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Amplify the Y - written by Will Watterson, YMCA National Programme Manager

‘Amplify The Y' is a series of five ambitious and inspiring projects that will strengthen the YMCA movement across Aotearoa over the next three years. The ATY programme will cover strategic development, building governance and cultural capability and developing our young people. It will help members of the YMCA movement collaborate in ways that make the Y greater than the sum of its parts! 'Amplify The Y' consists of five main projects: Communities Of Practice We are developing Comm...

Need for speed for Adelle

When she’s not creating fun filled programmes for children in YMCA Hawke’s Bay care, Adelle Singer can be found at the speedway track or riding her motorcycle around rural Hawke’s Bay. Adelle started as Oscar Manager about three and a half years ago. She says it’s a privilege to work for a community organisation with such strong values and commitment to the local community. “While it wasn’t something I was necessarily looking for when I decided to give up teaching, the fit couldn’t...

Check our trees

In October, we went back to check out the trees we planted on Te Mata Peak and got to explore the new tracks before enjoying lunch under the Redwoods. We also had a river day planned for October.  The seniors got very wet when we tried to head to the river to cook our sausages, but the day was saved with staff cooking up a feast back at our Hastings HQ for the children while they dried out watching a movie. The weather cleared just enough for us to light a fire pit and cook marshmallows. M...

January programme - a mix of new and old favourites

Our January programme will be a good balance of ‘busy’ and time to ‘slow down’. There are also new activities we haven’t done before, and some of the old favourites. Beach Day is always one of most popular days and it is so nice to be able to enjoy the awesome Hawke’s Bay outdoors and everything it has to offer. We go back to Weka Point – children often start this day with a few nerves but by the time we say it is time to get on the bus, they are asking if they can stay longer. Our...

Pre-Christmas fun

We are offering a pre-Christmas holiday programme again this year. Our Christmas programme starts on 16 December right through till 6pm on Christmas Eve. It will run at Raureka and Taradale primary schools. It follows the very successful relaxed approach we took last year. We’re repeating the giving back activities of a beach clean-up and buying gifts for others. This time though, instead of heading to town to distribute the gifts, we will organise a community group to collect so we can keep ...

Great neighbours

Our Hastings office is now graced by two rhododendrons, thanks to a local neighbour. Donald Jefferies, (pictured in wheelchair) whose Gracelands unit bounds our boundary, donated two Rhodo Vulcan plants – note the YMCA red of the flowers! It was his thank you for tree trimming we carried out along our mutual fence line to allow more sunlight into his and other units there. Our thanks also to YMCA Board member, Ross Duncan (pictured left) and David Grenside who came along and planted the trees...

Bye Lucia, hi Michelle

At the end of this year, we will sadly farewell Lucia Wilson, our office administrator (pictured left). Lucia started working for YMCA Hawke’s Bay back in January 2018, as a high school student helping with our holiday programmes. After she finished school, Lucia went to EIT to study a Bachelor of Business Studies, majoring in accounting. She continued to work for us at our after school and holiday programmes.  In a lucky break, we needed a temporary office administrator at the same time...

Fully vaxed team to safeguard tamariki

Our priority is to ensure that young people attending our programmes have fun while being kept safe. In the past, keeping safe usually meant assessing the physical environment for any potential hazards that could cause harm. In today’s world, a huge part of keeping safe is managing the risks around COVID-19. YMCA Hawke’s Bay policy is that all our staff must be fully vaccinated to be able to work for us. This is because so much of what we do is with children who are currently unable to rece...

Young people, we need you!

Raise Up is coming to Hawke’s Bay around March next year and we’re looking for young people to take the lead. Raise Up is YMCA’s Youth Development programme. Established in 2002, this programme is built by young people, for young people. Through event management, community outreach and leadership opportunities, young people are heard and given a chance to make impactful changes in their communities. Raise Up activities include a mixture of regular weekly activities, events, workshops, and...

Have a go days

Many of our children who are in after school care with us every day don’t get the chance to take part in sports, dance and other active pursuits. So, we decided to bring those extracurricular activities to them. With the help of Sport Hawke’s Bay Tu Manawa fund, we’re running a variety of physical activities at Raureka School as a pilot programme. First up has been Taekwon-Do sessions in term 2 and we’ve got rugby booked for the first half of  term 3. Other ideas include Kapa Haka,...

Date night free treat

Giving couples the chance for a date night without the cost of a babysitter is one way we give back. At the end of last year, our after-school care services offered free babysitting and parents took advantage of the time to go Christmas shopping or to spend rare kids-free time together. “One couple took fish and chips up Te Mata Peak and had a special date, which was their first for a long time,” says Adelle Singer, our OSCAR Manager, who was one of our team who gave her time free. Other par...

Hi 5s for outdoor adventures

Caving, canoeing, cliff traversing, camping, river crossings… all in a day’s work for our experienced outdoor education team. But for many of the kids on recent camps and day adventures, there were numerous fun firsts and new skills learnt. Adventure Club was a summer holiday programme for 11 to 14 year olds that attracted a dozen children from around the region. They met at our Hastings Pakowhai office each day and when they arrived back seven hours later we could tell they’d had a g...

Coming home for Olivia

Olivia Pierce joined us as our Youth Development Manager in December last year but she’s no stranger to YMCA and the benefits our organisation provides communities around the country. Olivia started her career with South & Mid Canterbury YMCA and loved it. Then she moved to Hawke’s Bay and found that “something was missing”, she really missed the sense of belonging she’d had at YMCA. So, she joined our Board but then the youth development position came up and she jumped at the chance t...

Chill for mental wellbeing

“Children these days lead jam-packed lives and by the end of the school term, they can be pretty tired so we’re consciously including less busy days in our holiday programmes,” says Adelle Singer, OSCAR Manager, who heads up our holiday programme team. “We think it’s important we have some time that is more relaxed, not so structured and heavily organised so children can decide for themselves how they spend their time. I love it when I see kids reading a book or just sitting together c...

Young learners climbing high

Our early learning education team has been boosted with a specialist support teacher through a Covid Urgent Response fund and our children are definitely reaping the benefits. Nisha Rani, a qualified early childhood teacher, joined our learning centre in Napier at the beginning of this year with funding through a Ministry of Education pandemic-prompted Urgent Response Funding Scheme. She has been developing behavioural plans and strategies for children with specific needs, providing support to t...

Growing great leaders

Two of our team got a huge learning opportunity and career boost when YMCA HB joined forces with Directions Youth Health Centre to give youth they work with daily outdoor experiences around the region over the summer holidays. Shannon Singer and Zach Furniss are EIT social work students and, as OSCAR Assistants, work on our holiday programmes and in after-school care when they can around their studies. When Olivia Pierce, our newly appointed Youth Development Manager, asked them to join her and ...

Learning to give back

Building strong communities is part of our mission. We’re always looking for fun ways to teach children the value of giving to others and Christmas gave us a great opportunity. “Many of our children are in care full time and have limited opportunities to be involved with community-based groups like scouts or girl guides so don’t necessarily get the chance for give-back activities,” says Adelle Singer, OSCAR Manager (our afterschool and holiday programme service). “We’re always lookin...

Abseiling

Upcoming Abseil session Wednesday 8th July 2020 at Sturms Gully, Bluff Hill.  Have a go at abseiling these school holidays.  Click here for more info...