My Account
Hibiscus and Bays local board member Caitlin Watson is “over the moon” at the news that Auckland Council voted through a one-off grant of $100,000 to the Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre in the Mayor’s Proposal, in the Long Term Plan.
This is in addition to the $20,000 grant that the organisation received from the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board in its recent funding round.
Auckland Council is also undertaking a review of the funding of all the youth centres in the region. Caitlin says that the governing body’s grant will provide a little financial security for the Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre over the next 12 months while a wider review is carried out by council staff.
“It is good to see progress being made in the provision of equitable regional funding of Youth Centres across Auckland, which the Local Board has been advocating for,” Caitlin says. “The Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre deals with 600 young people a week. Our population is growing, and with it the demand for services and support for young people. The local youth centre should be put on a financial footing similar to other youth centres in Auckland if it is to meet the challenges of the youth in this area.”
The Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre, based in Western Reserve, Orewa, deals with youth employment, leadership, education, wellness and suicide prevention. It is currently the subject of a 360 degree governance and operations review.
