BUILDING SOMETHING FOR RANGATAHI – RODNEY YOUTH PROJECT

What started as a two-year pilot to give Rodney's young people somewhere to belong has grown into a lasting fixture of community life across the region.

The Rodney Youth Project began in 2024 as a pilot programme, backed by the Rodney Local Board to boost youth activities across a sprawling rural area where opportunities for young people can be genuinely hard to come by. Led by two Youth Coordinators, the project trialled a weekly youth space in Warkworth, ran five youth events, and funded seventeen programmes and workshops across eleven locations. Two Youth Surveys along the way gave the team real insight into what rangatahi felt was missing from their lives in Rodney.

It's easy to underestimate just how isolating rural life can be for young people. Outside of organised sport and school, activities are sparse and often require serious travel, while limited employment and tertiary education push many to leave the area after high school. The Rodney Youth Project set out to change that equation – injecting funding into activities and programmes that gave rangatahi a genuine way to connect, build skills, and try something new that simply hadn't existed in Rodney before.

The pilot wrapped up in 2025 with the completion of the Rodney Youth Small Project Fund, which distributed funding and support to 20 projects across 17 locations. Its final act was a genuine highlight: the Bluelight Two-Day Fishing Programme, which took fourteen young people aged 11 to 13 from Wellsford and Tomarata schools out to Mangawhai for a crash course in water safety, boating, and – of course – fishing. Organised by Shane Gould of North Rodney Blue Light Ventures Inc. and backed by multiple community partners, it's the kind of experience these kids won't forget in a hurry.

While the pilot has ended, the mission hasn’t. The Rodney Youth Project now lives on within the newly formed Rodney Community team, which works on behalf of the Rodney Local Board with five Community Facilitators and a dedicated Play, Youth & Recreation Coordinator. Together, they focus on building community-led activities and events across Rodney.

Supporting rangatahi remains a priority, with two new youth spaces: the Leigh Youth Group at Leigh Hall and Hei Rangatahi Youth afternoons at Wellsford Library. Partnerships with the Rodney Women’s Centre, A+ Music Wellsford and Te Hana Te Ao Marama Cultural Centre will also support upcoming events.

There's plenty new on the horizon too. Free youth classes now include Teen Dance at Helensville War Memorial Hall, Teen Drama, and Chase Kings Basketball at Mahurangi East Community Centre. On Friday 14 November, the team launches Deck Out: Wellsford Card Show and Cosplay Event, a family-friendly event dreamed up by a group of local kids, where young and old alike can book a free stall to sell, trade, or show off their card collections. Warkworth locals can look forward to a dedicated Youth Alley at the Kowhai Festival, while Halloween brings the Shoesmith Hall Haunted House on 31 Saturday October, run in collaboration with Warkworth Scouts.

Thanks to the Rodney Community team, initiatives launched under The Rodney Youth Project continue to give local young people a genuine sense of belonging. To discover upcoming events for rangatahi across the region, or to share project ideas that need funding support the Rodney Community Team is ready to help.

rodneycommunity.org.nz/whats-on | kiaora@rodneycommunity.org.nz