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VOLUNTEER HUTT YOUTH PROGRAMME Youth volunteers bring enthusiasm energy encouragement Volunteer Hutt in collaboration volunteers from Wainuiomata High with the Ministry of Youth School assisted in many areas including Development and Hutt City Council information and registration, and the Community Development, has been swim, cycle and run courses. Several running a youth programme to explore volunteers even started at 6am, an and create possibilities for youth unusually early start on a Saturday involvement in volunteering in Hutt morning for them. City. TheVolunteer Hutt Youth TheYouth Programme at Programme is already proving a great Volunteer Hutt continues to grow, success with last month’s Hutt Valley with more volunteers and more Disabled Resources Trust (HVDRT) opportunities arising for them to be TriAbility Triathlon the latest event active in their community. Seventy to utilise the skills and abilities of people have registered with the the Hutt Valley’s youth to benefit all ment whilst being courteous to the programme since October. Many involved. diversity of athletes that took part.’ assisted with Christmas events This year’s inaugural HVDRT TheYouth Programme matches including Birthright Children’s TriAbility Triathlon was held in young people aged 12–24 who would Christmas party, Refugee Services Wainuiomata’s William Jones like to support the community with Family Picnic, Jackson St Project and Park accommodating almost 100 organisations that need volunteers. the Alicetown Community Family day. participants and their families, The programme provides an After being advertised through their friends, and supporters for a fun and opportunity for the youth involved school communities, students from challenging sporting event. Volunteers to gain experience, confidence, and a Wainuiomata High School and Chilton were an essential ingredient of this greater understanding of their local Saint James have come forward to be event with Volunteer Hutt’s Youth community. involved in the programme and many Programme to the fore. Many young people want to help others have responded to Volunteer ‘The HVDRT TriAbility Triathlon others, and offer their services to the Hutt’s weekly advertisement in the is like no other that I know of, in that community but there are relatively Hutt News. it encourages competitors to enter few openings for their involvement. Recently, Oosh Multimedia created independently or alongside their Volunteer Hutt is encouraging a promotional video for the programme training buddy/buddies to continue organisations within the not-for- which will be shared with schools their mutual support of each other,’ profit sector to listen to what youth and youth groups to encourage and says Charlie Holland, Project Manager perceive they have to offer, and are promote youth volunteering. The video for HVDRT and Event Co-ordinator for working alongside both parties to is featured on the Volunteer Hutt the TriAbility event. achieve positive outcomes through Facebook page which you can follow ‘The youth volunteers brought volunteering. for up-to-date information about enthusiasm, energy, and encourage- At the TriAbility Triathlon event, opportunities to get involved. www.volunteerwellington.org.nz VOLUNTEER HUTT YOUTH PROGRAMME if they wanted to. We thought the best way to do that would be through Susan something comedic, so I wrote a sketch to encourage people to volunteer in a funny way.’ Fellows Being part of the production company Oosh Multimedia meant that Vinny had the skills and resources at ❝It’s good being hand to create an attention-grabbing there for others, and and entertaining video that is ideal you can make some for sharing on social media, an ideal method for connecting with young new friends.❞ people and spreading the word about the programme. Reflecting on the variety of After seeing an opportunity to volunteering opportunities was one participate in the Volunteer Hutt objective Vinny had for the video. Youth Programme advertised in ‘There’s heaps of different things you the Wainuiomata High School daily can do. We are hoping to make people notices, SUSAN FELLOWS volunteered understand that maybe you could as part of the Youth Crew for the Vinny volunteer to do something you are Hutt Valley Disabled Resources Trust really interested in and would like to do Triability event. as a career. If they can see that it could A multi-sport event for all Ritossa levels of ability, especially those help them in the future and they would also be helping people, that’s a good with disabilities, Triability needed volunteers to help the event run ❝ way to get young people interested in They wanted to reach it,’ suggests Vinny. smoothly. Susan, along with other out to younger As for Vinny and Oosh Multimedia, volunteers from Wainuiomata High volunteers and asked if making the video was a worthwhile School helped direct competitors along effort in itself. ‘We love making films race paths and between event locations. I could do anything that and it’s always good to practice.’ The Equally important was cheering on would help inspire writing, shooting and editing of the and supporting the competitors, and young volunteers to get video took around two days in total. helping to make the day a great success for them. out there.❞ The product of this is a valuable tool in promoting volunteering to young Arriving at 6:30am to help with the people, in a format which can be viewed set-up and working throughout the day and distributed online (YouTube and until the afternoon prize giving, Susan VINNY RITOSSA heard about the Facebook) in an effective way. Adds felt the event was a good experience for Volunteer Hutt Youth Programme Vinny ‘Volunteering is a good cause. her. ‘It’s good being there for others, through a family friend. This led to him Without volunteers, organisations and you can make some new friends.’ supporting the programme by using wouldn’t be able to run a lot of events. She is already aware of the importance his skills in video production to make I think volunteers are an undervalued of being active in the community, a short promotional video targeting resource.’ n saying ‘I’m used to volunteering – my young people. Dad helps with Scouting, the Lions ‘They wanted to reach out to and Grey Power and I go along and younger volunteers, and asked if I could help them with fundraising.’ She also do anything that would help inspire believes more information in the young volunteers to get out there,’ says careers centre of schools would be Vinny. ‘We wanted to create a video valuable and encourage more students that would inspire young people to get interested in taking the next step to out there and volunteer, or at least give volunteer. n them information on how to volunteer www.volunteerwellington.org.nz VOLUNTEER HUTT YOUTH PROGRAMME responsibility, was new.’ The party was a great opportunity for Nina to assist Jessica a community group with a short-term commitment and a beneficial way to spend her summer break from school. Barnes ‘I had all these holidays and there was nothing to do.’ Nina’s tasks included writing ❝I’ve had the ongoing visitor’s names in the guestbook and support I needed, plus giving them information about the the right amount of event. The activities included a treasure hunt. ‘They went up and down Jackson being hands-off, Street. I gave chocolates to the shops allowing me to learn to give out to the children when they and grow in the role solved the clues, and then the children would come back to me for more clues.’ myself.❞ Being relied upon to complete these duties was also a learning experience. After two years out of the workforce, ‘I’m not the most organised person, I JESSICA BARNES decided that kind of had to learn to be organised.’ volunteer work would be a good Having fun while working, made Nina stepping stone to get back into paid for an even more positive experience. employment. ‘I saw the ad in the ‘It was really fun. They transformed Pilcher Hutt News and thought it might be the historic jail into a Santa’s grotto; interesting. I had done a little bit it’s normally a museum. The children of writing in college but it had been would come and get photos with Santa.’ ❝ awhile,’ says Jessica about taking It was possibly the Gaining skills that will be useful up a role as a youth writer for the first time I had anything when looking for work in the future Volunteer Hutt Youth Programme. was another reason Nina took on a resembling a job, After interviewing her first volunteer job. volunteer and working on her profile, where I had a lot of ‘It was great for the experience and Jessica was pleased to hear her writing responsibility. I’m not I met a lot of really awesome people.’ was well received at Volunteer Hutt. To other young people who might be the most organised ‘It’s been so long since I had really considering a similar volunteer role, person, I kind of had to written anything. it was enjoyable to Nina says ‘Do it. It’s a really good get back to that and I’ve felt a certain learn to be organised.❞ experience, a great way to get working level of accomplishment in having done experience.’ it.’ Her first involvement in The first one was Nina and she felt For NINA PILCHER, learning about volunteering is unlikely to be her last. she did a ‘good job’ on that. The process responsibility and organisation were ‘I’d definitely do it again. Helping has allowed Jessica to improve her just a few of the personal benefits people was big thing for me. The kids interviewing skills and as a result, her gained from volunteering through the were really excited, I remember seeing writing.

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