Youth trust founder retires

Warkworth stalwart Dave Parker has stepped down from the board of Kowhai Youth Trust, bringing to a close more than three decades of service to the organisation he helped establish.

Dave founded the trust in 1991, after recognising the need for more direct, localised support for youth in the area, noting a gap in the welfare system. In true Dave fashion, he picked up the phone and rallied others to help. What started with a few determined and influential locals has since grown into a respected local charity – one that continues to quietly meet the needs of young people in our community across health, education, sport and culture.

Dave’s inspiration for the trust came from a deep personal conviction to give back. In a 2020 interview with Mahurangi Matters, he reflected, “All I’ve ever wanted to do was repay a community that helped me along the way as a bloke with no real backing as such. It was the local families that would pick me up and take me here and take me there. I thought, what can I do to repay them?”

From the very beginning, Kowhai Youth Trust has reflected Dave’s belief in action, not talk.

Over the years, it has provided everything from medical and dental expenses, therapy, devices, school uniforms, camps, music tuition and a host of sporting assistance – offering timely help to hundreds of families under pressure, often in partnership with local schools and services such as Homebuilders.

Alongside its grant-making, the trust – with Dave, and now Ken Bogue at the helm – became synonymous with lively community events, often in partnership with groups like the Kowhai Coast Lions Club.

Many locals will remember the week of joyful chaos when the Variety Club Bash rolled into town, filling Lucy Moore Park with stalls, a bucking bronco, tug of war, gumboot-throwing, kite-flying, concerts, and Champagne breakfasts for participants.

Fundraising for young Eva Mitchell, born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, included a park concert with the Central Band of the Royal NZ Air Force, which brought the whole community together.

The trust also ran an indoor/outdoor pursuits camp for 20 deserving youth, complete with inspiring guest speakers, and helped put Warkworth in the national spotlight through the “It’s in the Bag” TV show, with proceeds going directly to support young people.

Dave’s departure marks the end of an era, but he leaves a strong legacy. Several of the original trustees continue to serve today, including chair Ken Bogue, Dr Warwick Palmer, Ian Ferguson, Pixie Jones-Merredew and Lois Burton.

“It’s a testament to Dave’s vision and commitment that the Trust has endured and grown,” Bogue says.

“He saw a need, and instead of waiting for someone else to act, he made it happen.”

Joining the board in recent years are new trustees Jacqueline Ironside, Patrick Steuart, Duncan Standley, Julie Jones and Nicole Banks.

Bogue says that as the trust looks ahead, it does so with gratitude for Dave’s leadership and the strong foundation he helped build – one that continues to be powered by the generosity of local individuals and organisations like the Lions Club of the Kowhai Coast.

Kowhai Youth Trust Warkworth says it remains committed to supporting youth across the wider region.

Applications and donations to the trust can be made via the website: www.kcyt.org.nz