Stopping ram-raiders

The article on social investment by Derek Cheng highlighted the upside and value of this alternative funding model (Weekend Herald, Apr 20). We applaud this Government for committing to developing social investment funding.

The only successfully completed social investment programme in NZ was delivered by Genesis Youth Trust, working with youth offenders in South and East Auckland.

Working alongside police, this programme delivered a dramatic reduction in serious offenders (over 50 per cent of the offenders have not re-offended), a financial return for investors and significant lifetime social return of $9 for every dollar invested.

These outcomes are remarkable, but even more remarkable are changes achieved by the 400-plus young people who have not reoffended and the impact this has had on their wh¯anau and our society.

This programme alone has exceeded the Government’s current six-year goal to reduce serious youth offenders by over 100 per cent.

A more recent programme working with a multi-agency model has meant 80 per cent of ram-raiders referred to the programme have not re-offended. To quote Sir Bill English: “The hardest job is not actually solution-finding, it’s changing existing institutions to accommodate those solutions”.

Now is the time to start. Start investing in programmes that have proven they can deliver. While we continue to discuss, debate, and produce reports, our young people are missing out on the support they need to change their lives and organisations like Genesis Youth Trust are having to reduce staff numbers due to lack of funding. Martyn McKessar, Genesis Youth Trust Board Auckland chair