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From casting lines and firing arrows to team building and personal awareness, local schoolchildren have been stepping out of their comfort zones recently with help from North Rodney Blue Light (NRBL).
During the last school term, groups of youth took part in a range of NRBL programmes, including Onwards Upwards, which focused on building trust, communication, teamwork and goal-setting, all grounded in a core theme of gratitude.
Goal setting is guided by the SMART approach – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound – and also includes trust and team building games such as assembling a Blokart, as well as archery.
Held at Tomarata and Mangawhai Beach schools over eight weeks, NRBL community youth coordinator Shane Gould says the students engaged positively with the programme.
“In each session, the students explore their unique personal values and their role models. One group decorated their pot plant containers with their gratitude words and looked after the flowers.”
The students also had the chance to learn how to cast a line with NRBL’s Mangawhai Fishing Training programme on July 1, supported by volunteer organisations and individuals.
“I’d like to acknowledge the 14 students who were all well behaved and engaged with the knowledge and safety of fishing and boating crew. We’re looking forward to being able to take them out on local boats when the conditions suit, which may be later than expected.”
Gould has dedicated more than 30 years to NRLB and, along with wife Kristal, his unwavering commitment to the service of youth was recognised at a Blue Light training day on June 19, with 150 staff performing an emotional waiata (song) and haka.
The passionate youth advocate says he could not facilitate the youth opportunities without the assistance of many volunteers and thanked Kristal, who looks after registrations and hospitality; Blue Light volunteers Ken Davies, Darryl Reardon, Jay Thompson-Milne and Darryl Readon; Pip Beaven and Mangawhai Boating and Fishing Club members; Mangawhai Coastguard’s Ron Lucca; Northland Coastguard’s unit support manager Jo Norgrove and crew; fishery officer Callum McCosh; Wellsford Rapid Response Team; Mangawhai Community Op Shop; and Gutry Catering.
