track programme will receive funding of $53,333.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says the Hastings Youth On Track project will give young Flaxmere people the opportunity to get involved in their community and develop skills they can apply throughout their lives.

“Youth on Track will raise the profile of young people in Hastings and give them opportunities to network with key community leaders and business groups. This alone will give them options which may never have previously been available to them,” says Lawrence.

“Projects designed by adults for young people risk not hitting the mark. Why not go straight to the source? I believe it’ll help strength young people’s participation and engagement with their community,” says Ms Bennett.

The Youth Development Partnership Fund provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Youth Development, territorial authorities and young people to work together to provide new and innovative local youth development projects.

ENDS

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