Graeme Dingle Foundation And Te Uri O Hau Partner To Launch New Youth Programmes In The Kaipara District

An exciting new project will be launching at Otamatea High School, and Maungatūroto and Kaiwaka Primary Schools. On August 9, the Graeme Dingle Foundation and Te Uri o Hau will celebrate the opening of the suite of beneficial Foundation programmes with a pōwhiri held at Otamatea High School.

Sharlene McCormick, Principal of Kaiwaka Primary says “Schools are happy that local Iwi will be delivering the Kiwi Can programme to their tamariki”.

A charity focussed on youth development, the Graeme Dingle Foundation has worked with over 350,000 tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa in its 30 years since inception. These incoming programmes Kiwi Can and Career Navigator Ngā Ara Whetū, are designed to support the development of core foundational skills in young people, helping them to forge positive pathways within the community, move into further education or work after school, and set goals for their future. The Foundation's values are steadfast in all they do, caring – manaaki, courageous – maia, collaborative – tūhono, all of which are intertwined with the purpose of helping tamariki and rangatahi realise potential.

At the forefront of this partnership are Te Uri o Hau’s CEO Jonathan Rishworth and their head of Tangata Developments Tania Moriarty, who have been working alongside Graeme Dingle Foundation founders Sir Graeme Dingle KNZM MBE and Jo-anne Wilkinson CNZM, Lady Dingle, who, over the past two years have collaborated with their teams and alongside schools and community, to conduct a needs assessment in the Kaipara District.

Reflecting on the impact of the programmes both organisations are offering young people in the community, Te Uri o Hau’s Head of Developments, Tania Moriarty, highlighted the importance of collaboration.

“It is fantastic to find opportunities to form strong relationships with like-minded organisations, such as those between the Graeme Dingle Foundation and Te Uri o Hau Tangata Developments, who have similar values. Both entities support youth to develop and realise their potential. Through collaborating in this manner, our two organisations increase their ability to provide excellent programmes for greater numbers of youth. Rangatahi will take the lessons they learn from these programmes and ultimately be able to contribute to the advancement of their communities more effectively as they enter into the workforce, and in turn, pass on their learning to the next generation.”

Jo-anne Wilkinson, Lady Dingle, says the team are thrilled to be able to work in the Kaipara region and connect with the community.

“The young people of Kaipara are already overrepresented in unemployment statistics. We know through COVID isolation that for many, their confidence dropped significantly and it's these young people who are most at risk of leaving school early. Without confidence or qualifications, these young people will struggle to have positive futures and contribute well to their community”.

The initiative is designed to help support the Kaipara district to access a suite of the Foundation’s offerings. Schools are community hubs where many wraparound services are available alongside the new programmes which offer support to various age groups and promote social and emotional well-being and a sense of connectedness. Outcomes are proven to show increased attendance, increased academic achievement, and a sense of purpose and direction.

The project has been seed-funded by R&S Kayne Foundation, whose mission is to invest in people and collaborate with communities to empower positive change.

Sarah Ali, Managing Director of the R&S Kayne Foundation said

“We are delighted to have launched this initiative in Kaipara with Graeme Dingle Foundation and Te Uri o Hau. We look forward to new partners joining so that it can be expanded across the Kaipara region.

We are deeply inspired by the Māori proverb, He aha te mea nui? Māku e ki atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.

What is the most important thing in the world? Well, let me tell you, it is people, it is people, it is people.

Our support of the Graeme Dingle Foundation reflects a multi-generational investment in people and programmes that consistently yield strong outcomes for youth and the community year after year.”

The initial investment provided by the Kayne Foundation will see programmes delivered for Otamatea High School, Maungatūroto Primary and Kaiwaka Primary Schools as a starting point. However, the Graeme Dingle Foundation and Te Uri a Hau would like to hear from anyone interested in joining them, which would allow the project to expand across the wider Kaipara region.

About the Graeme Dingle Foundation

• The Graeme Dingle Foundation is a youth development charity named in recognition of Kiwi adventurer, Sir Graeme Dingle, who co-founded the not-for-profit organisation with his partner Jo-anne Wilkinson, Lady Dingle in 1995.
• Sir Graeme and Lady Dingle have a vision to improve New Zealand's negative youth statistics and have helped over 350,000 young Kiwis be more confident, find purpose and direction, and achieve success.
• The Foundation facilitates school and community programmes for over 27,000 Kiwis aged between five–24 each year. These initiatives aim to broaden horizons, offer opportunities, and give young people the chance to become the next generation of successful parents, leaders, and businesspeople.

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