Young people identify best things about living in the Hutt

Media Release

07 April 2016

Hutt Valley young people identify the three best things about living in the Hutt Valley

4444 young people from across the Hutt Valley participated in the Hutt Valley Youth Survey 2015, sharing their thoughts about living in the Hutt Valley. Young people identified: ‘things to do and places to go’, ‘close proximity to people and places’, and ‘a good community’ as the three best things about living in the Hutt Valley.

The results also revealed that the biggest issues for young people were: drugs, alcohol and the perception of safety/crime. Improving job opportunities was also a major priority for young people.

Results from the 2015 Hutt Valley Youth Survey were launched last week by Regional Public Health and partners including Vibe, Upper Hutt City Council, Hutt City Council and many more representatives from the local youth sector.

Upper Hutt City Council Mayor Wayne Guppy pictured with Tania Wilkinson from the Upper Hutt Community Development Team attended the launch acknowledging the results from the survey and the Council’s commitment to provide ongoing support for young people across the Valley.

Mayor Guppy says “the key of the whole survey was to look at where there have been improvements or where there have been issues, then as councils, and with other groups or government departments, we can look to work on areas where there is some concerns.”

The Hutt Valley Youth Survey was last undertaken in 2010 by both the Upper Hutt City Council and Hutt City Council. In 2014, a range of stakeholders in the local youth development sector identified the need for an updated Hutt Valley Youth Survey. Regional Public Health’s Community Action on Youth Alcohol and Drugs (CAYAD) team led the development and implementation with support from individuals, groups and organisations to develop a survey that focused on localised information about living as a young person in the Hutt Valley.

CAYAD intends for this survey to be used by stakeholders to shape and support work carried out by the local community to enrich the lives of young people living in the Hutt Valley.

A full copy of the survey results can be found by visiting www.rph.org.nz (Resources > Evaluations).

PHOTO: Left to right – Tania Wilkinson, Community Development, Upper Hutt City Council and Mayor Wayne Guppy, Upper Hutt City Council.

ENDS

© Scoop Media